Innovation and skills

Recommendations:

• Develop a national skills strategy for manufacturing. Identify the next generation skills required to support advanced manufacturing and invest in targeted supports and training programmes to ensure necessary pipeline of diverse talent

• The creation of a globally competitive innovation ecosystem

• Co-locating R&D and production is a strategic choice that enables

• Co-locating R&D and production is a strategic choice that enables many organisations to step up the value chain. Ireland’s offering must remain internationally attractive to secure global innovation projects that have a positive net benefit to cost ratio for Ireland.

• Underpin the rollout of Impact 2030: Ireland’s Research and Innovation Strategy with a commitment to increased multiannual investment in research and innovation to transform and drive innovation in the manufacturing sector.

• Create a network of innovation districts throughout Ireland and increase collaboration between key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem to drive innovation activity.

• Support lifelong learning for the innovative manufacturing sector

• Leverage the National Training Fund to support enterprise-led skills development.

• Close the €307 million funding gap in higher education to deliver a sustainable funding model for the sector

• Invest in skills relevant to business and increase investment in research in higher education.

• Create leadership programmes that deliver immersive innovation training to support industry and entrepreneurs to build an innovation culture, teams, and gain insight to emerging technologies.

Ibec’s Smarter World, Smarter Work Campaign calls for reforms to position Ireland and the workplace for major labour market changes and new era of work.