Innovation Taskforce seeks Submissions
The Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen encouraged people to make a submission saying "the Innovation Taskforce has been asked to bring forward actions which will help the Irish economy recover and its important that anyone with good ideas should put them forward for consideration by the Taskforce."
The Innovation Taskforce has been appointed by the Taoiseach to advise the Government on how to position Ireland as an International Innovation Hub and assist in making the Smart Economy a reality.
The Taskforce is now looking for submissions from interested organisations and individuals who have ideas or proposals they would like to put forward.
The Taskforce would particularly welcome submissions which contain concrete policy proposals to assist in Ireland's transformation to an International Innovation Hub. They should also refer to any relevant information which would be of assistance to the Taskforce. Brief information on the organisation/individual submitting the material should also be included.
More information on the Taskforce, the issues it is considering and how to make a submission can be found at its website, http\\www.innovationtaskforce.ie.
Submissions should be in electronic format and limited to 1,500 words or less where possible. Longer submissions should contain a summary and each submission should list the top three most important issues in bullet points at the beginning.
The closing date for submissions is Friday, 18 September 2009.
They can be e-mailed to innovation.taskforce@taoiseach.gov.ie or sent by post to Innovation Taskforce, Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
The Innovation Taskforce's Terms of Reference and details of its Working Groups are attached.
Ends
9 September 2009
Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference of the Innovation Taskforce 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.
Working Groups
Given the potentially large Agenda facing the Group, the relatively limited reporting timeframe of 6 months and the significant expertise and experience of members, it has been decided that the best way to progress the Terms of Reference is through the establishment of a number of focussed Working Groups, which will consider certain aspects of the Work Programme. These Groups are tasked with developing proposals to be considered at plenary meetings and incorporated into a final Report
Group 1: Incentives, intellectual property and venture capital: identifying measures to increase innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship including changes to incentives, venture capital arrangements and IP strategies
Group 2: Commercialisation, technology transfer and converging technologies including examining institutional structures for R&D funding delivery, how to maximise commercialisation of research, increase technology transfer and promote innovation in converging technologies
Group 3: Achieving the Innovation Island - how to position and promote Ireland as the innovation island including attracting entrepreneurs, FDI, international start-ups and private sector R & D investment.
Group 4: International Innovation Development Hub (Dublin): supporting the development of the TCD/UCD Alliance including identifying necessary supporting policy measures.