Irish Innovation

IrishInnovation

With the launch of the IDA 2020 Strategy Document amid a less than conducive business environment and all this talk about 'innovation and creativity'; just what does it all mean in real terms to people and businesses on the ground? What will Irish innovation look like for Ireland Inc to thrive once again?

finisklin

Does this help?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/education/2010/0316/1224266347523.html

Cheeble

IrishInnovation wrote: »

....'innovation and creativity'; just what does it all mean in real terms to people and businesses on the ground?...

Doing something different?

Cheeble-eers

IrishInnovation

Interesting article...there is always a disparity between what the government says and what it does, innovation is no different, and it leaves Ireland Inc in a very precarious position if we're going to rebuild this economy.

I had a really interesting conversation with an IDA spokesman about the fact that in the period 1999-2008, there was a nett job creation of 1389 jobs. He said it was not the IDA's role to create jobs but to attract higher value investments from multinationals...WTF?

You originally from Sligo?

finisklin

I think the governement policy was outlined in the Smart economy policy document to which the green's had a big input and hence the focus on the green economy, energy efficiency, building the innovation island etc.

Out of that policy came the innovation fund which is about €50m a year and represents a total of 500m over 10 years. Given that we are budgeting for 4% p.a. growth in 2011 - 2014 it will be interesting to see how effective this fund is.

The only thing with this policy is that Brian Cowen and his team hardly represent innovation in either appearance or approach. The pictures of Cowen beside Obama in the White house on St. Patricks Day are cringe worthy. The contrast of an over weight, churlish, stocky Cowen agin a slim, svelte and charismatic Obama illustrates the gulf in creating an innovative impression.

Given that Minister Coughlan presides over enterprise & employment's (where innvoation policy and the smart economy should have a significant impact) the country is really challenged in bringing the ideas to fruition.

As an aside I read a great story about the idea of crowd sourcing recently and in particular where Dell have this ideastorm where customers submit idea's via facebook, twitter etc. The crowd/public vote on it. This provides a streamlined set of ideas that are reviewed for Dell to bring to market if practicable. Dell reckons that over 10,000 ideas have been generated with 400 implemented, inlcuding the linux laptop!

Perhaps the government could use this approach with some of their policies and bring them to the public for consultation via facebook, twitter. Brian Cowen twittering? Perish the idea.....:cool:

stepbar

IrishInnovation wrote: »

With the launch of the IDA 2020 Strategy Document amid a less than conducive business environment and all this talk about 'innovation and creativity'; just what does it all mean in real terms to people and businesses on the ground? What will Irish innovation look like for Ireland Inc to thrive once again?

Well I can definatly tell you one thing it won't be based on.... building houses for sure.

I'm afraid the sort of innovation we have in this country is quite poor. "Your Country, Your Call" is testament to that.

You can't really expect to have real sustainable innovation when the country lacks the basics e.g cheap and available broadband, proper transport links and so on. I think in Ireland we mix innovation up with being able to talk up a good story....

Of course there are some exceptional young guys out there like Dylan Collins, The Collison Brothers. But lets face it, as a small country with no real natural resoures, we're always going to be up against it.

Numbers111

with an enterprise board for every county, ei, ida, technology transfer offices, university lectureers talking about smart economies, this is a huge industry the biggest benefactors/ innovators are those that get the government pay check every month (all of the above). All these people love to get the picture in the glossy brochure , the local paper but themselves never take a chance. The entrepeneejits get broke and if your lucky will get some good years but be vilified eventually or handcuffed eventually, O Brien, O Leary and Sean Fitzpatrick. The Government is broke but can reset its own rules when it suits.

IrishInnovation

I agree with Numbers111 about 'jobs for the boys'.

Chris Horn makes a comment in this article from the Sunday Biz Post that only €5 goes into the IDA, EI and FAS; http://www.sbpost.ie/commentandanalysis/comment-innovation-is-what-this-country-needs-48116.html

I think these agencies should be merged into one with transparent KPI's. If €5 is going into these agencies, €10 should be coming out, instead of it being a black hole that just sucks tax payers money and creates nothing in terms of jobs or wealth...

IrishInnovation

I was involved in a conversation on LinkedIn in the Innovation Ireland Group. We were discussing the Horizon 2020 strategy document and I said it was more a PR stunt that anything based on reality.

The IDA moderators didn't like what I had to say and have since kicked me out of the group. I'm glad I managed to copy a part of the conversation to my blog before the thought police swooped in.

Looks like I opened a can of worms with this one. The IDA don't like being asked 'hard questions'..http://wp.me/pNLXQ-3S

IrishInnovation

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder behind this company and his story is a good one for all those wannabe entrepreneurs out there...

You can read the interview here:
http://wp.me/pNLXQ-53