Explore Ireland’s new five-year strategy targeting talent, economy, community
This program aims to create 3,500 new PhDs, support 14 advanced research centers and deliver 150 research awards in collaboration with Government departments.
Ireland’s national competitive research and innovation center Research Ireland has launched its first strategy to improve the country’s research and innovation landscape over the next five years.
The goals of ‘Curiosity, power, competitiveness – Charting’s Research and Innovation Future 2026–2030’ include “the success of Irish people” through strong business performance and improved national competitiveness.
Three core pillars – talent, economy and community – form the basis of this strategy, Research Ireland CEO Dr Diarmuid O’Brien discussed in a recent interview with SiliconRepublic.com.
When the strategy was launched, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD said: “A strong, resilient Ireland enabled by research and innovation is vital to the Government. Our future success depends on our ability to prepare and compete in a rapidly changing world.”
“This ambitious strategy positions research and innovation not as a support activity, but as a national capability that is vital to Ireland’s prosperity and our ability to contribute to central Europe and beyond.”
The program’s talent-oriented goals include creating 3,500 PhDs and 2,000 postdoctoral fellows to increase the available number of researchers in all fields; supporting 1,000 investigator-led grants and strengthening international competitiveness through 29 international recruitment grants; and collaborating with higher education institutions and research organizations to “ensure effective transfer of research talent to address economic and social needs”.
O’Brien said the new strategy “sets out a clear ambition – to support all sectors in building a world-class research and innovation program that delivers real results for people, communities and businesses”.
He added: “Over the next five years, we will focus on strengthening the talent pipeline, supporting FDI investment and indigenous capabilities, and fostering greater cooperation driven by innovation, all of which support our future competitiveness and social well-being.
“Working as a leader, partner and connector across the research and ecosystem, our measure of success is impactful: a strong, resilient, and innovative Ireland that earns its place among the best in the world.”
The economic objectives of this program include supporting 14 advanced research institutes at the international level; enabling 10 strategic partnerships of scale – with a total value of more than €10m – between organizations and the research community; and creating “innovative assets that will increase indigenous innovation capacity, support spin outs and provide a future deal flow for venture capital”.
Among the public objectives of this program is to support evidence-based research that informs public policy and national responses to challenges such as climate change, AI control and health; to deliver 150 research awards to Government departments to strengthen the link between research and public policy; and to strengthen cooperation with businesses, NGOs, national cultural institutions, and the arts and culture sector “to continue and show greater benefit to society”.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD said that Research Ireland “will play a key role in strengthening Ireland’s research and innovation system, support the best researchers and have a real impact on our society and our economy”, noting that the strategy “is in line with the government’s National Development Plan, Impact 2030 and Competitiveness Action Plan”.
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