AAddress by Mr Noel Treacy, T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce at the Opening of COST 819 Symposium "Entomopathogenic Nematodes" at NUI Maynooth on 13 April 2000 at 9.00am

I am very pleased to have been invited to open this symposium which, I understand marks the end of a five year programme of co-operation between researchers from various European countries. This programme has been funded under COST Action 819 and has been concerned with the biotechnology of nematodes for marketing as biological insecticides, replacing chemicals and reducing residues in food and in the environment.

With the current public interest in and concern about reducing the impact of chemicals on the environment and the levels of residues in food, the search for ecologically sound non chemical pest control is very much to be welcomed.

I understand that this has been a very successful programme and I would like to compliment you, the members of the Management Committee of the programme on this success. I am pleased to note too that Ireland and, in particular NUI Maynooth, has played a leading role in this programme. Indeed, I believe that both the current Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Action, Dr Ann Burnell and Dr Christine Griffin respectively are both based here in Maynooth. Maynooth has the largest group of researchers in this area in Europe and it has been designated as a Centre of excellence in Biocontrol.

COST activities provide a framework for co-operation at European level which is to be very much encouraged. The goal of COST is to ensure that Europe holds a strong position in the field of scientific and technical research for peaceful purposes by increasing European co-operation and interaction in this field.

The COST programme is an excellent means of extending national research into the international arena and building up competence in a cost effective and efficient manner. In the context of providing value for money, a COST action can deliver to member countries information that is international in dimension while national in implication. Ireland recognises that basic research has an essential international dimension through which its researchers can participate in knowledge generation and acquisition, an essential component of the innovation process.

Research is a global and expensive activity. It makes sense therefore, particularly for a small country like Ireland, to avail of the opportunity of networking and pooling of knowledge which international research collaboration offers.

I am glad to be able to record that Irish participation in COST is significant and growing. There are currently 165 COST actions in force and Ireland is involved in 84 of these actions. So far this year we have joined a further 14 new actions. Irish participation is centred mainly on university research departments and public sector laboratories. The main areas of Irish participation are Telecommunications, Agriculture & Biotechnology, Food Technology and Forestry.

I am sure that you will all be aware of the Commission Communication "Towards a European Research Area" launched earlier this year by the EU Research Commissioner Mr. Philipe Busquin. The Communication advances strong arguments for a much greater degree of co-operation and co-ordination between member States in their research activities. It takes stock of current research activities in Europe and identifies the challenges facing us, if we are to close the gap on our main competitors the USA and Japan.

The paper is a very welcome initiative in starting a discussion on the future of research activity in Europe. It points to the need for action in such areas as the promotion of research excellence, mapping and networking of centres of excellence, benchmarking of R&D activities, greater mobility of researchers and increasing the attractiveness of Europe as a research location. While the discussions on the European Research Area cover much more than European level programmes they will no doubt influence thinking in regard to the Sixth European Framework Programme negotiations, which are due to get underway later this year.

It is obvious that many of the activities of COST relate directly to the objectives set out in the Commission Communication. These include:

• Creation of transboundary networks to promote co-operation and synergy in science & technology;
• Links to complementary mechanisms such as EUREKA, the ESF and Framework, through cross membership of committees and Actions;
• A flexible, efficient and mutually beneficial means of linking nationally funded research;
• Facilitation of applications into Framework programmes;
• Facilitation of valuable short term exchanges of young researchers, and exposure to new knowledge bases.

These contributions will be important to delivering the objectives of the European Research Area and consequently it is important that the current relationship between the Commission services and COST is maintained.

There is now general acceptance at national and international levels that Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) is of critical importance to competitiveness, employment and the enhancement of society, and that public investment in RTI must be a national priority. Research is nothing less than the foundation on which innovation is built.

The priority which we in Ireland are giving to Research, Technology and Innovation is reflected in the substantial funding of £1.95Bn (almost 2.5bn Euros) provided in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 for RTI Activities across all Government Departments and Agencies.

A Technology Foresight Foresight Report prepared last year highlighted the fact that firms in the modern high-tech sectors of business in Ireland, including IT, chemicals and pharmaceuticals are currently more production-oriented than R&D oriented and therefore more vulnerable to global market changes. As the global economy becomes more "knowledge-based" (i.e. driven by research and technology), the key therefore, to Ireland's continued success is to re-position Irish industry, higher up the economic value chain. This is currently at the core of the new strategies of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the Government, in fulfilling our policy goals of accelerated economic growth.

The Foresight Report also identified the need to increase Ireland's attractiveness as a location to carry out research and development. We plan to address this need by creating a critical mass of world class research excellence in niche areas of particular importance to Ireland's long-term future. The Technology Foresight Fund, amounting to £560M or over 700m Euros, which is a central part of the Measures for RTI for Industry set out in the National Development Plan, represents a substantial investment in world class research infrastructure in the key strategic technologies which will underpin our future competitiveness, namely Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Biotechnology.

To return to the symposium commencing today, there is no doubt that the research carried out under COST Action 819 will be of widespread interest not least here in Ireland. Many of the problems which the development of Biological Control Systems using nematode worms can help address are of particular interest here in Ireland.

For instance

• The control of flies without using toxic pesticides in the Mushroom Industry, now worth £84 million per annum, most of which is exported, would be of immense benefit.
• Similarly the control of the Vine Weevil is of great importance to the Nursery Stock industry.
• There is research indicating potential for the control of slugs, which would be of help to the Irish potato growers and have many other applications in horticulture.
• Other potential uses are the control of the spruce weevil in forestry, and
• The control of the vine weevil in the £6 million Irish strawberry industry.

This research will be of great value in industries such as mushrooms and strawberries where the product is consumed directly without treatment.

I understand that one result of this action is that systems have been developed that are very amenable to local small scale production, and as a result of the work of COST 819 a number of industries have been set up in Europe producing these biocontrol agents. As yet there is none in Ireland, but there is hope that one will be set up in the near future.

COST 819 has shown excellent co-operation between scientists and the European industry that is producing these biocontrol agents. This Action is an excellent example of COST bringing together scientists from 18 countries with industrialists to work on both the practical control of pests in European agriculture and also to co-operate on the basic research on the biology and genetics to help understand the complex interactions that are involved in developing these important control systems.

I know you have a heavy work schedule over the next few days and I wish you success in all of your collective efforts.