ProTon Europe – Cardiff Statement on Innovation Through Co-operation

Press release from ProTon Europe

Dublin, 14 February 2009:  At its annual conference held last week in Cardiff, entitled ‘Innovation through Co-operation’, ProTon Europe stressed the need for the European Union Member States to continue to invest in research and development and innovation. 

According to the ProTon Europe statement issued after the conference, such investment is necessary in the present economic crisis if Europe is to achieve sustainable economic advantage. The Association also highlighted the importance of establishing long-term strategic partnerships between universities and industry which are essential for the development of collaborative R&D and the commercialisation of the resulting intellectual property.  In addition, greater collaboration within and between institutions will be prerequisite for the achievement of effective and meaningful knowledge transfer.

ProTon Europe is the European knowledge transfer association. Established in 2003, ProTon’s membership includes 220 knowledge transfer offices and a network of 10 national partner associations comprising over 500 knowledge transfer offices together employing some 2000 knowledge transfer professionals.

Speaking at the annual conference, Dr Pat Frain, Chair of ProTon Europe and the Director of NovaUCD, said, “It is widely accepted that the return to industrial and economic growth will be aided by the generation and commercialisation of new innovative ideas, many of which will have their origins in the research undertaken in universities and other Public Research Organisations (PROs).  Many countries therefore, including Ireland, are continuing to invest heavily in university research in an effort to increase their competitiveness by enhancing the knowledge-intensity of existing industry, attracting and retaining higher quality foreign investment and developing new high-tech ventures”. NovaUCD is the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at University College Dublin.