“Persevere, probe and push the parameters of possibility”,
Minister encourages researchers at Science Summit

Convergence the key to economically beneficial research - Minister Devins

November 17^th & 18^th 2008: 350 leading scientific researchers are attending a two-day Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Science Summit in Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny today and tomorrow. This year’s Summit, the theme of which is “Convergent Worlds”, is encouraging and fostering new collaborations between SFI researchers, and facilitating high-level discussion and debate on a broad spectrum of research areas across biotechnology, ICT and energy.

Addressing the Summit, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Jimmy Devins TD said he appreciated the overriding theme of the meeting Convergent Worlds. “The gathering is a timely opportunity to both advance and embrace the concept of convergence and ensure that the research funded by SFI has an impact both directly and indirectly on the Irish economy.”

“To successfully convert research discoveries and ingenuity into commercially viable products and processes, convergence is now essential. This entails challenging traditional scientific structures, creating a new dynamism, and forming what heretofore would perhaps have been considered unlikely partnerships between divergent disciplines. Recent convergent activities in Ireland’s scientific research community, funded and promoted by SFI, have already blossomed in key sectors such as nanotechnology, energy and in the development of medical devices. This initial progress bodes well for future collaborative activity across other areas.”

Minister Devins noted that, despite seismic changes in the global economy, there was “resilience” among Ireland’s scientific community, and he encouraged SFI researchers to “persevere, probe and push the parameters of possibility in their day-to-day research. Ireland’s competitiveness is dependent on the outputs you and your research teams produce into the future. Innovation is clearly about creativity and I know that researchers supported by SFI have the ability to come together, tackle questions and deliver innovative solution which will bring economic and indeed, societal benefits.”

He added that the theme of this year's summit was “relevant not only for those involved in pursuing scientific endeavours, but also has a broader resonance for us all in dealing with the challenges facing us as we move ahead into a changed economic context.”

Also speaking at the Summit, Director General of SFI, Professor Frank Gannon, said “SFI has anticipated the move towards convergent research and has been enthusiastically advocating cross disciplinary research. I believe in Ireland’s research community has a tremendous ability to excel in such an inter-disciplinary context, thinking in new ways and forging fresh alliances which are required to develop novel approaches to research and ensure the benefits flow to the Irish economy and society. I am pleased that industry is now also promoting convergence and this is evidenced by the increased engagement by companies with SFI research projects.”

Professor Gannon added: “SFI has also been independently assessed to have successfully attracted the highest quality research talent, domestically and internationally, as well as significantly increasing its collaboration with industry. With an extended remit that now includes sustainable energy and energy-efficient technologies, and a new SFI strategy document for 2009-2013 to be published shortly, we expect to see convergence move centre stage in our future activities, and look ahead with confidence and determination.”