The Government's new multibillion-euro science budget indicates the State will take a more active role in the development of research and a knowledge-driven economy.
Details of the budget are to be published shortly, and it is understood it will put a new heavy emphasis on private-sector research and on increasing the numbers of graduates staying in research as a career.
The Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2006 will map out in detail how each Government department with research activity will spend its money through 2013, the lifetime of the strategy.
The involvement of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Ministers for Finance, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and Education and Science at the launch in Government Buildings is indicative of the importance being afforded by Government to the release of the strategy.
This will be the first time that the Government has agreed a comprehensive framework embracing all departments for the conduct of scientific research, according to a source who has seen the document.
"This is a big step forward. It moves us permanently into science in a serious way. It will get the science and technology thing to gel in a serious way," the source said. "The commitment to research is a permanent commitment now."
The strategy highlights three key areas for major funding: more money for buildings and equipment needed by the higher-education sector; funding to boost the numbers of PhD and post-doctoral students committed to research; backing for developing the "enterprise research" base, where academic, public-sector and private-sector researchers can develop knowledge and wealth.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and Enterprise Ireland have worked hard to encourage more private-sector investment in research.
The science budget provides significant funding in support of this goal, the source said. "A core element of the strategy is the target to significantly increase private-sector investment in enterprise research."
The strategy includes the structures and money needed to drive that forward, with an early target of doubling the private-sector research spend by small and large companies.
The strategy will provide significant detail about how much departments and State bodies, such as Teagasc and the Marine Institute, will spend and how they will spend it.
The plan was developed over several months, and was agreed at meetings of the Interdepartmental Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation and the Cabinet Committee on Science and Technology.
The total spend over the 2007-2013 life of the budget will run into billions of euro and will advance on the €2.54 billion allocated for 2000-2006.
