“The creativity and innovation skills needed to foster economic growth feature less than the EU average in Irish schools programmes, an international study has found …” (more)
[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 20 April]
“‘The “clustering” model of scientific research, comprising an unprecedented degree of co-operation and collaboration between commercial and academic personnel, has been a winning formula here’, Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock TD said today (Wednesday) April 6th, 2011. Minister Sherlock was addressing the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) Open Day at NUI Galway this morning …” (more)
[SFI, 6 April]
“Scientific endeavour should be intrinsic in innovation policy rather than ‘a staging post to higher GDP’. Innovation policy has been central to the avowed economic strategies of successive Irish governments, before and during the current crisis, and as a purported way out of it …” (more)
[Aidan Kane, Eolas magazine, 31 March]
“The major section dealing with science and innovation policy reads as follows (pp 9-10): ‘Innovation and Commercialisation: We will implement innovation and commercialisation policies as outlined below subject to cost benefit analysis …’” (more)
[Shane O'Mara, Irishscience, 7 March]
“Creative problem solving is one of those things that you can learn – but the ability to be practical is critical to any such exercise. If Ireland is to foster innovation and to help the economy, it needs to teach the skills of creative problem solving using design and also to encourage learning by doing …” (more)
[Damini Kumar, Irish Times, 25 February]
“What the invention of complicated foods tells us about discovery, innovation, and university research funding …” (more)
[SimonDobson.org, 17 February]
“A group of innovation leaders called the outcome of a European Council discussion yesterday on innovation policy a good start – but urged continued pressure for reform …” (more)
[AlphaGalileo, 6 February]
“It’s sad. There is little or no debate about quality in third-level education. It’s all about access and free fees. For example, how many patents do we file? How many world-class scholars do we produce? Any Nobel laureates? (And no, neither Seamus Heaney nor Brian Friel are products of the Irish education system.) …” (more)
[Adrian Weckler, YourTech, 23 January]
“Ireland must continue to support research and innovation as key priorities for maintaining employment and growth. More co-operation between industry and the country’s universities is also needed, according to an end-of-year statement from the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation …” (more)
[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 18 January]
“The Irish Government’s Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, mainly comprising university insiders, recipients of public funding and a State agency head, has unsurprisingly endorsed the Government’s ‘smart economy’ strategy despite the evidence of failure …” (more)
[Finfacts Ireland, 17 January]
“Ireland has an inventive history. As the Government makes some tough economic decisions, it needs to nurture this creativity and turn it into patentable, high-tech exports …” (more)
[James Dyson, Irish Times, 31 December]
“… In a thought-provoking book, Innovation, Profit and the Common Good in Higher Education (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), John Harpur, a lecturer in the Computer Science Department, National University of Ireland Maynooth, explores the current commercialization and innovation policies in higher education; the role of universities in guaranteeing economic prosperity; conflicts of interest and the questionable evidence in support of current policies …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 30 December]
“In his look back on the week, Silicon Republic editor John Kennedy notes it is Innovation Week in Dublin and how this should be a reminder to policy makers how we need to steady our resolve on science investments …” (more)
[John Kennedy, Silicon Republic, 15 November]
“The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today told the new group drawing up an action plan for public investment in research to focus on the creation of new high-quality jobs and to set aside sectoral interests …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 10 November]
“… Innovation is a buzzword in academia, and a growing number of universities, including University of Southern California, are recognizing the merit of entrepreneurship and divergent thinking. But committing to innovation – even though we study it frequently – is tough. The structures of universities, for instance, present formidable challenges …” (more)
[Randy Clemens, 21st Century Scholar, 9 November]
“Innovation within the European Union is wanting for reasons cultural, historical and technical. It can best be strengthened by breaking down barriers and building a united research area …” (more)
[Nature, 28 October]
“I gave a keynote at the Intel Research and Innovation Conference at Leixlip this morning. There are about 350 people, approximately 100 from overseas, attending this 3 day conference. I used the opportunity to explain some of the background thinking to the Flagship Challenges and Projects of the Innovation Taskforce, and how this plays to the ‘smart economy’ …” (more)
[Chrisjhorn's Blog, 12 October]
“Enterprise Minister Batt O’Keefe TD has appointed a group of industrialists, academics and civil servants led by Intel’s Jim O’Hara to draw up a report to spearhead a push for target areas that will create ‘smart jobs’ for the country …” (more)
[John Kennedy, Silicon Republic, 27 September]
“The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe today announced another ‘top-level’ group to draw up a plan for innovation research priorities. It’s a clear recognition that the shambolic Irish research strategy is floundering and is badly in need of retooling …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 27 September]
“… ‘If you were going to see a doctor and the doctor said, “I’ve been really busy since I got out of medical school, and so I’m going to treat you with the techniques I learned back then”, you’d be rightly incensed,” he told me recently. ‘Yet there are a lot of faculty who say with a straight face, “I don’t need to change my teaching”, as if nothing has been learned about teaching since …’” (more)
[Jeffrey R Young, Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 July]
