Knowledge Transfer Conference for the Research and Innovation Sector Opens in Dublin

Image caption: L to R: Noleen Campbell – Standards Officer, National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI); Kirsi Haavisto - Head of Unit of Valorisation Policies and IPR, Directorate Prosperity, Directorate-General Research and Innovation, European Commission; Christian Stafford – Head of Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) and R&I Engagement, Enterprise Ireland; Minister of State with responsibility for Business Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD; Gordon Elliott – Chair, Irish Knowledge Transfer Association (IKTA); Marina Donohoe – Head of Research & Innovation, Enterprise Ireland; James Kelly – Controller of Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI)

Minister for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins today opens the ‘Unlocking the value of the Knowledge transfer’ Conference in Dublin addressing an international delegation from across the research and innovation eco-system. 

Hosted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Knowledge Transfer Ireland the event aims to enhance awareness of Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation and implementing Codes of Practice, published by the European Commission's Directorate General for Research and Innovation.

The one-day conference plays host to a number of panel discussions comprising of EU policy makers, professionals and companies and will discuss their practical experiences of knowledge valorisation in the areas of Management of Intellectual Assets, Standardisation in the European Research Area, Citizen Engagement and Industry-Academia Co-Creation.

Today’s conference is part of a wider series of events that the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation is conducting across Europe. A ‘Tour des Capitales’, is ongoing and over the past 12 months cities including Athens, Brussels, The Hague, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Madrid, Prague and Vilnius have hosted a delegation to engage in direct knowledge sharing forums on the topic of knowledge valorisation and the implementation of the new codes of practise. 

Addressing delegates, Minister Higgins said, “I am delighted to welcome the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation to Ireland as part of the Tour de Capitales programme on the Codes of Practice for Knowledge Valorisation. The new four Codes of Practice place a key emphasis on innovation management, standardisation, industry-academic collaboration, and societal engagement. Today’s event fundamentally is about lowering the barriers to encourage engagement by enterprise in the innovation ecosystem and I would like to thank Knowledge Transfer Ireland and Enterprise Ireland for facilitating today’s forum, in what promises to be an engaging and informative knowledge sharing session with our EU counterparts.”

Kirsi Haavisto, Head of Unit - European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Valorisation Policies and IPR Unit, said, “The Commission together with stakeholders from across the EU has developed Codes of Practice to foster more efficient use of intellectual assets, better linkages between research and standardisation, enhanced industry-academia co-creation and improved societal uptake through citizen engagement. We are delighted to be here in Dublin today to contribute and offer guidance to all R&I ecosystem actors on knowledge valorisation, for the benefit of wider society. 

Christian Stafford, Head of Knowledge Transfer Ireland and R&I Stakeholder Engagement, Enterprise Ireland said, “As an open and high growth knowledge economy it is vital that the entire innovation ecosystem in Ireland continues to evolve and be challenged to be more effective and impactful. KTI has invested significant resources in the KT ecosystem in Ireland to ensure consistency of experience through the National IP Protocol, sharing of system wide templates and creating portals for knowledge discovery and engagement. However, we have more to do - we welcome the evolution of these Codes and in particular the enhanced emphasis on standardisation, the citizen and industry-academic co-creation, to ensure that consistency of experience and broad stakeholder engagement across the economy and society are at the core of our future innovation ecosystem to maximise impact.”

ENDS

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