About Enterprise Ireland

Recent History  Established in Merged trade promotion body, enterprise development agency and technology support agency  Created a “one-stop-shop” or “holistic approach” for Indigenous Enterprise Development

Relationships

Enterprise Ireland’s Mission To accelerate the development of world class Irish companies to achieve strong positions in global markets resulting in increased national and regional prosperity. Innovation is the core element of the new Enterprise Ireland Strategy, ; “'Transforming Irish Industry”.

Key Objectives - Transforming Irish Industry  €3 billion new export sales by 2007  Double to 1050 the number of firms engaged in meaningful* R&D by 2013  Increase the number of indigenous enterprises performing significant** R&D to over 100 by 2013  Support the creation of 210 new High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) companies by year end 2007  Implement productivity and competitiveness improvement projects in 300+ firms by year end 2007 *In excess of €100,000 **In excess of €2million

Enterprise Ireland Client Companies  3,500 Companies (indigenous and natural resources)  Total employment associated with these companies is 141,000.  Total Sales €26.5 billion  Total Exports €11.8 billion

Enterprise Ireland International Network

BUILDING IRELAND’S KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY  Develop a national plan to increase the performance, efficiency and productivity of research in the higher education and the public sectors;  Sustain Ireland’s commitment to building its international reputation for research excellence.  Turning Knowledge into Products and Services  Develop the intellectual property management and commercialisation expertise and resources necessary to ensure effective and rapid exploitation of research generated in higher education and public research sectors.

Focus of Strategy  World Class Research  Capturing, Protecting and Commercialising Ideas and Knowhow  Research and Development for Enterprise, Innovation and Growth  Science Education and Society  Research in the Public Sector  All-Island and International STI  Implementation

The EI Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy Effective Industry Engagement With Third Level Resource. Realising Commercial Potential Of Irelands Research Community. Dramatically Increase R&D Activity In Our Client Base.

Building on the investment Getting the system working right.  Quality R&D Performers  Skills to manage  The absorption of technology  Proper technology strategies – thinking ahead  Funding  Contacts  Influence Where EI operates.  Sustained funding for infrastructure  Effective systems to capture and protect it  Incubation space  A culture to recognise and reward commercialisation Research EnvironmentThe InterfaceIndustry

Innovation Flow Commercialisation Of Research. Funding Advice Funding Technology Advice Market Info. Milestone Funding Technology Advice Market Info. Business Planning Incubation Significant Investment Market Info. Business Advice Funding Market Info. Overseas Office Applied Research Idea with Potential Campus or existing company Growing Business Exporting

1. Realising the commercial potential of research  Key element of Government’s Strategy for Science, Technology & Innovation  Significant investment in research in Ireland in recent years.  2006:  Gross Expenditure on R&D €2.3bn Higher Education Expenditure on R&D €600m (10.5% annual increase )  Recently launched initiatives: - Applied Research Enhancement in the Institutes of Technology - Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions: Cycle 4 - Technology Transfer Strengthening Fund

College – Industry Interaction  Innovation Vouchers  Innovation Partnerships  Campus Incubation  Industry Led Research  Competence Centres

Innovation Vouchers Initiative  Aims to Build Links between Small Businesses and Knowledge Providers  Voucher (€5,000) can be exchanged for Advice and Expertise from the Knowledge Providers  Suitable Projects:  Require Innovative Solution  Provide Additional Value for the Business  Have On-going Benefits

Innovation Vouchers  All Small Enterprise – Less than 50 Employees, with an Annual Turnover and / or Balance Sheet Not Exceeding €10m  Any kind of innovation such as:  New Product Design / Development  New or Improved Production Process  New business model development;  New service delivery & customer interface;  New service development;  Innovation / technology audit  Total Vouchers Issued to date: 428  Total Value of vouchers awarded to date: €2 Million

Innovation Partnerships Collaborative R&D between Industry & Colleges

 Collaborative research between company(s) and 3 rd Level Institutions.  Open to all manufacturing and ITS companies  Industrial Research into innovative products or processes  Average of 120 Proposals/ Year  Average project value is €120K rising to €800K R & D

Science / Technology  Medium to High Risk  Technically Challenging R & D Commercial Company Driven Product & Process Innovation In Ireland Competitive Advantage Project Requirements

Company College Innovative Industrial Research Outline proposal Full Proposal Feasibility Technical Assessment Commercial Assessment OK IRCC Assessment wks FUND Company 30-45% Grant 55-70% Pays for College research salaries, materials, travel & other costs OK Collaboration OK Process

