 Copyright 2006 Digital Enterprise Research Institute. All rights reserved. Panel: The Future of Informatics in Ireland Stefan Decker Digital Enterprise Research Institute National University of Ireland, Galway

2 Challenges ahead… Celtic Tiger is cooling of –New EU member states offer similar advantages (Tax/Wage) –Rising costs in Ireland –Globalisation (China/India) –What to do? ICT is one of the core technologies –What to support? And how? Major investments in ICT research done and ahead –Universities long time neglected – major beneficiaries of support. But still government organisations – able to adapt in a changing environment? –Other organisational forms of research institutions? Ireland has one of the highest start-up rate in Europe –But: enrolments in technical subjects dropped. Sustainable without educated technical workforce? –Universities participate (ala Google/Yahoo?) –Generate ideas? IP protection is emphasised –Universities rarely generate income out of IP – emphasis justified? Research activities in Ireland –What to focus on? Outreach? Commercialisation? International competitiveness? Education? All of the above?

3 Distinguished Panellists Prof. Mark Keane, (Director General SFI, former Director ICT (SFI), Chair of Computer Science (UCD), ECCAI Fellow,…. Prof. Kevin Ryan (Centre Director Lero (Irish Software Engineering Centre), Vice President Academic and Registrar of the University of Limerick ( ), founding Dean of the College of Informatics and Electronics David Cleary (Head of the Distributed Network Management Research Group in Ericsson Research Labs Athlone) Dr. Chris Horn (Chairman Sli Siar, Co-founder & former CEO IONA, former Director of Science Foundation Ireland, a former chair of the "Expert Group on Future Skills", … Martin Hynes (Director of the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) and the EMBARK Intiative