Presentation to Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation 2013 The need for an Open Innovation Model to drive economic development in the South East Presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation by Dr Willie Donnelly, Head of Research & Innovation/Director of TSSG, Waterford Institute of technology (WIT June 18th 2013 Contents Contents 2 The need for an Open Innovation Model to drive economic development in the South East 3 Overview 3 How can we build competitive advantage through research & innovation? 4 How do we contribute to creating and assisting indigenous business to grow? 5 How can we impact on attracting and sustaining FDI in the South East? 5 How do we align skills provision with enterprise needs now and into the future? 6 Can we contribute to supporting employment at community and local level? 7 Conclusion 7 Appendix A: An Overview of Research & Innovation at WIT 8 Appendix B: Economic Importance of Health care to the south East 14 Appendix C: Regional Innovation & Competitiveness 16 The need for an Open Innovation Model to drive economic development in the South East Overview Waterford Institute of technology (WIT) very much welcomes the invitation to attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and to contribute to the development of the South East Economic Development Strategy Report. The responsibility of the Institute to the south East Region is central to its identity and strategic focus Economic growth is increasingly related to the capacity of regional economies to change and innovate. Regions and cities have become the primary spatial units where knowledge is transferred, innovation systems are built and competition to attract investments and talents takes place. The EU Innovation Union Flagship emphasises the smart specialisation of regions as key to future competitiveness The economic development of the South East requires investment into its research and development infrastructure, the creation of human capital and the enticement of genius and expertise into the South East Region. Strategies are required to drive investment in indigenous enterprise, attracting of relevant foreign direct investment (FDI), the commercialisation of research and the professionalising of manufacturing and services across a range of sectors. The challenge to support the growth, development and sustainability of the South East is to mesh these activities together so that there is mutual gain and advancement in a cohesive, coordinated, collaborative manner. What is required is to build an ecosystem of open innovation Fragmentation of effort can be overcome by bringing the stakeholders together to develop and implement an integrated strategy for the economic development in the Region and an investment plan to attract the best scientists, engineers, professionals and entrepreneurs to the Region which will in turn attract multinational industries and high potential start-ups WIT plays a pivotal role as a catalyst for regional, cultural and economic development through the innovation of its research and the creation of an effective knowledge transfer framework. WIT has a proven record of research activity and considerable experience of translating this into benefits for society and the economy. Over the last 12 years, the Institute has secured through competitive bidding on a national and European level in excess of â 112 million in external research funding. The guiding principle in the development of WIT€ s research environment has been the prioritisation of its research activities in critical areas (most notably ICT/mobile networks and services and pharmaceutical science) which are capable of achieving the highest international standards and which can have a significant impact on national and regional economic development In particular WIT through the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG)/ Arclabs Innovation Centre embodies the Institute†s stated research philosophy of driving regional economic development through our global reputation for research and innovation excellence through the creation of an integrated environment where entrepreneurs, business start-ups, researchers and students are located co World renowned researchers in Regional Innovation Systems state that in order to build sustainable innovative regions it is necessary to embrace and develop innovative labour markets and to continue this situation into the future. These international experts also state that there is a need to develop attractive conditions to entice innovative migrants and for institutions to be prepared to reproduce highly innovative labour based on their own capacities. WIT through TSSG/Arclabs has started already the process of creating and successfully using an innovative labour market. We have started the momentum, we need to build on this momentum and expand the scope and boundaries of the TSSG/Arclabs ecosystem of open innovation in order to reproduce highly innovative labour to support the sustainability of the South East as a vibrant, economically stable, innovative region How can we build competitive advantage through research & innovation Sustainable economic growth is increasingly related to the capacity of regional economies to change and to innovate. This means that a much greater effort needs to be put into creating an environment that promotes research, innovation and development delivering high quality sustainable economic growth. Further strengthening and investment in the research and innovation infrastructure and capacity within the South East Region is critical to its future. Particular focus must be given to those sectors which have the potential