Ireland launches Innovation 2020 strategy

Ireland on Tuesday launched Innovation 2020, the country's five-year strategy for research and development, science and technology.

"Innovation 2020 is a key element in our plan to keep the recovery going by helping to create new jobs and new opportunities for research," Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said at the launch of the strategy.

"It sets out a vision in which Ireland would become a global innovation leader, with research, development, science and technology all contributing to this goal," he said.

"Our reputation for research excellence has been a major catalyst in our success in attracting and maintaining foreign direct investment, and this strategy demonstrates that we remain strongly committed to maintaining and improving standards in the excellence of our research," he added.

A key ambition of the strategy is to increase total investment in R&D in Ireland, led by the private sector, to 2.5 percent of GNP, the government said.

This would mean that over 5 billion euros will be invested per year in R&D by the private and public sectors by 2020, almost doubling current levels of investment.

Other ambitious targets to be delivered by the strategy include: the number of research personnel in enterprise will be increased by 60 percent to 40,000; research masters and PhD enrolments will be increased by 30 percent to 2,250; private investment of R&D performed in the public research system will be doubled. Endit