Irish Government targets businesses in new H2020 funding group
The Irish Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation has launched a new initiative to identify large-scale EU funding opportunities for businesses and researchers and to help nurture applications that will secure large funding pots for Ireland.
Professor Mark Ferguson, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government and SFI Director General, will chair the new Horizon 2020 Strategic Research Proposals Group. Damien English said he has established a dedicated team of senior executives and officials from all research funding government departments and agencies to focus exclusively on identifying opportunities and mobilising EU funding applications for large scale projects of strategic value to Ireland.
Making the announcement, English said: “The establishment of this group will provide for new and big opportunities for Irish companies and researchers. I want to ensure that the full resources of our research and innovation system, in which we have invested heavily, are now used for the optimum benefit of the country by leveraging maximum EU funding.”
The Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation has set the national target of securing €1.25bn of funding under Horizon 2020.
