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• Homepage
• Chairman's Statement
• Chief Executive Officer's Report

• Section 1
  Achieving Export Sales
• Section 2
  Investing in Research and Innovation
  • World Class Success in Ireland’s Food Sector
  • The Sixth Framework Collaborative R&D Programme
  • Creganna Medical Devices
  • Green Isle Foods
• Section 3
  Competing Through Productivity
• Section 4
  Starting Up and Scaling Up
• Section 5
  Driving Regional Enterprise

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• Organisation Structure
• Statutory and Other Notices
• Financial Statements
• Office Network

The Sixth Framework Collaborative R&D Programme

Irish organisations have been awarded over €75 million to date in EU funding in the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development 2002-2006 (FP6). FP6 encourages collaborative R&D between industry and research organisations across Europe. Enterprise Ireland’s already strong involvement in promoting FP6 has been enhanced by the appointment of a dedicated staff member to its Brussels office in order to optimise networking opportunities there for client companies.

Presenting the brochure of Irish Success Stories in the EU's Framework Programme for Research & Technological Development are from right: Minister Michael Ahern, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Frank Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Ireland and Des O'Leary, Biotrin International.

The Framework Programme provides companies and third level researchers with the opportunity to become involved in world class research with top European partners. It enables clients to be on the inside track of leading-edge knowledge and to have the opportunity to influence standardisation and to contribute to the formulation of new regulations. It also provides Irish companies with international contacts and exposure, and the chance to network with overseas supply chains.

The European Commission is already planning the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013). Enterprise Ireland has played an active part in organising consultation seminars in order to solicit the views of stakeholders on the Irish response to the draft programme.

In December 2004, Minister Michael Ahern, TD, launched Enterprise Ireland’s multimedia publication featuring collected Irish Framework Success Stories. These demonstrate that enterprises of all sizes are capable of involvement in collaborative European research. Companies from a range of sectors such as Internet communications technology, engineering and environmental science, have benefited from the programme.

For example, one participant, GEM Plastics, is developing reinforced plastic resins using nanotechnology. The company worked with experts from Trinity College Dublin and other research partners from across Europe through the Framework Programme. As a result, the company has conducted full-scale production trials and created plastics with improved properties, opening up excellent market opportunities for GEM Plastics.

Another successful participant was NTERA Ltd, a company developing cutting edge, ‘paper quality’ electronic displays utilising patented nanotechnology for devices such as consumer electronic products and white goods appliances as well as high-resolution display applications. According to David Corr, Chief Technology Officer at NTERA, the programme has been an excellent boost for NTERA’s R&D. He said: "We need to replenish our fundamental research base. We can’t provide new products without new knowledge."