for regional economic growth particularly the sectors of ICT, biopharmaceuticals and advanced manufacturing. The South East Region must also leverage its natural resources maximising opportunities for growth in agriculture and tourism and planning for associated new industries such as ICT for agriculture Eco-Innovation and ICT for tourism WIT€ s research strategy promotes strategic orientated research focusing on those areas of economic importance for the Region. The prioritised areas of ICT (mobile networks and services) and pharmaceutical and molecular biotechnology research have developed into large-scale research centres of international reputation and with a strong interdisciplinary focus. The Institute recognises the regional opportunities in agriculture and new sustainable product and services (Eco-Innovation. WIT is providing national leadership in the areas of ICT for agriculture, Eco-Innovation and ICT for Health care Services in partnership with regional stakeholders Of particular note is the Institute†s TSSG/Arclabs open innovation model. At the core of the model is the traditional academic focus on internationally peer reviewed scientific research and postgraduate education. However through extensive collaboration with enterprise and industry experts, the model incorporates reference points to the industry state of the art and engineering challenges confronting the creation of next generation industry solutions. The model has created a Mobile Services Cluster in the South East employing over 120 research engineers where previously no such industry existed. The Arclabs entrepreneurial development programme (New Frontiers/South East Enterprise Platform Programme has created 84 new businesses in the past 6 years with a combined turnover of â 29 million, â 8. 5 million in export sales and have generated 249 jobs in the period in question. The Centre through its collaborative research programmes, enterprise support framework and active approach to engagement has transferred know-how and intellectual property to more than 110 multinational and indigenous enterprises throughout the country in the recent past Intellectual property (IP) generated through the Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG) has created 11 spin off companies in the South East including Feedhenry which recently announced a â 7 million investment by international venture capital firms and the creation of an additional 100 jobs. The TSSG/Arclabs model has been replicated in Kilkenny through collaboration with Kilkenny County Council and has created an additional 15 engineering jobs within 9 months How do we contribute to creating and assisting indigenous business to grow Investments to support SME engagement and networks are a priority of the Arclabs open innovation model. Initiatives that underpin service and support offering for SMES are key to the Arclabs†innovation strategy. WIT has a strong track record of engaging with SMES supported by the enterprise support and funding agencies Arclabs supports the concept of a one stop shop for entrepreneurs and indigenous enterprise. The incorporation of academic researchers, entrepreneurs, high potential start-ups and multinational industries in a shared network supports an open innovation environment with the free flow of ideas and transferring IP and know-how into new products and services The challenge for the South East is that the majority of indigenous industries and their capacity to integrate the know-how from the Institute†s research community is limited. We have overcome this limitation by customising the IP and know-how generated from our research activities in a way that is directly applicable to their business or technology challenges. In many cases we have worked with companies to redesign their products and services in line with new technologies and business opportunities (such as the cloud. The demand for support in the SME sector is evidenced high by the fact that WIT has completed more than 240 Enterprise Ireland supported Innovation Voucher projects with SME companies The flow of highly qualified graduates and staff from the research community to indigenous companies is an important means of enhancing innovative capacity within Irish industry. Ongoing continuous proactive engagement between academia, enterprise support and research funding agencies and indigenous industry is essential to ensuring sustainable growth of indigenous industry How can we impact on attracting and sustaining FDI in the South East Only 8%of FDI is located in the South East. There is a need for a more strategic approach to targeting companies for the South East. It is imperative that the IDA, the regional authority, local government, industry representatives and the Higher education Institutes (HEIS) work together to ensure that the physical and intellectual infrastructure of the South East is aligned to the needs of the needs of the targeted sector Three parallel processes that must be adopted to make the Region attractive to FDI investment are;(i) build a wealth of sought after knowledge of regional specialisms and nuances, (ii) increase the attractiveness of the Region by creating and continuously developing leading edge research centres, improving the quality of tertiary education in the Region beyond international standard levels and providing high-value add, interesting jobs and (iii) entering an arrangement with international partners whereby there is an equitable process of brain exchange TSSG/Arclabs manages an active international network consisting of in excess of 450 partners from industry, academic and research institutes and government agencies spread across 35 countries