Ireland has a new national strategy to boost research and innovation in the country, which includes the creation of a new funding body through a landmark bill that will combine the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland.

Called Impact 2030, the new Government strategy was launched by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, TD, at the University College Dublin (UCD) O’Reilly Hall today (18 May).

Impact 2030 aims to build a more inclusive and engaged research and innovation system in Ireland that can help mobilise resources to address major issues ranging from the climate crisis to health and well-being.

It will achieve this by fostering greater engagement between the many stakeholders in Ireland’s research and innovation space, including research organisations, the third-level system, enterprise, public policymakers, civic society organisations and European parterns.

“As the attraction and retention of world-class talent becomes increasingly competitive on a global level, Ireland needs to be a location of choice for the best and the brightest in order to realise our ambitions,” Harris said at the launch.

The strategy sets out several objectives, including the establishment of a new funding agency that will amalgamate the functions of two major research bodies – the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland – through a landmark bill due to be tabled to Government.

Health, climate and digitalisation

Speaking to SiliconRepublic.com at the launch event, Harris said that health, climate and technological disruption are three key areas that will be prioritised in the new strategy.

“We’re just coming through a global pandemic and the preparedness of our health services and systems in their response to future pandemics is key,” he said.

“But also challenges around health in terms of ageing – how you care for an ageing population and the demographic bubble and change that is coming in Ireland.”

Apart from health, climate and digitalisation are top of the agenda for research and innovation as the Government looks to 2030.

“I actually think climate and digitalisation, or technological disruption, are the two biggest challenges – and the countries that can get them right have the best chance of maintaining their standards of living into the future.”

Other areas

The strategy also seeks to increase public participation in research and innovation, with the aim to leverage its recent success with the Creating Our Future campaign that received more than 18,000 submissions in a ‘national brainstorm’ on how to shape the future of science.

Linkages between the public research system and policymakers will be enhanced through Impact 2030, led by a new Evidence for Policy Unit under Harris’s department, and supported by ‘new science advice structures’.

Research and innovation offices of the many technological universities will be strengthened to support the regions, and an increased focus will be placed on female and other underrepresented researchers and entrepreneurs to foster greater diversity.

Prof Orla Feely of UCD, who chairs the Irish Universities Association research committee, said that the national policy framework provides “a real opportunity” for Ireland to become a leader in research and innovation in Europe.

“Our universities will be central to the implementation of this strategy, supporting Irish society and the economy by delivering research-trained talent, leading-edge innovation and solutions to major challenges.”

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