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Balancing Objectives and Needs of Industry and Academia: the Role of Government Presentation by Mary Cryan Meeting of National Councils for S&T Policy Prague, 25/26 May 2006 Overview • The Research • Role of Government Enterprise Relationship Education & Research • Excellence • Economic Development Enterprise Relevance Social Progress Prescription: Break down silos (of thought) more interaction more interchange of people. Interdependence is growing Requires greater financial commitment Education: More advanced } More Pervasive } Research - a vital Catalyst! Requires world class human knowledge and social capital Enterprise More Complex } More Competitive } Realising our full potential for human development and social progress requires success in both fields. A Good Sign Lots of Change! In Academia Excellence Restructuring Access + many others In Enterprise Globalisation Technology Innovation + many others Competing on Knowledge Innovation Research Knowledge & Technology Converted to Converted to Knowledge & Technology Integrated Value Chain Innovation/ R&D Production of Goods/Services Sales & Marketing Business Expectations of the Research System •Relevant knowledge and technologies •Appropriately skilled people •Research capability responsive to industry needs •Access Academic Research Freedom • Autonomy to explore new ideas • Tradition of publishing results • Yet evolving role… increasing economic relevance of research activity Role of Government • To balance and respect the objectives and needs of the enterprise and academic communities • To support activities that will facilitate these and maximise synergies arising How? Stakeholder Involvement in Priority Setting • Policy coherence through STI Governance system – – – – • • • • Cabinet Committee for Science, Technology & Innovation Interdepartmental Committee Advisory Science Council Chief Science Advisor Bring stakeholders together to identify research areas emerging globally of national importance Enterprise representation on funding agency and research centre boards Ireland’s Technology Foresight Exercise 1998 - Expansion of infrastructure investment in third level institutions of €600m - Establishment of Science Foundation Ireland to invest €700m in excellent research in ICT and biotechnology. Strategic technology assessment – NanoIreland Future Challenges and Priorities • ‘Innovation mission’ of higher education needs parity with teaching and research to capture commercial potential - appointment of VPs for innovation • Develop an open innovation system with pro-active partnering between enterprise and the science base in research programmes, projects, technology transfer, spin-outs, people • Deliver ‘Fourth Level Ireland’ focusing on postgraduate development in collaboration with enterprise • Increase enterprise input to research agenda to improve balance • Improve enterprise R&D absorptive capacity How? Proactive Engagement • • • Implement related activities through separate yet connected research and development agencies within framework of cohesive governance Incentivise and use enterprise-friendly mechanisms for collaboration – Innovation Partnerships and Centres for SET important first steps – Industry-led networks and competence centres – Distinctive roles for universities, research institutes and institutes of technology Strengthen technology transfer capabilities within third level to optimise return on research investments being made Looking to the Future “The recent increase in state investment in basic research should continue and it should be complemented by a similar programme of marketled applied research in order to fully realise its economic benefit. Both basic and applied research programmes need to be focused so that they are relevant to national needs and so that they achieve critical mass and coherence.” Enterprise Strategy Group (2004) Ahead of the Curve: Ireland’s Place in the Global Economy