Irish business needs to prepare now if it is to benefit from a €72 billion EU research initiative which commences in January 2014. The call was made by Prof Mike Hinchey (pictured), director of Lero – the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre. He was speaking at a visit by EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation & Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to the Lero Industry Research Day at the University of Limerick on Monday.
"One of the unheralded achievements of the Irish presidency of the EU was the agreement of a 25% increase in the budget for research and innovation," said Prof Hinchey. "The Horizon 2020 project commences in January 2014 and I appeal to Irish business to participate with universities to exploit this major opportunity."
EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation & Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: "Research not only tackles the big challenges that society is facing, but can also develop local economies and create local jobs…. Institutions and companies here in Co. Limerick are on track to receive over 21.5 million Euro in funding from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. This money has supported 63 projects in total of which the University of Limerick is involved in 47, bringing in some €17.3 million of EU funding to its labs and research facilities."
Referring to this week’s budget, Prof Hinchey said: "Software and digital technology have created over 80% of new jobs in recent years making it the most recession proof sector of the Irish economy. The Government has backed the digital economy through Science Foundation Ireland’s research programmes and we look forward to that trend continuing.
"Lero plans to participate in Horizon 2020, together with industry and research institutions across Europe, with the aim of making software more reliable, flexible and fit for purpose."
TechCentral Reporters
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers