Minister Brian Hayes Speaking at LIT Says Government Intent on Raising Awareness of Career Opportunities in Science and Technology

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said that the Government is intent on raising awareness of the importance of career opportunities in the Science, Technology and Engineering sectors. The Minister made the comments at the Shannon ABC Open Innovation conference held at LIT last week. Speaking at the conference the Minister said, “Ireland is now in the top 20 countries in overall scientific global rankings and we are excelling in a range of key life science and biotech disciplines such as immunology, nanotechnology, materials science, genetics and genomics. Right across Government, there exists a real appreciation of the importance of continuing investment in STI, including awareness of the career opportunities in pursuing studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Minister Brian Hayes was the opening speaker at Shannon ABC Open Innovation Conference held in LIT. Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre (Shannon ABC) is a research, development and innovation centre based in Munster. The theme of the conference, “Open Innovation”, is a concept that assumes that firms can and should use external as well as internal ideas and paths to market, as the firms look to advance their technology. Shannon ABC is a collaborative response by Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) and the Institute of Technology, Tralee (ITT) to the needs of industry and is core funded by Enterprise Ireland.

Prior to the conference Minister Hayes was given a tour of the LIT research facilities by LIT President Dr Maria Hinfelaar, IT Tralee President Dr Oliver Murphy, and Shannon ABC Centre Manager Dr Tim Yeomans.

In her address to the conference President of LIT Dr Maria Hinfelaar highlighted the importance of research being industry relevant, “LIT, together with CIT and IT Tralee, recently announced our intention to seek Technological University status and become redesignated as the Munster Technological University. The Government’s Action Plan for Jobs launched recently focused on the key role research and innovation will play in securing new jobs. One of the key outcomes which the Plan aims to secure through the State’s innovation system is the prioritisation of research funding across areas of credible employment opportunity for Ireland and this is very much in line with the criteria for the establishment of technological universities. As an applied research enhancement centre in a joint venture between LIT and IT Tralee, has been providing industry relevant biotechnology services since 2007.”

In his speech Minister Brian Hayes praised the Shannon ABC initiative saying, “We want a science and innovation base that is well connected to the enterprise sector through collaborations and partnerships, and we want Ireland to have a reputation nationally and internationally as a location where enterprise and academia work well together, open innovation models work, and companies that compete globally can find that space where collaboration with one another and with Irelands science base makes best sense. Shannon ABC is an excellent example of what can be achieved through this type of collaborative support and open innovation”

Photo shows from L to R: Minister Brian Hayes, IT Tralee President Dr Oliver Murphy, LIT President Dr Maria Hinfelaar and Fine Gael TD Kieran O'Donnell. Photo shows Minister Hayes in the CELLS Shannon ABC facility at LIT where green algae is cultivated for the production of astaxanthin - the natural flesh pigment of salmon - for the fish industry.