worldwide How do we align skills provision with enterprise needs now and into the future The South East Region has a lower than average participation rate in higher education. Only 23%of the population have a higher education qualification against 36%in Dublin and 29%nationally. It also has a higher rate of unemployment (19%)than the national average (15%)and a higher rate of underemployment amongst under 25s than the national average. Census 2013 WIT has a strong track record in the support of vocational and labour market oriented education at all levels. Addressing the needs of the unemployed is a critical requirement for the economic development and social renewal of the Region. The Institute has led proactively initiatives to support the re-skilling and up-skilling of the unemployed such as in the case of ex-Waterford Crystal and Talk Talk employees. The Institute is a major player in the HEA/Department of education & Skills sponsored Springboard programme. Springboard provides people with the opportunity to re-skill and get back to work, thus contributing to building Ireland†s future. In particular WIT has focused on providing such programmes in the areas of ICT, financial services and business information systems, lean manufacturing, e-Marketing, innovative technologies and entrepreneurship With an increased importance in lifelong learning and up-skilling the delivery of more flexible part-time courses is increasing in importance including new modes of course delivery using on-line learning tools. This is a priority area for the Institute which requires investment. In addition to its cohort of more than 7300 full time students, WIT has registered over 1, 400 part-time undergraduate students and 316 (full-time) and 403 (part-time) postgraduate students on masters and Phd level programmes. Increasingly these programmes are developed in partnership with regional stakeholders delivering customised curriculum reflecting their needs. A good example of one such programme is the part-time masters in communications networks developed in partnership with Sun Life Financial The creation of the Technological University of the Southeast is a key requirement for the economic development and enhancement of the human capital capacity of the Southeast. It must deliver new engagement models bringing together education, technology, research, business and entrepreneurship producing industry ready graduates and new innovation models that drive the economic development of the Region. The Technological University must conduct its activities (teaching, research and innovation) as part of the global community supporting the flow of people, ideas and business into the Region. WIT and IT Carlow have affirmed formally their intention to apply jointly for designation as a Technological University in accordance with the process set out by the Higher education Authority (HEA) and the Minister for Education & Skills Can we contribute to supporting employment at community and local level Immersing the regional community into an evolving entrepreneurial culture is essential. All sectors of the community including policy makers, entrepreneurs, business owners, employers, educators and the youth must embrace the concept of job mobility, brain circulation and labour/skills circulation. Instead of putting barriers in place to hinder mobility and the free flow of personnel, stakeholders should encourage it knowing that the circulation of knowledge, skill and labour is what is required to build regional wealth and sustainability Conclusion In conclusion there is a need for the development and implementation of an integrated investment strategy for the South East Region capable of building an open innovation region. Such a strategy requires a greater alignment of the role of stakeholders including government, industry and higher education. The creation of a Technological University is paramount to the development of the innovative capacity and knowledge base within the South East Region. WIT€ s research and innovation model has proven its ability to create real economic growth. Investment is required now to scale the model across the Region accelerating its economic impact Appendix A: An Overview of Research & Innovation at WIT WIT is the largest third level education provider in the South East Region with a learner community of 7, 300 full-time and approximately 1, 400 part-time students. It is worth noting that a significant numbers of entrants come from nonstandard routes including a continuing increase in mature learners. Over 60%of the Institute†s undergraduate students are registered on bachelor degree courses. In addition the Institute has more than 700 students registered as postgraduate students up to Phd level. An important feature of the Institute†s courses is the strong links to industry with the majority of technical and business courses incorporating a period of placement in industry Prioritisation of Research The Institute has taken a strategic approach to the development of research over the last 10 years. In particular WIT prioritized three main areas of research for development over the period of the last strategic plan: 1. Telecommunications (TSSG) 2. Pharmaceutical Science & Molecular Biotechnology (PMBRC) and Eco-Innovation (EIRC) and 3: Health. The Institute has achieved significant success in winning research funding both from national and EU sources, in forging strategic academic and industry research alliances and in the construction and enhancement of research Infrastructure WIT has built strategic research partnerships with world class research centres across Europe, Asia and The americas. Over 400 staff members