8. Digital pivotal to economic recovery

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Battered by one economic shock after another, it can be difficult to work up enthusiasm for technologies that are billed as solutions to Ireland’s economic woes. Buzz words predominate. Fancy predictions are made. Even for those in the digital sector, it can all seem aspirational and, some would argue, a little unreal, given the deficiencies in basic infrastructure.

Yet behind the headlines about the smart or knowledge economy, there is a bedrock of inspiring projects and concepts. Take just three examples of several included in a strategy about exploiting digital and clean technologies.

The Internet of Things is about extending the Internet to information from sensors attached to equipment and physical objects. SmartBay in Galway Bay, a collaboration between multinationals, Irish businesses, academics and government, is advancing this in the area of marine and environmental sensing technologies.

Intune Networks is developing technologies that deal with bottlenecks in network traffic, which is doubling every two years. It’s a world leader in optoelectronics R & D, holding important patents and can help Ireland become a leader in deploying low-energy, ultra-fast communications networks.

Thirdly, there’s the proposal to create an IFSC for digital content, capitalising on Ireland’s creativity, in gaming, music and film. The idea is that Ireland can become a broker between content developers, owners and distributors and capitalise on the legal and professional expertise that has grown up around the IFSC.

Fully validated and properly fostered, such ideas can help Ireland earn its place on the international map for technology innovation, bringing with it investment and jobs. The cynics – of which there are many – argue that, as a minnow, Ireland’s ambitions are over-stated. Rubbish. The history of innovation shows that small is good. Also, Ireland has several strengths that can be leveraged to allow it to become a global player in developing such emerging technologies.

The strategy, Technology Actions to Support the Smart Economy, can be downloaded from www.dcenr.ie

Back to contents of State of the Net issue 14