Nanotech on Ireland’s horizon in 2020
Ranked sixth in the world for nanoscience research, Ireland is now recognised as a key player in nanotechnology. The emerald isle is also ranked eighth for material science and acts as a key base for many of the world’s multinational corporations. According to the Irish government, over 90% of the world’s medical multinationals and 70% of the world’s technology multinationals have a made a home in the country.
Speaking to delegates at the EuroNanoForum 2013 and attended by Pan European Networks, the Irish Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, outlined how investment in the country’s science base has helped encourage industrial development. The government intends to continue on this path with a two-step strategy.
“First, we have sought to invest in people and in infrastructure in order to build a science base across many different areas of science and research, in both our higher education institutions and indeed other public research organisations. Secondly, we have directly supported the enterprise sector to help individual companies to build their capacity for both research and development. This investment in scientific excellence has delivered many positive impacts. For example, it has helped to power an innovative and enterprising economy, created high-value jobs, attracted and nurtured business and science, and ensured that Ireland is connected and respected internationally.
“The government intends to build on this success. We are keeping science centre-stage by ensuring that it delivers to the economy and indeed to society. Ireland has enhanced its standing in global research by steadily building a very credible research base, particularly over the past decade. Government budget expenditure on research and development increased from €504m in 2002 to €823m in 2011; 3,200 new scientific posts have been created in our institutions during this time and they are now more aligned to the needs of industry.
“In parallel, business expenditure and research development has also increased significantly. Our strategy is to accelerate the economic and societal return on our science-technology and innovation investment. This will further strengthen enterprise engagement and the take up of public research…to drive commercialisation. A big failure of Europe in the past is to invent everything but let others commercialise,” Quinn continued.
“In recent years, it has been a very challenging task to try to obtain support for research and innovation in the face of a very severe economic crisis. Many people might think that this type of investment is a luxury that Ireland simply cannot afford. To the contrary, the Irish government firmly believes that investment in research and innovation is a critical part of our economic recovery. We have already identified key areas where for investment through our national research prioritisation exercise, which also links closely to the themes of Horizon 2020.”
Nanotechnology
The importance of nanotechnology in Europe has led the European Commission to designate it as a Key Enabling Technology. Nanotechnology will form one of the six KETs in the ‘leadership in enabling and industrial technologies’ arm of the Industrial Leadership pillar of Horizon 2020. Dublin has similarly identified it as an ‘enabling toolkit’ in its research prioritisation report. According to Quinn, nanotech’s many versatile uses will help sustain the manufacturing sector.
“The main markets enabled by nanotechnology include the aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, energy, environment, manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical and oil and gas markets. Sustaining the manufacturing sector in Ireland and across Europe is, we believe here in Ireland, fundamental for economic prosperity. The next generation of manufacturing industries require continual and rapid innovation, focused on processing technologies and utilisation of novel or new materials. There is currently low capacity for new technology in many of the small and medium-sized manufacturing firms based here in Ireland.
“Government intervention can act as a facilitator between industry and the knowledge providers across the entire education sector. Engagement with industry on this issue will help researchers in the higher education sector to give their research programmes the appropriate focus and make sense to ordinary people, whose tax monies are going into the investment programmes in the first instance. An introduction of this nature will exist in the cross circularisation of knowledge between the traditional and modern manufacturing companies based here in Ireland. Success in this area will result in a technological upgrade of the traditional manufacturing base and will assist in attracting and retaining well-known manufacturing companies as well as helping to up skill our own workforce,” the minister told delegates.
Ireland
Over 250,000 jobs in Ireland are now sustained by the nanotechnology sector, supporting 10% of Ireland’s annual exports. The government hopes an additional 20,000 jobs will be created in the manufacturing sector by 2015, including many in nanoscience.
“In order to maximise opportunities for growth and attracting investment, we believe that we need to ensure our people are offered opportunities to up skill and indeed to reskill, to have the relevant qualities and skills needed to avail current and future job opportunities in the sector.
“As Minister for Education and Skills, improving training, skills and access to education will continue to play a critical role in equipping citizens and particularly young people to find work and attract investment into the EU.”
Ruairí Quinn
