A chara, – In response to the Irish scientists concerned about current Government policy in relation to basic research in Irish universities (March 18th), I feel it is imperative we have a response from industry. As a chief technology office of an early-stage company and graduate of the UCD Innovation Academy, I look with envy at the amount of funding and resources that universities have when it comes to research and development. Yes, basic innovative and "blue skies" research is important but it has to have some direction. I feel the policy of having a commercially focused research output is the correct one given the current economic climate.
The letter implies that the connection between academia and industry should be curtailed in favour of more riskier research with no measurable outputs. However, figures have shown that 95 per cent of innovation comes from improvements in existing product and services.
Research students benefit from having industry experience because it will help them with innovative research. It gives it focus and direction and this has the best chance of benefiting the economy and society in general. I welcome the debate on this issue. – Is mise,
PATRICK GALLAGHER,
Atlantic Wireless
Telecommunications Ltd,
Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Sir, – One can understand the request for more funding for basic research by our scientists; money is after all a scarce resource. However, I find it difficult to be sympathetic as many, if not most, of them are in good salaried jobs, often with pensions and civil servant “job for life” status. Moreover, the country’s universities are awash with equipment usually purchased for one project and left to gather dust on completion of that project.
I have spent my professional career as a geophysicist collecting data for my clients and also doing some necessary basic research on problems or innovations, funded out of my own pocket. Equipment and software were likewise funded and so too were conferences that I attended. No tax deductions for research were ever possible. This led to large amounts of data and experience amassed over the years that could keep several research projects going. This is often the case in other industries where unusual phenomena are observed but there is neither time nor expertise to research them in depth.
Industry has access to experience and resources; universities have time, computing resources and brainpower in bucketfuls; while some government agencies have bottomless archives of data. Researchers could work as interns in industry while industrial experience could be brought in for lectures. The Geological Survey, university geology departments and the mineral exploration industry work closely together in a very successful collaboration, a shining example of which is the Tellus project. Similar joined-up thinking between the universities and the commercial world could bear fruit, whether it be in electronics, pharmaceuticals, medicine, chemicals, materials physics or engineering. – Yours, etc,
GEORGE REYNOLDS,
Blessington,
Co Wicklow.