Remarks on the occasion of the Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards
Dublin, 28th February 2012
Dia Dhíbh a chairde, is mór an onóir agus pleisúir dom bheith anseo anocht.
Thank you Liam for that introduction and good evening everyone. I am delighted to be here at the third year of the Irish Times InterTradeIreland Innovation Awards. I would particularly like to thank Liam Kavanagh of the Irish Times for the invitation and to acknowledge InterTradeIreland’s Chief Executive Liam Nellis and his team for their work in managing this very successful annual event.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Liam Nellis for his stewardship of InterTradeIreland since its foundation in 2000. Liam is retiring from his role as Chief Executive of the Body in the near future. Under his direction and guidance, InterTradeIreland has been effectively delivering the message of cross-border trade and its mutual economic benefits for the whole island. I wish Liam every success in the future.
Innovation is achieved in an organizational setting be it private, semi-state or the public service and The Irish Times and InterTradeIreland are absolutely right to acknowledge the people who drive innovation in their organisations. In a constantly evolving world and today’s challenging economic climate, leadership through innovation, creativity and change management are no longer optional, but essential.
Now, more than ever, Innovation matters. And at the heart of innovation is creativity – creative people being fully alive to the opportunities and possibilities which surround them and having the vision and the drive to convert them into tangible outcomes. For me, the concept of a creative society, creative in every aspect, is at the heart of the real Republic to which I aspire.
During my Presidency, I hope to encourage excellence in creativity in all aspects of Irish life, and not only in the cultural area where its legacy is obvious. I see significant potential for economic and social development through the promotion of Ireland's Knowledge Economy, in the creative industries, in such areas as film-making; audiovisual production; animation; model-making and digital effects; software and games development; and music recording. Moreover, in such area as crafts and design; the artisan food sector; grass-based agricultural production; the fusion of the arts with the sciences; and medical and other applications, I believe that in all these areas there are also immense opportunities.
As markets contract, businesses clearly need to become more innovative in aligning their products and services to customer needs. We know that those organizations that can quickly adapt to customer needs, incorporate new research and technologies into their operations and optimise the productivity and potential of their employees are most likely to pull away from their competitors, gain market share and be better placed for sustainable growth when the economy begins to recover.
Each company and organisation here tonight represents the very best in innovation, excellence and growth potential from across the island. The wide range of companies operating in diverse sectors is very encouraging and the Innovation Awards recognise this diversity. The range of sectors tonight gives a clear indication that companies, North and South, are embracing and leading in innovation. I am impressed that there is a good geographical spread of winners from across the island.
The promotion of innovation and the development of innovative capability are top of InterTradeIreland’s agenda. Their aim is to create an open system of innovation across the island with enterprise at its centre, so that any business, North or South, with a new idea has access to the resources, financial, technical or knowledge-based, to quickly bring this idea to market. Through its various programmes, InterTradeIreland is helping companies across the island to accelerate innovation.
More generally, I commend the work that InterTradeIreland is doing in supporting companies in both parts of the island to increase cross-border trade and encourage exports. As we have heard many times, exports will be the key to our economic recovery. Cross-border trade can allow SMEs to prepare themselves for exporting off the island. During a period of global economic difficulty, the role and strategic importance of Inter Trade Ireland has never been greater, as it seeks to ensure companies are able to take advantage of the economic opportunities that exist close to home. The concept of the all-island economy is one that provides plenty of opportunities for those in business that are prepared to actively look for new markets in the other jurisdiction.
Our winners tonight, and indeed all of the shortlisted finalists, are leading the way in demonstrating the depth and breadth of innovation practice that exists across the island of Ireland, North and South. Tonight’s all-island Innovation Awards recognise the role that innovative thinking and practices play in helping organisations achieve success and growth and through that create employment opportunities.
Now while more than ever we must look to developing a highly competitive, sustainable business environment based on an innovative, enterprising business culture, it must also be a business culture that is ethical in outlook and that operates on the premise of being part of – and not apart from – wider society. The lesson of recent years is that a business culture whose sole purpose is the short-term gratification of profit maximization is not sustainable. Its inevitable failure not only destroys enterprise itself but has a corrosive impact on the wider community.
Critical to achieving success through innovation is a drive for new ideas. I have previously said that I want my term in office to be a Presidency of ideas. Ideas matter; conversations around ideas assist the development of good practice; and the outworking of good ideas make a positive impact on the economy and society. If we all recognize that that the speculative bubble of recent years was a catastrophic mistake and that it should never be replicated, now is the time for all of us – especially business people - to contribute to the debate about the economic model that will guide Ireland in the future – towards an economy that is growth oriented and delivers jobs but is also sustainable over the longer-term and fair in the opportunities it offers to all our citizens to participate in society.
These all-island Innovation Awards have been designed to recognise that innovation in business can come in many forms and can be achieved within companies of all sizes.
Innovation is often associated with R&D and high technology companies. But innovation is not limited to companies of a certain type or size. Innovation has no boundaries - it can come from customers, suppliers, competitors and employees as well as our research institutions.
Innovation can be applied to all aspects of economic life - products, services, processes and workplace structures. Innovation can also occur in all industries and sectors. I believe that the range of innovations showcased here tonight is a very positive indicator of how the knowledge, skills and creativity of our people are being translated into valuable processes, products and services. I particularly welcome the inclusion of the Public Service among the categories as it recognises that innovation and creativity are qualities to be found and celebrated in all sectors of the economy and that they are necessary in all aspects of administration.
I would like to congratulate all the shortlisted organisations on their significant achievement in reaching the finals of this competition. I would also like to congratulate the award winners on their success tonight and wish them every success in their future.
The scope of activity has really been breathtaking and it has been extremely difficult to narrow it down to just one winner.
Before handing over to Liam Nellis to announce the winner of the Innovation of the Year Award, I reiterate my thanks to the Irish Times and InterTradeIreland for their sponsorship of this important competition; I congratulate all the companies and organizations who are playing their part in promoting innovation and creativity; and I thank all of you present this evening for your kind attention.