Irish university launches new R&I strategy
The University of Limerick, Ireland, is looking to maximise its Horizon 2020 success rate as one of a series of aims set out in its ambitious new roadmap for future growth and development to 2020.
The five-year strategy, Excellence & Impact 2020 – Research and Innovation Strategy for the University of Limerick, was announced by Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation Damien English on 12 January.
It is intended to drive the university’s reputation as an internationally recognised, research-led institution and is built around four key principles: research excellence, research impact, investing in people, and international reach.
Among the targets are a 20% increase in the number of doctoral enrolments, a 100% increase in the number of employment-based and part time doctoral enrolments, a 30% increase in the number of publications in top ten percentile journals, and a doubling of income from European funding sources relative to that achieved under the Seventh Framework Programme.
Further goals include the establishment of commercialisation and entrepreneurship training for all staff and students and expanded enterprise bootcamp activities for second and third level students, a 25% increase in new spinout companies, and a 20% increase in research income from industry.
These objectives are fully aligned with the government’s new strategy for research and development, science and technology – Innovation 2020 – which was announced in December 2015.
Speaking at the launch event, the university’s vice-president for research, Dr Mary Shire, said: “This is an exciting time for research and innovation at the University of Limerick as we build on firm foundations and a reputation for delivering significant impact for our research partners. Our new strategy focuses on research excellence and leveraging our position as the leader in translational research and partners of choice for industry while extending our global reach.
“We have a good track record for such a young university and with this strategy we are refocusing. Our outlook will be international, our ethos will be excellence with impact, and our approach will be innovative.”
English added: “The University of Limerick has for long been regarded as a ‘university of enterprise’ in the Irish university landscape, positioning itself close to the needs of the enterprise base in Ireland, and this new research and innovation strategy is seeking to build on that innate capability.”
He added: “I look forward to [the university] continuing to play a very important role in the research and innovation ecosystem nationally over this period.”
