Coherent technology plan vital to economy, forum told

Achieving consensus on how to embrace fully science, technology and innovation (STI) was the key to keeping Ireland on the crest of an economic wave of prosperity, a Science Week forum in Dublin was told yesterday.

The chairman of Siemens Ltd, Mr Brian Sweeney, said that the need for STI was reflected in the level of money being committed to research and development by large companies. The multinational Siemens Group was committed to spending 10 per cent of its annual turnover in this area.

Just as there was an overwhelming case for a company to adopt innovation, this applied equally to "Ireland Incorporated". As vice-chairman of the Irish Council on Science, Technology and Innovation (ICSTI), and chairman of its Technology Foresight task force, he hoped that a national policy could be forged by way of all the sectors working together.

"Technology Foresight is an internationally accepted means to bring together the main constituencies in a national system of innovation", he said.

The process would help to maximise the contribution of science and technology to national economic and social objectives. All stakeholders, such as development agencies and education bodies, would relate to one another.

The ICSTI had looked at 10 international studies on how STI could be best improved, notably in vibrant economies such as those of New Zealand, Israel, Finland, Austria and Britain. "We intend adopting a model suitable for Ireland", he told the forum.

Politicians would play an important role, although some of those in business had an attitude of "why talk to politicians?" In addition to the role of politicians in policy change, he saw them as board members of Ireland Inc. Their involvement was vital to informing the public and to establishing a culture favourable to STI - "one which accepts where technologies have had a negative impact on the environment".

The £250 million programme of technology improvements in education showed that the Government was already listening, Mr Sweeney said. With an educated workforce imbued with an enterprise culture and STI awareness, the current level of innovation would be greatly improved.