Sustainability of Research Centres – Key Challenges and ApproachesRichard O’Connell

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Why is this important?

It is estimated that the eLearning market will be worth $107.3 billion in 20151

Overall annual impact of European RTOs is estimated to be in the range €25-40bn2

Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) linked to creation of 1,255 jobs3

PRTLI investment : 43 spin-out companies with commercial impact of €753 million5

Macro-factors

= High-growth area

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Why is this important?

Horizon 2020 : Running from 2014 to 2020 with an €80 billion budget, the EU’s new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe4

Contribution of industry focused research should be valued to the same extent as academic focused research in order to optimise the overall potential for social and economic returns5

Trends

= Commercialisation

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Why is this important?

RTOs coordinate about a third of EU projects and they create major European networks of participants2

Ireland’s share of world citations is greater than its share of world papers6

Micro-factors

= Good foundations

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Why is this important?

It is estimated that the eLearning market will be worth $107.3 billion in 20151

Overall annual impact of European RTOs is estimated to be in the range €25-40bn2

Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI) linked to creation of 1,255 jobs3

PRTLI investment : 43 spin-out companies with commercial impact of €753 million5

Horizon 2020 : Running from 2014 to 2020 with an €80 billion budget, the EU’s new programme for research and innovation is part of the drive to create new growth and jobs in Europe4

Contribution of industry focused research should be valued to the same extent as academic focused research in order to optimise the overall potential for social and economic returns5

RTOs coordinate about a third of EU projects and they create major European networks of participants2

Ireland’s share of world citations is greater than its share of world papers6

Macro-factors

= High-growth area

Trends

= Commercialisation

Micro-factors

= Good foundations

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Sustainability

“Operating today in a way which does not inhibit the organisation’s ability to do so tomorrow”7

+With a focus on growth

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Key Challenges

Funding

Balance

• Recession• Centres believed it was unlikely that the HEI block grants and institutional budgets would be sufficient to sustain all current centres at their current level of Activity5

• Large percentage of research budgets (up to 85 per cent in some cases) is to support existing contracts. The ability of funding agencies to launch new schemes will decline10

• No funding source for equipment maintenance nor for periodic upgrades5

• Substantial infrastructural supports for technology platforms9

• A time frame of the order of 10 years is expected before centres will operate as true RTO centres5

• In a healthy research environment a diversity of research centres in terms of scale and mission is both normal and desirable5 • National funding but global customers2

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Key Challenges

Local Issues

• Low SME involvement8

• Lack of clarity in relation to the career pathway for researchers5

• Ireland’s innovation system has made significant progress, it is still not as advanced as other longer established systems (e.g.. Finland and Sweden)5

• Little reported movement between academia and enterprise2

• Women are significantly under-represented by international standards at senior levels in the Irish research system2

• A relatively poor level of collaboration within Ireland6

• May be a capacity problem in that the most competitive researchers are often over-committed8

Moving Targets

• Confusion in the international context around the term ‘research centre’5

• National Research Prioritisation Exercise (NRPE)5

• EU Direction4

• Performance metrics, stage gate milestones, reporting5

• Visibility3

• RTOs have been systematically ignored in ERA development and discussions2

• Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation5

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ApproachesUse of HEI infrastructure.

Focus on collaboration and commercialisation.

Differences in funding sources and industry vs. academic focus5.

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ApproachesDCU Research Strategic Framework 2009‐20149

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ApproachesDCU Research Strategic Framework 2009‐20149

What is happening in here?

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High-performing Business

High-performing Business Start-up MindsetStart-up Mindset Think Outside the

Box

Think Outside the Box

Metrics

Compliance

Quarterly reviews

Tools and processes

Continuous Improvement

Reporting

Sales Capability

Adaptable and Responsive

Customer Focused

Bootstrapping

Do one thing well

Prototyping

Fail Fast

Seek Mentors

Build a Culture

Accept some Uncertainty

Collaborate with Everyone

Openness and Transparency

Sharing

Vision

All built upon the values of Integrity & Curiosity

References1. IBEC - Delivering for Business - Enterprise, science and technology / Key issues /

Innovation / Research prioritisation initiative

2. Impacts of European RTOs-A Study of Social and Economic Impacts of Research and Technology Organisations

3. Ten Years On: Confirming Impacts from Research Investment

4. Horizon 2020 - the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - European Commission

5. Sustainability of Research Centres - Advisory Science Council - An Comhairle Eolaíochta | www.sciencecouncil.ie

6. Research strengths in Ireland: A bibliometric study of the public research base - Forfás - Ireland´s Policy Advisory Board For Enterprise, Trade, Science, Technology and Innovation

7. Monitoring the Sustainability of the Public Sector ResearchEstablishments, www.biz.gov.uk

8. Playing our Part: Statement on Horizon 2020 - Forfás

9. Research and Innovation Support - Research Strategy | DCU

10. We must act to secure research funding - The Irish Times - Thu, Dec 22, 2011