MORE THAN 120 patents and 170 invention-disclosures have been filed arising from University College Dublin research. And 15 "spin-out" companies have formed as researchers attempt to commercialise their discoveries.
The figures arise as UCD this week marks the fifth year since the opening of its €11 million NovaUCD innovation and technology-transfer centre. It provides both a physical location for start-up companies and also a range of services relevant to these new companies.
The celebrations come as the Government has begun placing a fresh emphasis on the commercialisation of research.
Recent statements from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, as well as the Minister of State for Science, now typically carry the research-to-jobs message.
This week Brian Cowen told a business roundtable meeting that Ireland needed indigenous "business start-ups" to "capture the full economic benefit" from State investment in research.
And in an address to the annual Dublin Chamber of Commerce dinner in October, Tánaiste Mary Coghlan described the Government's science strategy.
"The objective of the strategy is to build stronger relationships between the science and enterprise systems, particularly in the application and commercialisation of RD."
The current strategy was "working to deliver real economic benefits for Ireland", the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Jimmy Devins, said yesterday in relation to NovaUCD. "These activities are exactly the type of high-value exploitation of our research outputs that Ireland needs to remain competitive."
Some researchers suggest that the recent emphasis on turning research into businesses and jobs is driven by efforts to justify the cost of State support for scientific research. There is also the argument, however, that our current difficult fiscal situation means that any jobs and new enterprises are welcome.
"There is no doubt that in the present economic climate there is a push towards employment creation," said Dr Pat Frain, director of NovaUCD.
"There has been a huge investment in university research and that investment has started to contribute to the development of a knowledge economy. We had to move up the value chain."
Enterprise Ireland is one of a number of NovaUCD funders and is also involved in promoting the commercialisation of Irish research. It spent €46 million to this end in 2008, up from €33 million in 2006, Dr Devins said.
The increase was a reflection of "a real change in attitude among our researchers who now see the challenge of commercialising research as a real opportunity".
Enterprise Ireland is backing a meeting next Tuesday in Dublin jointly organised by BioConnect Ireland and the Irish BioIndustry Association.
It will allow seven university inventors to outline their technologies and discuss their commercialisation plans to an audience of entrepreneurs, business developers and investors.
