Report
Strategic Innovation Opportunities Report
Matrix, The Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel, has today published a report on Strategic Innovation Opportunities in Northern Ireland.
The Matrix commissioned report was produced by Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre (UU EPC) and shows that, whilst Northern Ireland falls behind other UK regions in terms of innovation, the region is a leader for universities producing spin-out companies and intellectual properties.
Northern Ireland displays excellence in science and research in pharmacy, medicine, art & design, biosciences, electrical and electronic engineering, education, artificial intelligence, computer sciences & digitisation and agriculture, veterinary and food science.
In terms of strengths in innovation activities, NI’s overall performance in innovation activity is below average, both in comparison to EU and other UK regions however Northern Ireland performs well in terms of IP generated and commercialised through spin-out companies, with the majority generated by Queen’s University.
KTPs (Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) have been strong in supporting knowledge transfers with QUB and UU being in the Top 10 Knowledge Base institutions in the UK. However, in the Invest NI Innovation Vouchers programme, the direction of travel is toward delivery by FE colleges rather than Universities.
Manufacturing, construction and financial, professional and business services are the top sectors for KTP. KTPs are reported to result in closer industry partnerships and better understanding of the industry – so policy interventions are producing effective outcomes.
Innovation remains relatively weak in NI relative to other UK regions and the EU average, however, there are opportunities to “level up” NI’s performance to catch up with other areas. The top three innovation active sectors in the UK Research & experimental development on social sciences & humanities, Computer & related activities / ICT and Manufacturing of electrical & optical equipment are also areas of research strength in NI.
Professor Richard Johnston, Deputy Director of Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre said:
‘Northern Ireland has a rich industrial history spanning more than a century. It was world leading in sectors such as shipbuilding and linen manufacture in which innovators created and deployed the world leading technologies of their time to create a competitive edge and sell to the world. As society looks beyond the disruption caused by COVID-19 and EU Exit, it is clear that the NI Economy has significant potential to again, be world class in a number of areas. This study found that NI has an excellent record in science and research in subjects such as Pharmacy, ICT, Medicine, Engineering and Art & Design. There is extensive engagement ongoing between academia and the business base and a range of strategic innovation assets have been developed in NI. These include leading-edge research facilities and spin offs in sectors such as sustainable energy, biosciences, medical research, cybersecurity and engineering. These factors combine to place NI in a strong position to compete internationally in these area of strength, generate new and innovative products and drive economic growth for the next decade and more.’
Dr Robert Grundy, Chair of the Matrix Panel said:
‘Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre have provided a compelling analysis of where strengths lie in Northern Ireland’s Research, Development and Innovation landscape and where these can be built upon so that NI can make a significant contribution to the UK national innovation strategy. Areas such as manufacturing in electronics, digital innovation and research in the life and health sciences are well aligned with NI and UK level economic strategies and so can be built upon to drive enterprise and prosperity both locally and across the UK.’