Enterprise Ireland (Grant) Industrial Partner (Cash & in-kind Contribution) Project Costs (College) Source of Funding STAFF Equipment Materials Travel Other Project Cost structure

 Negotiable between academic and industrial partners inline with National Guidelines  Generally Background IPR remain unchanged  Publishing of valuable IPR should not take place before adequate protection is in place  Always agree terms upfront before setting out a full agreement  Argue financial input, intellectual input and capacity to exploit Intellectual Property Rights [IPR]

 90%+ Eligible Proposals Funded  Non - competitive  Open Call All Year  Easy to Use  Quick Response (typically 8 Weeks)  Dedicated researcher & research facilities  Access to up-to-date science / technology  Skills availability post-project  Reduced R&D costs to company Key Features / Benefits

Campus Incubation

3. Supporting balanced regional development NCI IT Tallaght IT Blanchardstown IADT Dun Laoghaire Dundalk IT Waterford IT IT Tralee Athlone IT m IT Carlow Galway/Mayo (Castlebar) Cork IT/UCC Galway/Mayo IT NUIG IT Sligo Limerick IT Letterkenny IT DCU/ UCD/ TCD/ DIT

Early beginnings  National Technology Park Limerick  Established 1984 as Ireland's first science and technology park  Over 80 organisations employing over 3,000 skilled people  Balanced mix of multinational subsidiaries, Irish technology companies, R&D entities and support services  Occupy more than 30 buildings with a total floor area of circa 1.5 million sq.ft.  University of Limerick is at the heart of the National Technology Park  InnovationWorks Limerick - core entity is a digitally-networked Incubation Centre. Provides an integrated system for incubating and growing knowledge-based high potential companies

Our Objectives 1.To realise the commercial potential of Ireland’s research community, 2.To foster entrepreneurship and campus company activity, 3.To support balanced regional development.

2. Fostering entrepreneurship EI Supports  Focus of EI’s Regions and Entrepreneurship Business Unit  Leading to HPSUs – supported by dedicated Unit Metrics  EI strategic target of 210 new high potential start-up companies supported.  76 supported in First time in 5 years that the number of new EI-backed HPSUs established outside Dublin exceeded those established within the Dublin region.

Our Involvement  In 2000, a focussed programme of support for incubators in Institutes of Technology was launched under the National Development Plan.  This was consistent with an earlier activity supporting incubation space in universities.  Purpose of the initiative: to build and strengthen the innovation infrastructure linked to Institutes in order to grow new high potential start-up companies in the regions.

Leading to..  To date, Enterprise Ireland has approved funding for 20 centres in 15 Institutes of Technology or equivalent third level colleges and four universities (DCU Invent, UCD Nova centre, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth). 17 of these are now operational.  EI has also supported 6 specialist bio-incubation facilities on university campuses.  EI-approved investment in campus incubation activity amounts to €50m (with support from the European Regional Development Fund): predominantly capital with some management support.

Results to date (Institutes of Technology) Total (as of end Sept 2007) Number of enterprises in centres 160 Numbers employed in these enterprises 520

New Ideas  Industry Driven Research  Groups of companies working together  Research agenda created around industry threats and opportunities  Open call to research performers to undertake the work  Close and direct engagement of companies  Responsive research programmes  Flexible models, can be as small as 4 companies with a common problem

Industry Lead Research Projects in Informatics  eLITe (eLearning Ireland Technologies)  Project generated by the Irish eLearning CEO Forum  Enterprise Ireland commitment €2 million over 3 years  Began Jan 1 st 2006  Mobile IMS Services  Project generated by mobile software consortium  Mobile services in an IP Multimedia System environment  Work in progress

Examples of measures of output  Number of patents granted.  Number of post graduates trained in industry relevant research and moving into industry.  Numbers of projects completed and commercialised successfully. Examples of measures of impact  Numbers of licenses agreed and signed with companies.  Sales of products arising from technology licensed.  Number of new high potential start ups arising from research.

New funding initiative: Competence Centres  Competences Centres are major funding initiatives building on networks experience  Long-term and important college – industry relationships  A number of applications to the competence centre program have been received in areas such as  Applied Nanotechnology  Achieving Business Value through IT Innovation  Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing  Advanced Manufacturing Productivity Centre  BioEnergy Initiative

Transforming Irish Industry Enterprise Ireland Transforming Irish Industry