Irish Government launches innovation voucher scheme
The Irish Government has announced the start of a new EUR 10 million innovation voucher scheme to boost the knowledge capacity of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Pioneered in the Netherlands, the vouchers enable small firms to make use of the expertise and knowledge available in Irish institutes of technology, universities and other research bodies. Currently six public research bodies have signed up to the initiative. Under the scheme, eligible businesses will be issued with a voucher worth €5,000, which can be used to pay for assistance from researchers on a wide range of innovation activities. These can include business model development; service delivery and customer interface; service development; and training in innovation management. Vouchers can also be exchanged for scientific, technological or innovative knowledge transfer projects. 'Innovation Vouchers are the push that many small Irish companies need to explore what part they can play in building our knowledge led economy,' said Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin. 'This is a great opportunity for small companies to take part not only in the Irish pilot of this innovation creation exercise, but to be amongst the first small companies in Europe to take this step.' The minister also announced the creation of a new network of industry-led competence centres. In the first stages, these centres will focus on bringing together companies with high-level research and development (R&D) spend and highly trained researchers to produce new technologies. It is hoped that as they develop, small firms will join the centres. 'Not only will the companies participating in these centres benefit from the shared intellectual property and research produced, but Ireland's economy will benefit in terms of knowledge generated and retained in this country, knowledge that currently is generated overseas,' said Minister Martin.
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