A strategy to drive Northern Ireland's economy forward through a co-ordinated attempt to promote innovation has been launched.
think|create|innovate: the Regional Innovation Strategy for Northern Irelandproposes all encompassing activity and closer co-operation by government, business, the universities and the further and higher education colleges.
"We must encourage a new culture of innovation throughout the economy and develop a social and economic infrastructure that compares with the best innovating regions of Europe," said Mr Ian Pearson, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
"Innovation, creating and commercialising new knowledge, fostering enterprise and improving our infrastructure and our skills base are key to the competitiveness and future success of the Northern Ireland economy," he added.
The challenge facing the North is to develop policies and strategies that supported and encouraged business competitiveness - and to do it better than other regions, he said.
Northern Ireland comes at the bottom of the UK leagues for research and development spending by government, business and the universities.
Just 10 firms currently account for 60 per cent of all R&D spending in the the North, the strategy revealed.