IRELAND

Enterprise Ireland

Transforming Irish Industry

Enterprise Ireland is a government agency whose mission is to provide direct funding of applied technology to our domestic companies. We work with entrepreneurs in our business partner program, which has just begun its second year. The entrepreneurs work with business developers to assist in spinning off companies.

Keith O'Neill
Enterprise Ireland
The Plaza
East Point Business Park
Dublin 3, Ireland
+353 1 727-2000
www.enterprise-ireland.com
[email protected]

U.S. Contact:
Ireland House
345 Park Avenue
17th Floor
New York, NY 10154-0037 

We identify university technologies and provide 75% of the funding for patents, protecting their IP. High potential startups get funding money. We also fund venture capitalists.

Support programs

One of our initiatives is "Food for Health Ireland," which  focuses on nutraceuticals and functional foods. We have a Competence Center program which funded seven centers last year in diverse sectors such as bioenergy and nanotech. Both domestic and international companies participate in these Centers.

Focus of investment support

Scientific publications has increased as well as the number of technology companies, which include Life Sciences and Medical Devices.

Results of investments

Eight of the top 10 companies in Life Sciences and Medical Devices have operations in Ireland. Merck just established a facility for vaccines, and Intel has operations here as well.

Newcomers that Ireland wishes to attract

The challenge is to maintain investment.

Challenges

Companion diagnostics (personalized medicine) is a developing area. Another is "connected health" which incorporates assisted living, telecommunications, wireless and ICT. The challenge is to bring all these technologies together. We've also established our National Institute of Biological Process Research Training; the physical facility is now being constructed.

Vision for the future of biotech in Ireland