Report addresses Ireland's applied research gap
Ireland needs to address its lack of linkages between academia and industry in order to stay internationally competitive, according to a report from the country's high level advisory body on science and technology. In modern economies, closer interaction between public knowledge institutions and businesses is increasingly important, as global competition forces companies to specialise and strengthen core areas. By working closely with knowledge institutions, companies gain access to new knowledge, specialist skills and the latest technologies. The report reviews the relationship between businesses and higher education institutions (HEIs), both in Ireland and in a number of comparable EU Member States (Austria, Finland, Belgium and Denmark) in order to better understand the driving forces behind such relationships and to assess the situation in Ireland. It finds two key constraints to deepening enterprise-higher education research collaborations in the country. These are a lack of ability by Irish businesses - particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) - to absorb and adapt knowledge flows coming from public science, and a gap in the availability of applied research that enterprises can readily access. These constraints, notes the report, are partly as a result of an absence in Ireland of the intermediary structures between higher education institutions and enterprise, which have proven in other countries to be successful in facilitating greater linkages between the two sectors. These intermediaries are generally active in the applied research space. Another necessary condition for good collaboration is substantial business expenditure in research and development (BERD). However, the report notes that levels of BERD in Ireland remain low. In 2006, it accounted for 1.05% of the country's gross national product, below the EU average (1.12%) and well below the likes of Finland (2.46%) and Denmark (1.57%). The report finds that there is a particular lack of funding by business of higher education R&D .These are major contributors to the low levels of interaction with higher education researchers, write the report authors. Since market failure is the rule rather than the exception when it comes to knowledge flows from public science to enterprise, most countries choose a policy mix of public measures with substantial resources to ensure that linkages are encouraged, with the hope of increasing market success. Enterprise Ireland (EI) is Ireland's public agency responsible for science and technology programmes with an enterprise focus. Currently, EI's annual budget for these programmes is about €100 million, of which about 12% only is allocated to academia and industry links, compared to the €200 million spent annually by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes). However, the report notes that the agency is introducing a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening collaboration. These include the development of enterprise-led research networks based on consortia of companies defining their medium-term research goals and how they will benefit their sector and international competitiveness. Another initiative involves new support for technology transfer offices in universities to professionalise their interventions with industry and to influence more flexible procedures in colleges. The report concludes by making a number of recommendations to address the applied research gap. These include: - establishment of a major new initiative to develop in-depth competence in applied research and new applied research groups in support of innovation in enterprises; - identification of areas where collaboration would be useful by development and research funding agencies; - development of enterprise-led collaborative groups located on or close to existing third level campuses; - establishment by business and higher education representative bodies of fora to facilitate networking; - introduction of competition based approaches of allocating public money to ensure the most appropriate knowledge partners participate in academia-enterprise joint projects.
Countries
Ireland