and students are involved actively in research. The Institute has 150 Principal investigators, Research Fellows and Postdoctoral Researchers supported by sponsored research which generates an annual salary budget of approximately â 10 million (unique in the IOT sector WIT has a pivotal role as a catalyst for regional cultural and economic development through the innovation of its research and the creation of an effective knowledge transfer framework. The Institute†s research philosophy is to â€oedrive regional economic development through our global reputation for Research and Innovation Excellence†Competing Nationally & Internationally Since 2000 the Institute has won over â 112million in external research funding. This represents approximately one quarter of all research funding received by the Iot sector as a whole. The Institute has secured funding from all of the major funding agencies Science Foundation Ireland†s Research Frontiers, Strategic Research Cluster (SRC) and TIDA Programmes; It is the only Institute of technology to lead a SRC industry research programme The Higher education Authority†s Programme for Research in Third level Institutions (PRTLI) cycles 3, 4 and 5 The European Commission†s Framework Programme (FP4, FP5, FP6 and FP7; WIT through the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) is engaged actively in steering the Future Internet agenda in Europe Enterprise Ireland Government agencies †the Environmental protection agency, the Department of agriculture, Fisheries & Food, COFORD, Failte Ireland, Teagasc The European Research Council †WIT€ s Macular Pigment Research Group was the first recipient with the Iot sector of a â 1. 5m award under the very prestigious Starting Investigator Grant The predominant international source of funding for research in the Institute has been through the European commission, particularly Interreg and the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7. In the academic year 2010/2011, over two thirds of all competitive funding granted to the Institute was through these European programmes. Horizon 2020 (to commence post 2013), has placed a strong emphasis on maximising the contribution of EU funded research and innovation to sustainable growth and jobs and to tackling the grand challenges facing Europe †for example climate change, energy and food security, health and our ageing population. Horizon 2020 seeks to integrate and streamline funding at a pan-European level whilst seeking to develop â€oesmart specialization†in regions of the EU The Framework Programme is a complex environment and competition for funding through its various themes and instruments is increasing, particularly as many governments around Europe cut national research funding levels. The principles underpinning the programme-to ensure added value at EU level through collaborative efforts and large scale initiatives-requires a strategic approach by the Institute to ensure it continues to successfully participate in the programme Engagement & Knowledge Exchange At the core of the Institute†s Strategic Plan is its commitment to engagement and knowledge exchange with research partners, regional and national stakeholders and industry. In particular through EU Framework Programmes and the SFI Strategic Research Clusters Programme, WIT through the TSSG as an established record of large scale research collaborations with multinationals such as IBM, Cisco, and EMC. Furthermore with a strong pharmaceutical presence in the South East Region, the Institute also has established research partnerships with companies such as Genzyme, Teva, Bausch & lomb and Merck Sharp & Dohme WIT has developed 3 Technology Gateway Centres funded by Enterprise Ireland in the areas of telecommunications and mobile services (TSSG), applied materials (SEAM) and pharmaceutical and molecular biotechnology (PMBRC. A profile of these centres is presented on pages 10-13. These centres in particular have strengthened considerably the extent of the Institute†s research engagements with regional and national indigenous enterprises particularly in the ICT/software, industrial technologies, medical devices and pharmaceutical sectors In terms of supporting Irish industry to enhance research and innovation capacity WIT continues to target opportunities for collaboration funded through Enterprise Ireland†s Innovation Partnership and Innovation Vouchers Programmes. In September 2010 the Institute was awarded Top Performing Institute under the Innovation Vouchers Programme and has completed more than 240 projects since the programme inception Since its foundation the Institute†s Arclabs Innovation Centre has supported more than 33 start-up companies, 10 of which have graduated from the Centre. Currently more than 200 staff are employed in the companies based in Arclabs. Furthermore WIT€ s New Frontiers Programme (formerly the South East Enterprise Platform Programme (SEEPP), which has been running for more than 10 years, continues to be a regional flagship programme providing enterprise education, mentoring and support facilities to regional entrepreneurs each year Overview of WIT Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG The TSSG is recognised an internationally centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation. The Centre†s core expertise focuses on telecommunication networks, security and mobile services. Since its foundation in 1996, TSSG has become an important catalyst for driving economic change in the South East Region, transforming novel and disruptive research ideas into start-up companies Comprising of over 120 research scientists and engineers, TSSG is engaged also actively in