About Innovation and Investment

The Innovation and Investment Division works to promote a competitive, productive enterprise environment which attracts foreign investment, supports indigenous enterprise and encourages export-led growth. The Division also promotes, on an agreed North/South basis, the development of an environment that optimises the benefits of the all-island economy for enterprises through North/South collaboration particularly in the areas of trade and business development.

The Division is responsible for the development, promotion and co-ordination of Ireland's science, technology and innovation policy and Ireland's policy in international research activities. It also has responsibility for the formulation of Ireland's policy on intellectual property (IP) issues and ensures that Ireland has a modern suite of IP legislation that reflects developments in intellectual property practice and obligations arising from international agreements. In implementing this policy agenda, the Division works with and funds, in whole or in part, a number of agencies and programmes, namely IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Shannon Development, InterTrade Ireland and the Higher Education Authority (who administer the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions). The Division works closely with Forfas on policy development and review.

The Patents Office based in Kilkenny also forms part of the Division.

Assistant Secretary: Martin Shanagher