There has been a 70 per cent increase in the funding of the national research support fund over the last three years, according to the Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Michael Smith.

The fund is a joint initiative between Forbairt and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It allocates funds across a range of research projects, strategic programmes, industry scholarships and applied research projects. Mr Smith was speaking at the launch of the fund's second-year results.