Latest News and events at cisc

Research conducted by Dr. Majella Giblin and Dr. Paul Ryan is featured in the latest Research Briefing published by InterTradeIreland as part of the Community of Researchers (CoR) initiative. The CoR is part of the InterTradeIreland All-island Innovation Programme, and is primarily an initiative to bring together academics and postgraduate students interested in innovation in Ireland.

The aim of the CoR is:

To create a virtual community to strengthen innovation studies research in Ireland and its contribution to strategy, practice and policy.

The InterTradeIreland All-island Innovation Programme  is delivered in partnership with the Centre for Innovation and Structural Cahnge at NUI Galway, Queen’s University Belfast, and University College Dublin. The Programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island. A series of free innovation lectures, seminars and master classes are held throughout the year to share international best practice in areas of innovation.

The events, which take place in Belfast, Dublin and Galway each year, are attended by over 1,000 business leaders, policy makers, students and academics from across the island.

To read Drs. Giblin and Ryan's Research Briefing entitled " Tight Clusters or Loose Networks? The Critical Role of Inward Foreign Direct Investment in Cluster Creation", please click HERE

For more information on the InterTradeIreland All-Ireland Innovation Programme, please click HERE

The Midwest of Ireland was dealt a serious blow when, in 2009, Dell announced the relocation of its manufacturing operation to Lodz in Poland with the loss of 1,900 jobs.

New research carried out by Dr Patrick Collins and Professor Seamus Grimes of the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change at NUI Galway, has attempted to uncover the fallout of this decision and ask what it has meant for the competitive positioning of Ireland more generally.

“Dell’s decision was led by many factors including consumer demand and changing tastes, but much of the media pointed to the fact that Ireland had ’priced itself out of the market’ and had become uncompetitive”, said Dr Collins. “The reality is that the Dell closed only its manufacturing operation in Limerick, it continues to employ many more in other higher end functions there.”

The research shows the Dell case to be something of a microcosm for Ireland’s long term relationship with foreign direct investment. This is a relationship that has been evolving over the past 50 years that has seen lower value added jobs being replaced by higher valued added ones.

“In its most simplistic form it’s a case of services replacing manufacturing, however, the picture is considerably more complex, some manufacturing techniques employed by the multinationals are highly evolved and quiet sustainable”, added Dr Collins.

The research has been published in an article entitled " Cost-competitive places: shifting fortunes and the closure of Dell's manufacturing facility in Ireland" in the international peer-reviewed journal European Urban and Regional Studies. This work tries to place Ireland in a global context in an era of economic turmoil.

To read the full press release, please see HERE

Dr. Patrick Collins, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change led a research team that conducted an Economic Impact Assessment of the Creative Sector in the West of Ireland. The research was commissioned by the Western Development Commission and the resulting Report was published in June 2011. Dr. Collins' research has highlighted the potential for a doubling of the workforce employed in the Creative Sector over the next 10 years. Additionally this could lead to up to € 150 million in additional exports per annum from the sector - a key area of growth identified.

“Internationally this sector has been outpacing others in terms of growth and this is a pattern that we see emerging in Ireland” according to Dr. Collins at Whitaker Institute. “It is clear to us that a small number of policies, correctly implemented, have the potential to make a massive difference for the sector and the region” he continued.

Questions were recently raised in the Dail (see HERE for details) about the importance of this Report, and many arts organisations have highlighted the key findings of the Report.

To read the full press release, please click HERE

To download a copy of the Report, please click HERE

Professor Kevn Leyden of Whitaker Institute recenly presented research at the IRCHSS & IRCSET Postdoctoral Symposium held in Dublin at the Royal College of Physicians on 27 June 2011.

Leyden notes that a well-designed city can allow for creativity, sustainability, good health and innovation. He believes that developers have taken the lead too much with city development and that research will be essential to help make them more livable. Well-designed public transportation can offer huge benefits and cities built primarily for car transport can have a particularly damaging effect. Leyden said that cities focused on cars also discouraged walking and cycling, pointing out the increase in obesity rates in the US in recent years. He believes Ireland could be heading in the same direction, as there is now one car for every two adults, a 62pc increase since 1990.

For more information on Prof Leyden's presentation, please see HERE

To read a recent publication by Prof Leyden in Urban Affairs Review on "Understanding the Pursuit of Happiness in Ten Major Cities", please visit the UAR website HERE

Ciara Fitzgerald, a doctoral fellow at the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (Whitaker Institute) at NUI Galway has been selected as second prize winner in the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Graduate Student Literature Review Prize at their annual meeting in Las Vegas recently.

Ciara’s studies are funded under the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI 4) as part of the Irish Social Sciences Platform. Her research is focused on examining strategic planning and formulation practices in Irish Technology Transfer Office and her prize winning paper focused on Legitimacy, Mission and Management: Key Challenges for Technology Transfer Offices.

