4th July - Ireland’s enterprise and innovation agencies, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland, on behalf of Ireland’s national support team for Horizon 2020, hosted a breakfast meeting for Irish research leaders on Monday 3 July 2017 in Brussels ahead of the European Commission’s conference ‘Research & Innovation – shaping our future’.

The event was an opportunity to highlight the success to-date of Ireland’s participation by researchers and enterprises in Horizon 2020 and to discuss the importance of working together to influence the new European research framework programme, FP9. The Irish delegation was delighted to welcome Robert-Jan Smits, Director General DG Research and Innovation as well as several members of the European Commission’s ‘High Level Group on Maximising the Impact of EU Research and Innovation Programmes’ (Lamy Group) and key officials from the European Commission to hear about the impact of EU funded research programmes on Ireland’s growing research capability which is leading to increased business opportunities.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Mark Ferguson Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland and member of the Lamy Group commented: "Ireland's researchers - academic, commercial and entrepreneurial - participate enthusiastically and successfully in the competitive and prestigious EU Horizon 2020 programmes. We plan to lead and win increasingly large important European research projects. EU research programmes are very important for small countries like Ireland allowing us to collaborate and access complimentary expertise and infrastructure and to compete at an international level thus demonstrating the quality of our researchers. EU research programmes compliment and synergise with our national research funding programmes and we look forward to increasing participation in future EU research projects."