steering the Future Internet agenda in Europe, and is a partner and member of many European technology platforms and strategic groups of Industry collaborators, including Future Internet Assembly (FIA); ETSI, the Industry Specification Group, Internet on Identity and Access Management; Tidl, Trust in the Digital Life initiative; and EP3R, European Public-Private Partnership for Resilience The strengths of the TSSG reach far beyond academia. TSSG has fostered carefully communication with industry, research bodies, and policy makers, and with those connections it has created a powerful business resource for Industry, as a cultivator of innovation. The TSSG€ s vision is to leverage science and innovation to help improve the competitiveness of Ireland Students TSSG has graduated 28 MSC (research) and 5 Phd students to date. The current cohort of 20 Phd students has expected an graduation rate of 5 graduates per year for the next four years. TSSG, together with WIT has offered, since September 2004, a taught MSC in Computing, specialising in Communications Software, with a thematic research focus on communications management, service development, security and new developments in ubiquitous and pervasive computing. This programme has graduated since 50 students TSSG Research TSSG research teams comprise some of Ireland†s leading telecommunications and software engineering experts; this knowledge and expertise has enabled us to work with academic and industry leaders from around the globe. TSSG€ s industry collaborators include Nokia, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-lucent †as well as Tier 1 operators including Telefã nica/O2, T-Mobile, Telecom italia, Vodafone, Telenor Group, Portugal Telecom and many more Ranked as one of the top 10 research organisations shaping †Future Internet†research by the European commission, we are currently the only Irish academic leading a large FP7 ICT project. TSSG is funded through Irish HEA, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), European union Framework Programme FP6 & FP7 funding, and Enterprise Ireland (EI) commercialisation funds. Our research has attracted expatriates to return to Ireland, and has inspired the best and brightest global foreign nationals to live and work with TSSG in the South East TSSG/Arclabs Innovation Platform The TSSG is particularly unique in The irish research landscape in its focus on the development of a complete research and innovation research lifecycle. Whilst the TSSG research and innovation lifecycle model acknowledges the theoretical frameworks its focus remains pragmatic building upon a set of overlapping activities that can be categorised as each of the following Basic research (with an emphasis on academic publications in peer-reviewed journals and the production of Phd students and the establishment of international academic linkages Applied research (with an emphasis on addressing industrial problems through prototype development and an impact on standards and industrial forums and the establishment of international industrial linkages Pre-product development (with an emphasis on the production of industrial strength prototypes that fit the product roadmaps of key industrial players Commercialisation, entrepreneurship and technology transfer support (with an emphasis on building successful spin out and spin-in companies and of licensing IP to companies Then co-locate a critical mass of all of these activities together and allow ideas to flow in all directions by encouraging both formal and informal interrelationships. This effectively has created a mini system of innovation in one location. The TSSG has transformed the ICT landscape of the South East through the creation of a cluster of mobile Services High Potential Start-ups in the Waterford Region which employ more than 200 high end engineers. It has created 11 spin off companies in the South East; including Feedhenry who recently announced that it was creating an additional 100 jobs as a result of a â 7million investment by international venture capitalists. Its international reputation for innovation has attracted over 100 highly skilled software engineers from around the world to the Region for the benefit of local industry. It is working with local industry to customise its postgraduate training programme to meet industry needs. It is also developing skills based undergraduate training and innovation courses to retrain unemployed professionals as ICT engineers. The impact of this innovation platform was acknowledged recently by Enterprise Ireland in the Public Accounts Debate. â€oewaterford is a shining example of how co-locating the incubation centre with the institute has led to the establishment of a software industry that probably should not have existed in Waterford. Unlike the normal impacts of business around there, this industry has been driven from the educational facility. Also in Waterford one sees the flow of graduates and researchers into local industry and start-ups†Mr. Gearã id Mooney, Director of ICT Commercialisation, Enterprise Ireland, Committee of Public Accounts Debate, 31 january 2013 Overview of WIT Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC The South East is a major hub of the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. The Region hosts some of the world†s largest multinationals (Glaxosmithkline, Merck Sharp & Dohme) as well as indigenous research-based companies such as Eirgen Pharma Ltd. Products produced in the Region range from generic tablets to high-value antibody, enzyme and vaccine medications. The Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC) was established at WIT in May 2008. Since then