Taoiseach Appoints Innovation Taskforce to Support the Development of the Smart Economy
The Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., today announced the appointment of an Innovation Taskforce to advise the Government on its Strategy for positioning Ireland as an International Innovation Hub and to assist in making the Smart Economy a reality.
Announcing the membership of the Taskforce the Taoiseach said: "While weathering the worst global recession of our lifetime, it is imperative that we position Ireland so that we can take advantage of the global upturn when it comes. In December, I launched 'Building Ireland's Smart Economy', the Government's Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal. We need to think smart, work smart, and be smart in order to build our future."
"The Ireland of the future will be a smart, high-value, export-led economy. It will have some of the world's leading research-intensive multinationals, a number of which will be Irish-owned. It will have thousands of innovative small and medium enterprises. These companies will be creating the products and services of tomorrow and providing high quality employment for our people. The country will have smart, efficient and citizen-oriented public services. It will be energy independent and have high-quality living environments with smart transport solutions. That is the future that I want us to achieve."
"The lesson from severe global recessions in the past is that as well as weathering the economic storm, countries need to restructure their economies to target the next wave of economic growth. 'Building Ireland's Smart Economy' identified a range of measures to transform Ireland into the Innovation Island. Today, I am pleased to announce the appointment of the Innovation Taskforce which will assist Government in making this vision a reality.
In welcoming the establishment of the Taskforce, the Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan T.D. said: "we have had considerable success in attracting FDI to Ireland and over 40% of that investment is now in high-value R & D. We must now build on the progress made in the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation so as to ensure that we move up the value chain to become a smart economy with a high-value, research-intensive, multinational community and a thriving set of innovative Irish companies. I look forward to hearing the views of the Taskforce on how we can achieve this ambitious strategy."
Also welcoming the Taskforce, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan T.D. said: "I am confident that the considerable knowledge and expertise of the Taskforce members appointed by the Taoiseach will contribute to ensuring that we have the necessary research, innovation and commercialisation structure to become one of the world's leading locations for business innovation."
The Taskforce will advise the Government on options to increase innovation and entrepreneurship and to ensure that investment in science, technology and research translates into high-value jobs and sustainable economic growth. It will also support the development of the Innovation Alliance between Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. The Taskforce will be complemented by the work of the Green Enterprise Taskforce recently announced by the Tanaiste and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan T.D.
The list of those invited by the Taoiseach to serve on the Task Force and its terms of reference are attached.
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Notes to Editors
The Taskforce's Terms of Reference are:
In the context of the Government's Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal, 'Building Ireland's Smart Economy', and the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, and drawing on lessons from successful international and national models:
to examine options to increase levels of innovation and the rates of commercialisation of research and development on a national basis with a view to accelerating the growth and scale-up of indigenous enterprise and to attract new knowledge-intensive direct investment;
to bring forward proposals for enhancing the linkages between institutions, agencies and organisations in the public and private sectors to ensure a cohesive innovation and commercialisation ecosystem;
to identify any specific policy measures which might be necessary to support the concept of Ireland as an International Innovation Development Hub including in the areas of legislation, educational policy, intellectual property arrangements, venture capital and immigration policy;
Membership of the Taskforce
Dermot McCarthy Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach (Chair)
Lionel Alexander Vice-President & General Manager of Hewlett Packard (Manufacturing) Ltd and Chair of Enterprise Feedback Group
Professor Don Barry President, University of Limerick
Dr. Hugh Brady President, University College Dublin
Damien Callaghan Investment Director, Intel Capital
Michael Carmody President, Institute of Technology Tralee
Dr Steven Collins Co-Founder & CTO Kore Virtual Machines
Ned Costello CEO, Irish Universities Association
Joe Harford Chair of High Level Action Group on Green Enterprise
Dr. John Hegarty Provost, Trinity College Dublin
Dr. Chris Horn Co-founder & former CEO Iona Technologies
Dr. Brian Kelly Founder & CEO, Celtic Catalysts
Dr. Burton Lee Director, European Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Stanford University, School of Engineering, Managing Partner Innovarium Ventures
John Lynch CEO, Merrion Pharmaceuticals
Tara MacMahon IP Lawyer
Dan MacSweeney CEO, Carbery
Bryan Mohally Vice-President Supply Chain Operations Europe, Johnson and Johnson
Mark O'Donovan Director, Raglan Capital
Barry O'Sullivan Senior Vice President, Cisco Systems
Dr Paul Roben President, Celtic Consulting
Anna Scally Partner, KPMG
The Taskforce will also include the Heads of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the Higher Education Authority and representatives from the Departments of Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Finance.