CRANN Director on appointment of Máire Geoghegan Quinn

The appointment of Máire Geoghegan Quinn as EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation offers Ireland an opportunity to articulate at a European level what is needed to stimulate and support opportunities for innovation ultimately leading to the creation of jobs, both in Ireland and across the EU, writes Prof. John Boland, Director of CRANN in Business and Finance.

Boland maintains that the SFI-funded centres for science, engineering and technology (CSETs) recognise the direction required. He points out that “the linkage between world-class research capacity and the generation and exploitation of knowledge was explicit from the outset, and has created unique bonds between Irish academia and industry”.

“Working across 10 centres in eight academic institutions and with over 80 industry partners, we now recognise what needs to be in place to ensure that Ireland benefits from the research investment and successfully manages its knowledge economy”.

From the beginning of the seventh framework programme (FP7) in December 2006 to October 2009, researchers from Irish companies and higher education institutions have won funding totaling €152m. Thus, Irish researchers are beginning to drive the EU research agenda. Boland warns however that Ireland must continue to invest in research if it wishes to lead the European innovation agenda.

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