The Centre for Telecommunications Value-chain Research (CTVR), has welcomed the findings of a report referencing Ireland’s commitment to science and technology research. However, the CTVR has warned of the need to “maintain focus” on this and related areas as a means of addressing the economic downturn.
The report, titled The Atlantic Century: Benchmarking EU and U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness, was published by U.S. based research institute, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). The report showed the number of researchers in the science and technology space in Ireland increased by 40% between 1999 and 2006.
In addition, the report found, in the area of higher education attainment, as measured by the number of ‘adults aged 25-34 with a tertiary degree’, that Ireland’s performance improved by 41% between 1999 and 2005.
Another significant finding of the report was that Ireland has performed strongly, in terms of share and quality of scientific and technical publications. This measure is considered important in evaluating the productivity of universities and scientific institutions.
According to the CTVR, Ireland’s share/quality of scientific and technical publications has almost certainly been maintained from this period to the present day.
Professor Donal O’Mahony, director, CTVR, noted that maintaining a strong presence in research was vital to the economy, “Scientists and engineers are key drivers of innovation, which is, in turn, geared towards supporting economic growth. At the present time, with the economy under pressure, it’s essential that we maintain Ireland’s focus on producing the kind of human capital that will help us drive the necessary levels of innovation.”
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