EDUCATION: "I was thinking of having opened a door with a key, and of possessing the key to many doors, perhaps to all of them. I was thinking of having thought of something that nobody else had yet thought."

The writer and scientist Primo Levi so eloquently describes the excitement of the young scientist in his novel The Periodic Table. Yet it is this very excitement that appears to elude so many young people today.

We have put people on the moon and there are people now contemplating a manned mission to Mars, yet fewer and fewer of our schoolchildren are interested in how these things are possible.

Since 1987, the percentage of leaving certificate students selecting chemistry has dropped from 20.8 per cent to less than 11 per cent, and for physics the reduction is from 21 per cent to 14.5 per cent.

This is despite the steady growth of employment and prospects in sectors founded on the study of these subjects.

In the pharmaceutical sector alone, nine of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies have operations in Ireland.

Around 120 overseas companies employ 23,000 people and export €21 billion (£16.5 billion) annually.

This represents more than 25 per cent of total exports and makes Ireland one of the world's largest exporters of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.

The pharmaceutical industry in Ireland is highly sophisticated, using advanced manufacturing technology, state-of- the-art equipment and stringent quality control.

Unlike some high-tech industries in Ireland, the pharamachem industry has a remarkable track record with regard to employment stability. No multinational company in the sector has ceased operations.

Twenty-four pharmaceutical plants are FDA-approved and the total investment by the overseas pharmaceutical sector in Ireland is conservatively estimated at €8 billion.

Investment in fine chemical plants producing bulk active materials has now been followed by new investments in finished product pharmaceuticals operations. Forty-seven finished pharmaceutical plants are now in operation.

In Europe, the chemical industry is a world-leader. It contributes more than €30 billion to Europe's trade balance and generates a turnover of more than €300 billion from small, medium and large companies.

This amounts to nearly €1,000 for every man, woman and child in Europe.

The industry spends nearly €20 billion on research and technical development and employs 1.65 million people, with many more employed in related economic activities. The chemical industry depends upon a continuing supply of new science graduates.

The current trend away from science in secondary schools is worrying and could threaten the long-term sustainability of the sector in Ireland.

Why the decline of interest in science? Is the idea of "having thought of something that nobody else has yet thought" no longer appealing to the MTV generation?

A central factor is undoubtedly the unfavourable image of science and scientists in the minds of young people.

Boffins, nerds and anoraks - to borrow the less complimentary names - face tough competition from media-friendly pop stars and soap actors.

But it is not impossible to reverse the trend.

Science is an ideal subject through which to encourage and develop the innate curiosity and creativity of children.

It is true that some theory and reinforcement of principles is necessary but science is something that you do.

It is different from knowledge - something that is acquired by sitting behind a desk and learning by rote.

And it is possible to interest young people in science without major investment in sophisticated scientific equipment.

Those of us who are excited and passionate about science - about asking the question "why?" - need to reach out to young people and find ways of encouraging them to ask the same question.

We need more young people in the physical sciences for many reasons but it is of critical importance for the sustainability of a highly productive industrial sector.

That's why it is so necessary to raise simultaneously the profile and image of science through celebration of our proud scientific heritage and promotion of science as an exciting and stimulating activity.

Through the years, Irish men and women have contributed massively to the fields of science and engineering. Yet these intellectual giants, who are celebrated worldwide, receive scant attention at home.

It is unfortunate that this is not a widely recognised source of pride for our young people.

The work and contributions of these individuals should be celebrated in school curricula, books and through the media so that our young people can identify with these heroes and aspire to carry on the proud scientific tradition.

It is through these and other initiatives that the next generation might realise the excitement of thinking what nobody else has ever thought.

Joe Harford is president and chief executive of Yamanouchi Ireland, and chairman of the Economic and Social Research Institute.