the PMBRC has secured more than â 11 million in funding towards the building and furnishing state-of-the-art laboratories from the Higher education Authority, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the Technological Sector Research Strand III initiative and Enterprise Irelands Capital Equipment Grant for the Institutes of Technology The PMBRC consists of a 700 m2 state-of-the-art facility with 34 highly-trained research personnel. The Centre has fostered links with national and international partners in industry, academia and medical care institutions. The primary objective of the PMBRC is to act as a focus for strategic research in support of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, a key sector in Ireland with a high cluster in the South East Region. The Centre aims to promote regional economic activity, through the creation of a strong applied research base In particular, the centre aims to stimulate research and innovation, allowing companies to embed R&d into their activities and support the sustainable growth of the sector in the Region. Research in the PMBRC focuses on addressing important areas of pharmaceutical development and can be summarised under the following themes Drug delivery technologies Pharmaceutical analysis and characterisation Novel process and sensor technologies Molecular biotechnology Biomedical research Commercialisation of research is an important focus of the centre and the PMBRC have filed 4 patent applications since 2009. The PMBRC brings together a multi-disciplinary research team, committed to the discovery and development of new innovative methods and technologies for the analysis, delivery and manufacture of pharmaceutical drug targets The following case studies illustrate the impact of the centre on local industry. In a project funded by the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher scheme, the PMBRC isolated and identified 3 impurities in a tablet product being developed by Eirgen Pharma Ltd. The project allowed Eirgen to file the product with the European Medicines Agency which was approved in June 2010. â€oe We hear a lot of commentary about the †Smart Economy†and the need for Ireland to move up the value chain †the research work of the PMBRC is a firm example of that going beyond rhetoric in the pharmaceutical sector. Our partnership with the Centre is a key part of our vision for Eirgen Pharma and the working relationship has already been a very productive one on several levels †perhaps most starkly when research at the Centre allowed us to proceed with a key drug in our portfolio that might otherwise have been abandoned†Mr Tom Brennan, Cofounder, Eirgen Pharma Ltd Overview of South Eastern Applied materials Research Centre (SEAM SEAM is focused an industry applied research centre, providing innovative materials engineering solutions for companies from a wide range of sectors, including biomedical devices, pharmaceuticals, microelectronics, precision engineering and industrial technologies. SEAM offers direct consultancy, characterisation, failure analysis and strategic research partnership programs (short, medium and long term) to support industries throughout Ireland SEAM is involved currently in a number of Industrial research projects, including innovation vouchers, innovation partnerships and EU Research for the benefit of SMES. All of these projects are focused industrially and aimed at the research needs of our customers. Project areas include Development of Finite element analysis models to diagnose and remedy residual stress induced failures in the drill heads Determination of the cause of optical anomalies exhibited by silicone rubber used in medical devices Development of a methodology for the non-destructive characterisation of inclusions in medical device and orthopaedic components Finite element Analysis of stresses introduced into high tension cables Examination of the post-sterilisation discolouration of pharmaceutical tabletsâ Quantifying the adhesive behaviour of contact lenses in anterior moulds Assessment of conductivity problems encountered in thin film transparent conductive oxides Determination of cause of lichen adhesion to construction bricks from different production facilities SEAM is funded under the Enterprise Ireland†s Technology Gateway Programme. Since its inception in 2009 SEAM has worked with more than 60 companies throughout the country Appendix B: Economic Importance of Health care to the south East Economic Importance of Health care to the south East Hospitals in the Southeast are a major source of employment, employing close to 5, 000 workers. It is estimated that each job in the Health Services sector supports 1. 18 jobs elsewhere in the economy. In total, it has been estimated that just over 8, 800 jobs are directly and indirectly supported by the hospitals of the South East Region (Power, 2012). The purchasing power of hospital employed staff has been estimated as worth more than â 242.34 million to the south East economy WIT€ s role in Supporting the Health Related Economy WIT supports regional health related services and companies through two mechanisms †its health focused research activity and the development of human capital in health services and health related industries through its provision of undergraduate and postgraduate education and research training programmes. The Institute has seen a substantial growth of its health care research agenda over the last five years. Today the Institute supports health care research in a number of multidisciplinary areas Education †The School of health Sciences The School of health Sciences at WIT consists of the Department of Nursing and the Department of health, Sport and Exercise Science. The School is a significant provider of undergraduate and post graduate education and training to health care professionals and service providers within the South East Region, both in the public and private sector over the past 11 years. The School†s recent success in winning an EU FP7 Industry Academia Partnership Grant worth â 2. 