The technology foresight exercise, carried out by the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, was aimed at developing a consensus between experts from industry, research institutes, third-level colleges and Government departments.
The technology foresight vision is of a knowledge-driven Ireland, founded on high value-added products and services and of a society supportive of the benefits of scientific and technological developments.
The Foresight report was prepared on the basis of very active and enthusiastic participation by some 200 top-class individuals drawn from the broad range of constituencies irrevocably involved in our economic activity. Partisanship was put aside and a high degree of consensus was achieved.
The good news is that the Government appears to have taken the report's recommendations to heart and in the National Plan envisages spending £1.95 billion across a range of research and technology activities.
Foresight recommended that Ireland commit itself to a well-focused and significant investment to strengthen Ireland as a centre of world-class research expertise, particularly in niche areas of biotechnology and information and communications technologies. It recommends that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment establish a Foresight Fund to develop this research excellence.
In this context, I welcome the proposal in the National Plan to establish such a fund, amounting to £560m over seven years. To maximise the impact of the fund we need a body, a foundation, dedicated to making Ireland a centre for research excellence in the relevant niche areas. This will involve building on existing research strengths in the third-level colleges, such as the National Microelectronics Research Centre in Cork and the Smurfit Institute of Genetics in TCD, and in the research institutes and bodies such as Teagasc, the Marine Institute and the Health Research Board.
It will also require the establishment of new research laboratories in specific areas critical for the success of the Irish economy.
The foundation should support outstanding researchers in the relevant areas, who will become leaders of small world-class teams. Individuals rather than institutions will be the competing resources. The assurance of quality will be effected by international peer review.
The funds should not be allocated to a research team unless the foundation is satisfied that the research projects are of the highest international relevant calibre.
The real challenge for the foundation will be to develop strong identifiable clusters of worldclass research teams not only in the third-level colleges but also in research institutes outside the third-level sector.
Above all because of a determinant requirement for focus, there should be no question of drip-feeding mini-research projects on a "scatter-gun" basis that could never achieve the cohesion, co-ordination and critical mass necessary to drive the process forward.
Furthermore, in order to reach the critical mass necessary to achieve scale advantage, I consider that the foundation must be equipped with its own laboratory facilities, which will allow specialist concentration in the specific research fields being explored.
But to achieve the speed and dynamic necessary to reach the goals of the Foresight reports, we cannot regard ourselves as an island either geographically or figuratively. We have to open our horizons on the world more than ever. Thus within the context of the foundation, it will be necessary to attract world-class researchers who are already names to be reckoned with in their selected areas. These will be attracted only by providing superb facilities and excellent conditions.
It is likely that the researchers will be employed on short-term contracts. Short-term because the very essence of the foundation must be to inculcate a spirit of dynamism, immediacy and rejuvenation of all concerned - the rapidly disappearing concept of womb-to-tomb security of tenure can be no part of the dynamics I would envision for the programme of this foundation.
The rapid deployment of a critical mass of world-class researchers will have a twofold impact: it will give a clear signal to the knowledge-based companies of the immediate present and future that we are serious about providing a substantial facility to meet their needs.
It will also encourage our existing sophisticated multinationals to put down deeper roots and thus ensure a continuation of quality employment for our people in the future.
It will provide a powerful background for our strongly evolving indigenous companies in the knowledge area and will likewise help to incubate, encourage and support a wide range of spin-offs from all categories of industry.
We in Ireland must avoid reinventing the wheel - we must be aware at all times of the state of play globally in our selected research niches and we must draw on all of our knowledge and resources in a synergistic way to realise the goals emanating from the Technology Foresight Report in the field of research.
The Government has made the enabling decision by incorporating our aspirations regarding Technology Foresight outcomes in the National Plan. Future generations will not thank us if we do not capitalise on this happy situation in an effective and efficient manner.
Brian Sweeney is chairman of the Siemens Group in Ireland. A chartered engineer, he chaired the Technology Foresight Task Force.