OPINION Prof. Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City


University reflects on the success of the industry- academic ecosystem within Ireland.


Minutes the


The consistent success of IDA Ireland in attracting the cream of multinationals to Ireland has not only led to significant developments in the Irish economy but has also resulted in the creation of a highly successful industry-academic ecosystem that is the envy of many nations around the world. This ecosystem is based on active,


bi-directional engagement between the enterprise and higher education sectors in Ireland, especially between the MNCs and the seven Irish universities, and its success is reflected in many dimensions that include major research collaborations, bilateral strategic partnerships, bursaries and scholarships, internships, work placements, mentoring, and collaborative policy development. The scale, depth and sustained nature of these interactions have together yielded great value to Irish society but, in particular they have significantly benefitted generations of graduates here. Although all seven Irish universities


are actively engaged with industry partners, Dublin City University (DCU) has embraced such opportunities most of all, as reflected in its widely recognized tag-line, ‘University of Enterprise’. As a young, dynamic, and rapidly-expanding university, DCU’s primary aims are to enable its graduates to flourish in 21st


century


society, especially in the rapidly evolving workplace, and to create knowledge that will be translated into societal and economic benefit. DCU is recognised as one of the world’s leading young universities and is


consistently ranked in the top 100 globally of universities established in the last 50 years, the only Irish university to have featured in these prestigious league tables every year since their inception. There are many reasons for this


achievement. Across all faculties, engagement with industry partners has been a core element of DCU’s ethos and success. For example, DCU established


an Enterprise Advisory Board in 2010 to provide a ‘listening forum’ whereby the insights, concerns and advice of both multinationals and the indigenous enterprise sector could be captured. Comprising national and international leaders from across the major industry sectors underpinning the Irish economy, and including representatives of commercial, cultural and social enterprises, the Board provides key inputs in areas such as graduate attributes, emerging areas of importance (especially in technology), the university’s research priorities and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within our student community. All of DCU’s major research centres


are industry-academic partnerships, most of them funded through the Science Foundation Ireland Centres Programme, and they include the Insight Centre (where DCU is one of four academic nodes), the largest Data Analytics research centre. Another important example of


strong engagement with industry partners and how it can lead to important outcomes in the education context was the establishment by DCU of Ireland’s first BSc in Data Science in 2016. Here, by inviting MNCs such as Accenture, SAS, IBM, and Intel, and a high-tech indigenous company, Openet, to collaborate with us in the development of a novel curriculum, DCU was able to co-create a ‘living’ degree with ‘industry pods’ integrated over the four years of the programme. This


56 INNOVATION IRELAN REVIEW


Prof. Brian MacCraith is President of Dublin City University.


has seen students benefitting from domain-specific, contemporary insights from those industry partners, via masterclasses and workshops, thereby future-proofing and ensuring relevance of the programme as the technology advances over time. DCU’s long-established work


placement programme, InTra, where students undertake a compulsory internship (minimum 6 months) with relevant companies, transforms students’ education through real- world experience, enhances their employability and helps to forge productive, mutually-beneficial relationships. It is fitting that the start of the next


academic year this September we will see Europe’s largest co-working network, Talent Garden, launching a new hub for digital innovation in partnership with DCU at the DCU Alpha campus in Glasnevin–the first collaboration of its kind in Europe. In my view, the deep relationships


studiously cultivated between the higher education and enterprise sectors have been instrumental in cementing multinationals’ long-term commitment to Ireland. It is clear that most innovation begins with clear articulation of problem or opportunity statements. Industry is best-placed to define such problems or opportunities across a broad range of sectors. By ensuring a close engagement between the research-performing institutions and the industry sector we can address those challenges and opportunities and advance the innovation ecosystem in Ireland. Similarly, we can operate effectively together in addressing the key issues of talent development crucial for Ireland’s future prosperity. dcu.ie


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