04 million to examine the misuse of codeine based products is testament to its success in building close relations with the private health care sector and establishing a network of partnerships with internationally recognised centres of research excellence in Europe, the United states and South africa that is of benefit to the Region Its provision of nursing registration programmes (General, Psychiatric and Intellectual Disability Nursing) within the Region ensures that hospitals across the Region can attract sufficient numbers of new graduate recruits to support clinical services and ensuring that local young people from low and middle income background have the opportunity to train as nurses within their own region and not be deterred from entering the profession because of the extra costs associated with having to move to nurse education centres in Cork and Dublin Equally its†recognised expertise in innovative educational approaches such as multiple intelligence teaching and learning, work based learning and telehealth, assists local clinical services, both public and private, to attract inward investment to support the development of new services and thereby create employment. The example of the School†s work with Rigney Dolphin is a case in point The Telehealth Research Group is a recent addition to the research family located within WIT. It is a joint initiative between the School of health Sciences, the TSSG at WIT, HSE SE and local telehealth industries to provide research support for the development and use of mobile health technologies within clinical services. The bringing together of academic, clinical and industry applied expertise not only makes this a significant development for the support of clinical services but provides a catalyst for the establishment of telehealth industries in the South East Region. The group is currently working with the National Clinical Care Programme for Epilepsy on a research initiative to develop metrics to explore the implementation and use of mobile health technologies in the management of epilepsy It is also working with the Cleveland Medical Centre, USA and Rigney Dolphin in training and evaluating the use of telehealth nursing triage, particularly in the remote management of coronary heart disease There are major opportunities for the Region to develop novel community based systems for health care management which can support the national objective of creating a more efficient and cost effective service. The application of new innovation ICT based health care systems supporting community based health management and support systems can help to promote the Region as a location for high technology health related industries. Continued investment within the Region in human capital development in the Nursing and Health care professions through education and research will be paramount to ensuring the development and clustering of technology related service industries in the South East Appendix C: Regional Innovation & Competitiveness The recent investment that the European commission has made in funding a series of workshops entitled Week of Innovative Regions in Europe 2013 (WIRE 2013) is testament to the importance the Commission is placing on regions. During the WIRE 2013 conference held in UCC 5th to 7th June2013 many of the international speakers built on President Barroso†s recent comment that â€oeregions are need leading to lead the way in research and innovation for growth and competitivenessâ€. The Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS) published in 2012 states that â€oeas the regional level is important for economic development and for the design and implementation of innovation policies it is important to have indicators to compare and benchmark innovation performance at regional level†(p. 6). The same report reiterated that â€oeinnovation is a key factor determining productivity growth (p. 9) and â€oeregions are increasingly becoming important engines of economic development†(p. 9 Whereas Ireland rates well in the RIS analysis and is considered overall an Innovation Follower (as opposed to an innovation leader, or moderate innovator, or modest innovator) and in particular the Southern and Eastern Region is considered a Follower-high (compared to the Border, Midland and Western region which is considered Follower-low), there is doubt that the South East Region could be considered as Follower-high. According to RIS (2012) regional competitiveness cannot be regarded as a macroeconomic concept. A region is neither a simple aggregation of firms nor a scaled version of nations (Gardiner et al. 2004 The issue with considering the South East as a Follower-high is that it could be overlooked as a region that needs further investment and focused policy direction and implementation if it is to become a sustainable, innovative, competitive region. The economic indicators for the South East (see Table 1) clearly show that it is compared underperforming to the State average, and therefore should not be classified as an Innovation Follower-high Economic indicator State Southeast Unemployment 13.7 %18.4 %index of disposable income per capita 100 94.5 Median annual household disposable in 2010 â 30,951 â 34,222 Participation rate in higher education 23 %29 %Percentage of MNES 