THE PLANNING for the implementation of the two winning ideas will begin next week, according to Dr Laurence Crowley, chairman of An Smaoineamh Mór, the not-for-profit body which ran the competition.
The timeframe for implementation of the two plans has been set at 15 to 28 months.
“While the potential of these two, and indeed all of the finalists’ and semi-finalists’ proposals is defined, significant and attainable, it will not happen overnight or without an enormous further effort,” Dr Crowley said.
He said he hoped many of the other shortlisted proposals would also be implemented. An Smaoineamh Mór is expected to be dissolved after the structure is set up to implement the winning ideas.
About 100 companies and individuals lent their support to the competition by providing staff, services or funding. Up to €2 million was donated by about a dozen companies and individuals.
Arrangements are still being finalised for the Government’s €300,000 contribution to the competition, through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. A spokesman said officials were still working on how and when the payment could be made.
In its earlier stages, the competition attracted some criticism for the fact the winning entries must give up the intellectual property rights associated with their ideas.
The organisers said it was essential to transfer intellectual property rights so that implementation of an idea could not be stalled by legal disputes about who owned the proposal.
There were also claims that An Smaoineamh Mór was in breach of the Standards in Public Office Commission rules on donations to political lobby groups but this was rejected by the competition organisers who said the body was not a political lobby group.