The criteria for this global competition include topic saliency to AUTM members, adequate richness of discussion for application to practice, and strength of conceptual framework in organising the review. As a prize winner, Ciara was invited to attend the AUTM Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, where her achievement was announced at an all-conference session and where her award plaque was presented. Furthermore, she was invited to present her work at the Conference.

“This is an outstanding achievement for Ciara and all at Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway would like to congratulate her on her success” said Dr. James Cunningham, Director of the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change at NUI Galway.

Pictured: Ciara Fitzgerald, Whitaker Institute, NUI Galway receiving her award from Ashley Stevens, Immediate Past President of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).

Two world renowned behavioural change experts, Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr and Dr. Craig Lefebvre came to the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change, NUI Galway for “Enabling Sustainable Behaviour: The Environment, Communities, Health & Well Being”, the 3rd Annual Social Marketing Conference on Friday 15th April in NUI Galway. The Confernce, organised by Dr Christine Domegan (Whitaker Institute and Marketing) was a huge success and engaged over 60 delegates for a day of presentations, interactive sessions and lively discussion.

Pictured (left): Prof Kevin Leyden, Whitaker Institute; Dr Christine Domegan, Whitaker Institute and Marketing; and Keynote Speaker, Dr Doug McKensie-Mohr.

For more information on the Conference, please see HERE

To watch video and download slides from the Conference, please visit HERE

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change at NUI Galway was delighted to host the Leadership in the Public Service Conference on Friday 8th April 2011 in Aras Moyola, NUI Galway.

Pictured (right): Dr Brian Cawley, IPA; Dr James Browne, President, NUI Galway; Dr Alma McCarthy, Whitaker Institute, NUI Galway; Dr Maria Maguire, Independent Consultant; Mr Philip Kelly, Dept. of An Taoiseach; Dr James Cunningham, Director, Whitaker Institute, NUI Galway.

Funded by the IRCHSS, Dr. Alma McCarthy (Whitaker Institute and Management Discipline, NUI Galway) led a leadership capability study at senior management level in the Irish Civil Service between May and August 2010. Over 140 senior managers (Secretaries General, Assistant Secretaries General and Principal Officers) participated in the study from 12 Government Departments and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. In total, over 1,200 leadership surveys were completed by focal individuals (the senior managers), their managers, peers and direct reports representing the most extensive study of its kind to-date in Ireland.

The Leadership in the Public Service Conference at NUI Galway showcased the findings of the research project and launched a comprehensive research report on the study.

For more information on the Conference, please visit HERE

To download a copy of the Report, please click HERE

To watch videos of the keynote speakers and download their slides as presented at the Conference, please see HERE

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change at NUI Galway was delighted to host the InterTradeIreland Innovation Lecture 2011 as part of the InterTradeIreland All-Ireland Innovation Programme 2011.

Professor Peter Kelly of Aalto University, Finland, delivered the Innovation Lecture, entitled: "Rethinking Business Models: Creativity Inspired Innovation".

Professor Kelly’s innovation lecture challenged received wisdoms about developing a business, and also provided practical guidance on how to succeed in the current economic climate. The lecture drew a large and enthusiastic audience from the entrepreneurial academic community, entrepreneurs, companies and catalysts.  

For more information on Prof Kelly's visit, please see HERE

To view videos and download slides of his presentations, please visit HERE

Pictured (left): Prof Peter Kelly, Aalto University, Finland; Aidan Gough, InterTradeIreland; Dr. James Cunningham, Whitaker Institute

The InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme

The InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme aims to promote and encourage innovation across the island of Ireland. It brings international expertise in innovation to Queen’s University Belfast, NUI Galway and University College Dublin. Best international practice is shared with business leaders, students, academics, knowledge transfer professionals and policy makers in each region via innovation lectures, seminars and master classes. This Programme is organised by InterTradeIreland, Queen’s University Belfast, NovaUCD and the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change at NUI Galway.

For more information on the InterTradeIreland All-Island Innovation Programme, please visit HERE

Research Matters magazine was relaunched in April 2011. Dr Meghann Drury of Whitaker Institute is on the Editorial Board of the magazine, and Prof Kevin Leyden of Whitaker Institute is part of the Galway 2040 initiative, featured on page 3-4 of the Spring 2011 issue.

The magazine focuses on the human interest side of research and encouragesresearchers at all stages (PhD student, postdoc, lecturer, professor) to write articles. It especially encourages junior researchers to submit articles relating to their research, to give them exposure and experience with this type of publication. For submission enquiries, please email meghann.drurynuigalway.ie.

It will be a quarterly publication and the next edition is due out in September 2011.

To read the current issue, please see HERE