Convergent tech an opportunity for Ireland?

17-06-2008

by Bryan Collins

Ireland has the potential to be the market leader of the USD1 trillion convergent technology industry by 2010, according to IBEC.

The claims were made at the Enterprise Ireland and IBEC 'Meeting of Minds' conference, which started on Tuesday in the Crown Plaza, in Santry, Dublin. The two-day conference will see over 300 business people and academics meet up to discuss how to create new opportunities from convergent technologies.

Convergent technology refers to a trend where technologies or products that have distinct functionalities can be combined to form one product that features the advantages of each initial component.

IBEC's director general, Turlough O'Sullivan, made the claim following a survey of companies -- with a total workforce of nearly 100,000 -- operating in the pharma-chemical, medical technology, life sciences, information communication technology and food sectors in Ireland.

The survey found that 40 percent of respondents have already commercialised convergent technology products, while two-thirds predicted their organisation would commercialise convergent tech products over the next five years.

O'Sullivan told the conference: "We are fortunate to have a unique concentration of the world's most innovative companies in addition to world class global and home grown leadership skills. If supported effectively, these companies and their leaders will collaborate to produce technologies and knowledge that will drive fundamental societal change and support Ireland's wealth and job creation levels."

Some of the key conference speakers include Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster and founding chairman of the Samsung Science Board, and Dr John Manley, director of the Automated Infrastructure Laboratory in HP's strategic research organisation, HP Labs.

"New technologies destroy old jobs and they also create more jobs than they destroy. There is going to be that kind of turbulence and it is going to be a challenge for people in high-tech that some of the least secure jobs may be at the bleeding edge of high-tech. Being a web-developer was a really hot thing in 1999, 2000. Now it is a little harder to make a business out of it," Paul Saffo told ENN.

"The key question is where is the unique advantage, the unique opportunity for Ireland? Without a doubt you have got a fabulous workforce, you have got a dominant position in multiple fields and there is no reason why that can't be expanded out," he added.

Saffo singled out personalised wrist-worn health systems, which measure blood pressure, ECG, body temperature and so, as a potential growth area. The IBEC survey also found that Irish convergent technologies have the potential to address unsustainable development by creating 'smart' materials that can self-repair and adapt to changing environmental conditions.

"Enterprise Ireland is actively driving increased levels of cross fertilisation amongst what were once separate sectors such as medical technologies, pharmaceuticals, ICT, electronics and food to create a competitive advantage for Irish companies," said Frank Ryan, CEO Enterprise Ireland at the event.