The US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group, which is currently supporting collaborative strategic research involving €14m worth of investment, has extended the partnership to include telecoms, energy and sustainability.
The seventh meeting of the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Steering Group was held today (Tuesday, 1 November) at Farmleigh in Dublin.
The partnership is already supporting collaborative strategic research in the areas of nanotechnology, sensor technology, diabetes and cystic fibrosis, with an investment of €14m across the three jurisdictions.
“Since its launch in 2006, the US-Ireland R&D Partnership has proven to be tremendously successful in increasing the level of collaborative R&D among researchers across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United States,” the Minister for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock, TD, said.
“I am delighted that agreement has been reached today to deepen the partnership process further with the addition of these new areas for collaboration. This will significantly add to the momentum of the partnership.
“There is clearly potential for collaborations in telecommunications and energy, given the world-class research strengths we share in these fields. Collaborations will allow us to find better solutions quicker by addressing complex research questions which will benefit us all economically and ultimately benefit society as a whole.”
Valuing human capital
Addressing the members of the Steering Committee in Farmleigh, Sherlock also welcomed the appointment of Dr Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of state for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs as the new US co-chair of the steering group.
“We regard the partnership as an important recognition of the value of our human capital and the presence of excellent research here on this island. Collaborations such as these with our US partners help us to up our game. This Government is fully committed to supporting efforts to maintain the momentum behind, and further deepen, the partnership process.”
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