18 January 2005
US ALLIANCE WILL BOOST RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT IN IRELAND, NORTH AND SOUTH
Economy Minister, Barry Gardiner, MP, today unveiled details of a groundbreaking agreement, between the United States (US) and both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, to collaborate in key Research & Development (R&D) fields that will help to stimulate higher levels of innovation and accelerate both economic development and leading edge medical research.
Outlining the impact of the accord, Mr Gardiner said: "This strategic alliance will carry forward the government’s goal of transforming Northern Ireland into an innovation economy, by enabling researchers here to work more closely with their counterparts at major US and Irish research institutes, especially in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and the emerging areas of bio- and nanotechnology."
Describing the partnership as "an immensely important development for the knowledge base in Northern Ireland and indeed the whole island", Mr Gardiner added: "International partnerships, particularly in life sciences, are growing rapidly and it is essential that Northern Ireland should be part of a process that will bring enormous benefits to research and training programmes within our two universities, offering greater knowledge transfer opportunities for our leading scientists."
In conclusion, the Minister expressed his thanks to US Secretary for Health, Tommy Thompson, for driving the US element of this initiative, which involves a number of key departments, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and stated that he looked forward to a new era of strategic research collaboration between the three jurisdictions. He also paid tribute to the groundwork done by his colleagues, north and south, and all the members of the US-Ireland R&D Task Force.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The partnership is the outcome of discussions following the US-Ireland business summit, that took place in Washington, DC, in 2002. A Task Force was established to explore high level, world-class research collaborations between centres of excellence in Ireland, north and south, and the United States, in the broad areas of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Biotechnology.
2. The Task Force included senior government officials, business representatives and senior academics from both jurisdictions, north and south, as well as senior officials from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US.
3. The Task Force agreed that, based on the particular world-class research strengths and priorities in the island of Ireland and in the United States, the priorities emerging as part of the knowledge-based global economy and the potential for knowledge and technology transfer in support of public good and economic development, there were significant opportunities for greater collaboration and co-operation.
4. It was agreed that potential and existing synergies were present in the areas of biotechnology, namely diabetes and cystic fibrosis, and in the area of ICT, particularly sensor technology.
5. Media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on Tel: 028 9025 7790.
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