From:Department of the Taoiseach

Is mór an onóir dom a bheith anseo libh inniu i gcomhthéacs Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh atá romhainn.

Táimid tiomanta don Uachtaránacht seo agus aidhm láidir againn obair dhian leanúnach a dhéanamh ar son an Aontais Eorpaigh agus saoránaigh na hEorpa.

I am very pleased to join you for this afternoon’s Forum on the Future and Impact of European Research, Science and Technology.

This is a deeply important discussion at an important moment for Europe – and for Europe’s place in the world.

Professor Leptin, I want to welcome you back to Dublin, accompanied by your Scientific Council.

We had a very constructive meeting during your visit to Dublin last March.

I particularly welcome this discussion because I believe that sustaining and expanding Europe’s base of genuinely frontier research is absolutely essential to Europe’s ability to have strong and sustainable economies and societies in a world defined by near-constant change.

For me this is a very personal issue. Throughout my public career the development of Ireland’s research capacities has been a core priority for me. In fact, the very first ministerial memo I presented to government involved the Department of Education’s first dedicated funding for research in higher education.

Over recent decades the creation and expansion of a system for supporting advanced research, from the most applied to the fundamental, has been a core foundation for our successes.

Many of the world-leading research and manufacturing facilities which you find in Ireland are here because of people trained in frontiers research who are helping create the products and industries which are revolutionising areas as diverse and medical technology and cloud infrastructure.

Equally, the support of research in the humanities and social sciences is critical at a moment of significant social change and evolution of ideas.

Ireland has gone from near the bottom of international tables for research impact 25 years ago to being one of the leaders in important areas.

But if there is one thing which the history of science and advanced research teaches us it is that we can take nothing for granted. We have to maintain a permanent commitment to finding and supporting genuinely cutting-edge researchers and ideas. Research which will expand our knowledge and our ability to shape our future rather than just respond to developments elsewhere.

We also have to be willing to review our own work – to question its impact and to seek new opportunities.

On a European level we have to push forward in maximising the links between researchers in different countries, institutions and sectors – and embrace the idea that a shared union which genuinely values researchers, provides long-term funding stability and rejects ideological agendas in funding can be a beacon for the best researchers worldwide.

I think it is fair to say that we are in agreement that Europe’s commitment to excellence in frontier research has never been more important.

And it is a privilege to have this afternoon’s opportunity to celebrate the distinguished Irish contribution to the excellence in European research that you so rightly champion and purposefully advance.

This day next week, on 1 July, Ireland will begin its eighth Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

We take on this important role at a critical time for Europe.

The geopolitical context is complex and challenging, and the rules-based international order is under pressure.

Our priorities for our term-in-office reflect our assessment of what Europe needs to do not just in the next six months but also in the years ahead.

That is why we are prioritising work to enhance the competitiveness of Europe’s economy, safeguard the fundamental values of our Union at home and abroad, and provide for the security of our citizens.

These three core themes – competitiveness, values and security – are closely interlinked and mutually reinforcing.

Economic prosperity is what provides the resources for us to achieve our policy ambitions.

European leaders have agreed that there is a need for urgent action to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and productivity.

We must secure an economic future which meets the needs and expectations of Europe’s citizens.

Our objective is to deliver on the commitments in the ‘One Europe, One Market’ Roadmap.

This roadmap – agreed by the three EU institutions in April – sets out priority actions to simplify regulation, deepen our single market, reduce energy prices and decarbonise, and drive the AI and digital transformation for the benefit of all.

We will work closely and cooperatively with Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission to make as much progress as we possibly can.

We live in a time of increased threat and conflict, and we need to work harder to protect our citizens, our democracies and our European way of life.

It is essential to safeguard the core values on which the European Union is built – freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and dignity.

We will also work with others to make sure that Europe’s children are safe online.

We will continue to offer unwavering support to Ukraine, whose people have shown such courage and determination in defending their country. They deserve a just and lasting peace.

Holding the Presidency, Ireland will support those countries that wish to join the European Union to advance on their path towards membership, helping to ensure greater prosperity and stability in our neighbourhood.

The European Union’s ambitious agenda for the coming years will clearly need a budget that is appropriate to this ambition.

That is why advancing negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework – the MFF – will be an important task for us as Presidency.

Ireland is ready to play a key role in advancing the negotiations and presenting workable compromises for a strong and sustainable EU budget.

I understand that many countries have different priorities and pressures which emerge when discussing the creation and funding of EU programmes. But we also need to collectively acknowledge the gap between what we expect from the Union in helping us and the funding we are willing to provide.

We remain committed to agreeing the overarching MFF package by the end of 2026.

We know that this will not be easy.

Difficult decisions and compromises will need to be made amongst Member States if we are to achieve this ambition.

The demands for expenditure are many, with a need to support traditional priorities, such as CAP and Cohesion, while also investing in our future competitiveness and economic prosperity. The worst thing we could have is a zero-sum approach where we try to fund needed activity through stepping away from successful and important programmes.

Investing in research and innovation and delivering an ambitious Horizon Europe programme is an important objective.

Europe must support excellence in frontier research. The European Research Council as well as various other funding streams, have successfully empowered researchers in every part of our Union.

While other countries and regions are significantly ramping up their research and innovation capabilities, Europe runs the risk of falling behind – and needs to reassert its global credentials as a powerhouse of frontier scientific and scholarly endeavour.

The unique and essential role of the European Research Council in our research and innovation ecosystem is clear.

By supporting investigator-led, curiosity-driven research, you enable the new ideas which have the potential to fundamentally reshape how we understand our world.

It was back in 2011 that Erik Brynjolffson and Andrew McAfee, then at the MIT Center for Digital Business, highlighted the idea of the ‘second half of the chessboard’ as a way of thinking about accelerating developments in the field of digital technologies.

Based on the ancient fable about an emperor rewarding the inventor of the game of chess, it captures well the difficulties that certain concepts can present for human understanding.

As legend has it, the reward that they agreed was calculated as follows: one grain for the first square on the chessboard, two for the second, four for the third, and so on, doubling until the sixty-fourth square was reached.

Little did the emperor realise that what he was agreeing to was equivalent to roughly 4 billion grains of rice – a still relatable amount – for the first half of the chessboard; but more than a staggering 18 quintillion (1 followed by eighteen zeros) grains of rice for the full sixty-four squares.

The key point being made was that continuing exponential increases in computing power were likely to strengthen significantly the tools at our disposal across all fields of human endeavour, provided that we can organise ourselves to realise their full potential.

We do not have to accept all of their analysis or their recommendations to agree that recent developments with AI technologies have surprised even experts in transforming how we can work, create and solve problems.

The rapid pace of changes brings with it challenges and understandable concerns. We must not be naïve about potential problems but equally we cannot step back in fear. We must seek ways to shape for our shared benefits these dramatic developments.

In truth, there has arguably never been a more exciting time to contemplate the future and impact of European research, science and technology.

Europe’s proud intellectual tradition is in many ways a defining feature of its history. The renaissance, the enlightenment and the scientific, industrial and agricultural revolutions developed here in Europe and had at their very core a tradition of inquiry at the frontiers of knowledge.

And there is no reason that Europe cannot enhance its global standing for the twenty-first century, provided that we are determined to make it happen.

As we strengthen our collective engagement with the ‘second half of the chessboard’, I look forward to the European Research Council continuing to play its full part.

Please accept my very best wishes for the journey ahead.