The NUI Maynooth Commercialisation Office held its annual networking event atCarton House Hotel on April 7th. CONNECT is a networking event. CONNECT has become an annual event and provides a networking platform both for local business/ entrepreneurs and companies interested in research collaborations with higher education institutes.

 Chamber members were out in force to learn how businesses can benefit from linkingwith higher education and research institutes was emphasised by keynote speakers Prof Martin Curley (Head of Intel Labs Europe) and Dr. Alison Campbell OBE (KTI).

Dr. Campbell outlined how the Technology Transfer system has evolved in Ireland over the last 10 years and how the recently established Knowledge Transfer Ireland group will embed technology transfer as a partnership across government, higher education institutes and industry, to drive research commercialisation in public institutes for the benefit of society, private industry and the economy. Dr. Campbell emphasised how well Ireland performs in this arena and how the funding support can lead to huge opportunities for businesses to innovate in partnership with HEIs. Funding opportunities for such innovation partnership are now supported by Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the European Commission and the Irish Research Council. Partnership with HEIs opens this huge innovation funding opportunity to business and industry.