Minister Harris welcomes the publication of the first Impact 2030 Annual Progress Report
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Ó: An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
- Foilsithe: 12 Iúil 2023
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 12 Aibreán 2025
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris today welcomed the publication of the first annual progress report of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
Impact 2030 puts research and innovation at the heart of Ireland’s response to social, economic and environmental challenges.
The report shows that by 31 May 2023, 29 of Impact 2030’s 30 Flagship Initiatives have been well progressed or delivered with one remaining Flagship Initiative not yet due to start.
Progress over the last 12 months includes approval of the Heads of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023, which will amalgamate Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council; the North-South Research Programme funding 62 projects to a value of over €37 million in 2022 and the launch, with Northern Ireland and Great Britain, of the €74 million Co-Centre Programme; funding the implementation of the €65 million National Challenge Fund; and securing funding of almost €84 million over the period 2021 to 2027 to expand technological university research capabilities.
Speaking on the launch of the first Impact 2030 annual progress report, Minister Harris said:
“I welcome the publication of the first annual Progress Report for Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy.
"Ireland’s research and innovation (R&I) system contains the full spectrum of basic and applied research, experimental development and innovation.
“It has been transformed since the start of this century, with total government investment in research and development (R&D) increasing from less than €250 million to almost €1 billion every year.
“Total R&I investment was over €4.8 billion or 2.1% of GNI* in 2021, the highest level ever recorded and with a significant contribution from the business sector. Despite this, relative levels of investment in R&I are challenged to keep pace with our European Union peers and with Ireland’s economic growth.
“Only R&I will provide the answers to many of the challenges that threaten our shared future, such as climate change and future pandemics. Significant and continued public and private investment in R&I is vital to secure a sustainable future for all.”
Minister Harris added:
“Only research and innovation will provide the answers to many of the challenges that threaten our shared future, such as climate change and future pandemics.
“The R&I ecosystem’s speedy innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were most needed, were based on decades of investment in basic research and talented people.
“Similarly, integrated circuits (sometimes known as chips or microchips) are used in virtually all electronic equipment, including computers, mobile phones, home appliances and medical devices. These chips provide the technology that drives worldwide economies and health systems today, but they evolved from basic research.
“Quantum mechanics developed between 1900 and 1925 – one hundred years ago – and remains the cornerstone on which chemistry, condensed matter physics and technologies ranging from computer chips to LED lighting ultimately rests. While I understand the focus on today’s urgent priorities, let us also seize the opportunity to invest in, and secure, our children and grandchildren’s future.”
The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science plays a central system role in bringing research funding and performing departments and agencies together to ensure a cohesive, whole-of-government approach.
Delivery of Impact 2030 is a collective effort by a range of government departments and their agencies each of which is responsible for driving the research and innovation agenda in the sectors under their remits.
Notes
Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy
Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy is a whole-of-government strategy that was developed after extensive stakeholder consultation. It was launched by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, on 18 May 2022.
As referenced in Impact 2030, Ireland is facing key economic and societal challenges, including climate change and the need to transition to a climate-neutral society; economic transformation fuelled by technological and other change; greater international competition and geopolitical instability; increased mobility of talent; and the need to build societal resilience against the threat of shocks. Impact 2030 puts research and innovation (R&I) at the heart of Ireland’s response to these social, economic and environmental challenges and leverages our national performance to date to advance the strategic development of Ireland’s R&I system between now and 2030.
First annual Progress Report for Impact 2030
The first annual Progress Report for Impact 2030 shows that, by 31 May 2023, 29 of Impact 2030’s 30 Flagship Initiatives had already been delivered or well progressed, with the remaining Flagship Initiative not yet due to start.
The Report also includes specific examples of projects that are making a real difference.
Examples of notable progress in the past 12 months include:
- Irish higher education institutions and the Irish research community have won €395.3 million of Horizon Europe funding (as of May 2023). This is on track to meet the €1.5 billion target under Impact 2030. In addition, four European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) were funded under the Digital Europe Programme
- the Minister secured government approval of the Heads of the Research and Innovation Bill 2023, which will amalgamate the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland into a new competitive research funding agency. This is a key enabler for the objectives of Impact 2030
- the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) has implemented the North-South Research Programme (€50 million), funded by the government’s Shared Island initiative, and the all-island Co-Centres programme (€74 million), which is co-funded by DFHERIS, Shared Island programme, Northern Ireland and Great Britain
- DFHERIS is implementing the government decision for the Innovate for Ireland programme, an ambitious partnership between industry and Government aimed at attracting top doctoral students to Ireland to work on major societal challenges: the Green Transition and Digital Transformation. Subject to matched funding by private investors, a multi-million euro investment will be made by the State over the course of a number of years
- Minister Harris provided funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to Science Foundation Ireland to implement the €65 million National Challenge Fund, which was established in August 2022 to provide funding for researchers to develop solutions to eight key challenges in the areas of Green Transition and Digital Transformation. Minister Harris secured government approval to establish new Science Advice structures, including the appointment of a Government Science Advisor and National Science Advice Forum
- in July 2022, Minister Harris published reports from the Creating our Future campaign, which identified 16 thematic areas for further research from 18,000 ideas which were submitted by Irish citizens and organisations
- Minister Harris published the National Action Plan for Open Research 2022-2030 in November 2022, which sets out a roadmap for meeting national objectives as set out in Ireland’s National Framework on the Transition to an Open Research Environment
- DFHERIS, in association with the Civil Service Management Board, established the Civil Service Research Network, which connects civil servants involved in research and policy development with researchers in the higher education research sector
- an independent National Review of State Supports for PhD Researchers has been carried out, with the first report published in June 2023
Progress made by other government departments includes:
- the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment published a National Smart Specialisation Strategy for Innovation 2022-2027 (S3) in July 2022
- the Department of Health, through its agency the Health Research Board, is implementing the Irish Clinical Academic Training programme, which was launched 2022. With a combined investment of €21.3 million, this all-island programme offers integrated clinical and research training for 42 fellows in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine
- the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has included specific objectives for research and innovation in the Climate Action Plan 2023 for the first time
In addition to detailed updates on each of the 30 Flagship Initiatives, the Progress Report includes an update (to 31 December 2022) on the detailed multiannual work programme (covering the period 2022 to 2024). This is the first of three multiannual work programmes that will deliver Impact 2030. As of 31 December 2022, the vast majority of actions were either underway or completed, with a small number not yet scheduled to commence.