Regional Action Plan to support the governance of Responsible Research & Innovation in the Southern & Eastern Regional Operational Programme 2014 - 2020 Part 1: Policy context of Action Plan Description of the Regional Policy Context 1
The Southern & Eastern (S&E) Region of Ireland has strengths in many priority sectors in the Irish Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) through the presence of twelve HEI’s in the region. The S&E region is categorised as an ‘innovation leader’ in the National Needs Analysis and is on track to meet EU 2020 targets in research, development and innovation (RDI) intensity. The Irish Government’s Action Plan for Jobs focuses on regaining lost competitiveness, boosting productivity, increasing export intensity and market diversity, taking measures to improve Ireland’s attractiveness as a location for foreign direct investment and increasing start-ups and entrepreneurial activity. TheActionPlanfor Jobshighlights Ireland’s strong science base, but the focus of science, technology and innovation (STI) policymust beonaccelerating economic and societal return on STI investment, strengthening enterprise engagement with public research and driving commercialisation of public research. There are limitations in the capacity of HEIs to generate RDI activity and commercialise RDI outputs. Performance is hindered by lack of academic industrial linkages and limited resources available for business-based research and innovation.
The Southern Regional Assembly (SRA) has prioritised strengthening links between HEIs and industry to increase RDI within enterprises and accelerate commercialisation of research outputs. It is imperative to promote level, quality and commercial applicability of RDI, ensuring that industry leads the response to rapid changes in customer and societal needs/demands. Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a relatively new concept in the S&E region of Ireland but could respond to the needs outlined above in terms of linkages between HEI’s and high RDI quality. Ireland does not have a separate RRI framework but applies general principles to national Research, Technology Development and Innovation (RTDI) policy and the associated investment priorities under the Regional Operational Programme (ROP). The S&E ROP has integrated the 3 horizontal principles of sustainable development, gender equality & non-discrimination and social inclusion into programme design and project selection. SRA has refined policies, procedures and monitoring metrics to reflect this with the aim of further refinement by introducing RRI elements based on learning from Project MARIE.
Southern Regional Assembly | Regional Action Plan
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