Another step towards Innovation 2020 has been taken with the publication of the second Progress Report recently and the announcement of an additional €26m for Innovation, Research and Development funding for 2017.
Innovation 2020, Ireland's strategy for research and development, science and technology was launched in December 2015 and contains 93 headline actions for delivery across Government over the lifetime of the strategy. This second Progress Report sets out the advances made on strategic actions since publication of the first progress report in July 2016 to July 2017.
Welcoming the Progress Report, Minister for Business , Enterprise and Inovation, Heather Humphreys TD, said: "Innovation is crucial for underpinning a strong, developed economy and cultivating a progressive, sustainable society. This second Progress Report for Innovation 2020 reminds us of the importance of supporting our excellent national research system.."
Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development John Halligan commented that this investment will ensure that we can compete at the highest levels internationally “and continue to turn more good ideas into good jobs”.
A cross-departmental and cross-agency Implementation Group, chaired by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, is driving implementation of the strategy. Highlights this year include an increase to €475m, the amount secured under Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for R&D, five new Science Foundation Ireland Research Centres announced and a new Enterprise Ireland/IDA Ireland Meat Technology Centre launch of the Marine Research and the launch of the Innovation Strategy.
Eight of the strategic actions in the report have been completed including the launch by Knowledge Transfer Ireland of a further Technology Transfer Strengthening Initiative to embed knowledge transfer within the public research system and the launch of a new programme of funding for frontier research across all disciplines (the Irish Research Council Laureate Awards);
Ireland also secured full membership of Elixir, the international research organisation for the Life Sciences;
The €26million funding for research will include €12 million to meet commitments under Cycle 5 of the Programme for Research in third-level Institutions and €10.6 million to Science Foundation Ireland in support of their Research Infrastructure programme activity.