President McAleese highlights role of Science Foundation Ireland in cultivating our “most valuable of natural resources”

Thursday, May 28th, 2009: President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, on the occasion of her visit to the United States, has today highlighted the crucial role being played by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and its innovative researchers in enhancing Ireland’s reputation in the international scientific sphere.

“Through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), our small but dynamic country has been blazing a trail for innovation and scientific research.  We have a great natural resource in the brain-power, creativity and adaptability of our people.  We have seen the emigrating Irish flourish in the great human mix on every continent and SFI is particularly proud of the increasingly large percentage of teams based in its Irish laboratories that are coming from abroad, evidence of the great strides that Ireland’s research community has made in attracting leading scientific talent from around the world.”

 

President McAleese made her comments this morning at a special Science Foundation Ireland “Powering the Smart Economy” Seminar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) affiliated Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

A large gathering comprising researchers, industry representatives, Irish researchers and students from the Massachusetts region were in attendance at the Whitehead Institute to highlight the critical role of science, engineering and innovation in shaping Ireland’s economic and societal fortunes. The seminar, which was also broadcast as a live webcast to an international audience, showcased a sample of the leading-edge research currently being carried out by SFI researchers in collaboration with industry, spanning ICT, life sciences and energy.

“Scientific advancement requires not only vision and innate instinct, but a combination of leadership, bravery and patience in the pursuit. It is very evident that America has long appreciated the critical role of investment in science. Through facilities such as the Whitehead Institute, the wider MIT network and partnering educational institutions throughout America, you are ensuring that students, citizens and societies here and afar are more adaptable and better-equipped to face the multitude of medical, technological and other challenges that present themselves in the modern world,” the President added.

President McAleese stated that, “Enticing each new generation to make its mark, ask its questions, find its solutions, is key to growing a vibrant research community in Ireland. I have been delighted over the past five years to have encouraged young exceptionally talented researchers, through the SFI President of Ireland Young Researchers Awards, to establish their own independent research programmes and teams in Irish research bodies.”

Director General of SFI, Professor Frank Gannon, in welcoming President McAleese, said “Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Government have a bold vision that by 2013, Ireland will be at the forefront internationally in generating and utilising new knowledge for economic and social progress. Fostering an innovation-driven culture in Ireland is truly within our grasp, and the ongoing invaluable endorsement and tangible support of President McAleese is a measure of how big a priority this now is in Ireland. SFI continues to attract, in increasing numbers, leading researchers from around the globe to Ireland and we are confident that events such as today, broadcast to the scientific community around the world, will further enhance our standing.”

Speaking at the SFI Seminar, Vice-President of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Martin Mullins, said “Today is a landmark occasion, and we are honoured to have President McAleese here to witness the wide range of research taking place on both sides of the Atlantic. Today represents a coming together of diverse disciplines across science and engineering and provides us with an insight into the exciting, continually evolving dynamic that exists between the scientific communities in Ireland and the United States.”