Sustainability of research centres – key challenges and approaches

1. Sustainability of Research
Centres – Key Challenges
and Approaches
Richard O’Connell

2. 07/01/132
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

3. 07/01/133
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

4. 07/01/134
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

5. 07/01/135
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

6. 07/01/136
Sustainability
“Operating today in a way which
does not inhibit the organisation’s
ability to do so tomorrow”7
+
With a focus on growth

7. 07/01/137
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

8. 07/01/138
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

9. 07/01/139
Approaches
Use of HEI infrastructure.
Focus on collaboration and commercialisation.
Differences in funding sources and industry vs. academic focus5
.

10. 07/01/1310
Approaches
DCU Research Strategic Framework 2009 2014‐ 9

11. 07/01/1311
Approaches
DCU Research Strategic Framework 2009 2014‐ 9
What is happening in here?

12. 07/01/1312
High-performing
Business
High-performing
Business Start-up MindsetStart-up Mindset Think Outside the BoxThink 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

13. References
1. 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 Research
Establishments, 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