100 %9 %%of those in employment employed in MNES 50 %40 %Table 1 Economic indicators for the Southeast compared to the State The Southern and Eastern Region contains a capital region (Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and two dominant capital-like regions (Cork, and Limerick/Shannon. Such centres have a tendency to overshadow and misconstrue the true economic performance of lesser endowed sub-regions (O†Gorman, 2005). RIS (2012) based on its analysis of 570 regions states that their findings â€oeconfirm that capital regions are more innovative than non-capital regions†(p. 17 Key indicators for regional innovation, which because of unavailability of data in the Region, are included not in the calculations for the Regional Innovation Scoreboard for the Southern and Eastern Region are New doctorate graduates per 1, 000 population aged 25-34 Percentage population aged 30-34 having completed tertiary education Percentage of youth aged 20 †24 having attained at least upper secondary level education International scientific co-publication per million population Scientific publications among the top 10%most cited publications worldwide as%of total scientific publications of the country Non-EU doctorate students as a%of all doctoral students These are just some of the â€oeenabler†indicators. The data for the Southern and Eastern Region is not available for these indicators; therefore the data for the South East Region is also, most likely, not available. However, having numbers, or â€oechasing numbers†is one thing but it is a fruitless exercise if a nurturing culture and environment do not exist to generate commercial output and jobs from the education, scientific research, and publications Thus the South East is different than the Southern and Eastern Region and the State as a whole; therefore, because innovation policy is increasingly being designed and implemented at regional level, the Southern & Eastern Region†s diversity and smart specializations calls for innovation support programmes that are tailored to meet the South East†s needs Regional competitiveness is not simply resulting from a stable macroeconomic framework or entrepreneurship on the micro-level. New patterns of competition are recognizable, especially at the regional level: for example, geographical concentrations of linked industries, like clusters, are of increasing importance and the availability of knowledge and technology based tools show high variability within countries (Annoni and Kozovska, RCI 2010 report). This definition, on which the RCI index is built upon, focuses on the close link between regional competitiveness and regional prosperity, characterizing competitive regions not only by output-related terms such as productivity but also by overall economic performance such as sustained or improved level of comparative prosperity (Bristow, 2005). Huggins (2003) underlines, in fact, that â€oetrue local and regional competitiveness occurs only when sustainable growth is achieved at labour rates that enhance overall standards of living. †(Source: RIS, 2012 According to Hilpert (2013) â€oeone needs to understand that though this geography of innovation is built on Islands of Innovation and their regional labour markets, there remains the question as to which path of innovative development they may follow and whether innovative labour markets provide additional instruments for appropriate policies to have a positive influence on advanced socioeconomic development. Thus, in the end, it is not sufficient to study both the regionalisation of innovative labour markets and the migration of such labour to Islands of Innovation, rather it is necessary to discover more about the role of innovative labour markets in building Islands of Innovation and how to continue this situation in the future †there is demand for both the attractive conditions needed to attract innovative migrants and for institutions to be prepared to reproduce highly innovative labour based on their own capacities†(p. 27 The Centre for Enterprise Development & Regional Economy (CEDRE), WIT The Centre for Enterprise Development & Regional Economy (CEDRE) at the School of business in WIT plays a major role in WIT€ s mission to be a major contributor to the economic growth and development of Ireland†s South East Region. With extensive expertise amongst its academic and research staff WIT is well-resourced to be a key force in supporting, promoting and developing entrepreneurship in the Region. CEDRE provides a framework and environment for entrepreneurs, researchers, academics and policy makers/implementers to engage in a mutually complementary manner to support economic development in the Region The overall aim of CEDRE is to make a contribution to the development of entrepreneurship education and research. In educating and developing entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as policy makers and business advisors, the Centre positions itself at the forefront of entrepreneurial activity in the Region. Key thematic research interests of the Centre include: defining and developing entrepreneurial regions, analysing the direct impact of MCES on the creation of new ventures in their host regions, creating a framework for the growth of entrepreneurship and examining the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial activity. Because of the importance, within the EU of regional development, investigations into such thematic research areas have received extensive funding from the EU via FP6 (Regions of Knowledge), FP7 (Regions of Knowledge), and Interreg Wales Ireland Programme 3a and 4a 2 Page

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