SOME OF the keenest incentives in the world designed to attract high-quality research and development enterprises were now in place in the Republic, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said yesterday.
Ms Coughlan said the tax incentives were designed to drive an increase in PhD numbers, which would be “critical to Ireland’s future prosperity”.
Commenting on the second day of Engineers Week 2009, she said the Government hoped engineers would “be central to all of this as the profession uniquely transfers new methods from one area of industry to other areas”.
She joined Irish business leaders to promote the importance of innovation to the country’s economic recovery.
Director general of Engineers Ireland John Power said engineers had “a huge contribution to make to the smart economy”.
“Ireland now hosts seven of the world’s top 10 information and communications technology companies, 15 of the world’s top 25 medical device companies and nine of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies.”
Some 110 events are taking place over the week to highlight engineering to the young. For information see www.weekofwonder.ie
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