Science, Technology and R & D

Regional & Rural Development

HE & HR Resources

Key Technologies

Innovation & Knowledge

Strategy & Business Development
International Project Management

Innovation, Strategy &   Business   Development  

Brendan Wafer,Managing Director,
B.Comm (UCC), MBA (Strathclyde University).

Has worked in both the private and public sectors in Ireland and the UK. A former National Chairman of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, and Head of Marketing at the Irish Science & Technology Agency. Brendan undertakes STI policy studies, innovation audits and implementation programmes, and marketing and evaluation assignments for national and international institutions, governments and private and State companies.  (Send an email)

Pharmachem 
& Energy

Eamonn Kinsella, Company Secretary,
Ph.D., Cambridge.

Formerly university lecturer (Sheffield) and then Manager of Energy and Material Science Programmes at the National Board for Science & Technology, and Research Manager of a major Specialist Materials company. Current work includes evaluation and feasibility work in energy technology, environmental science and industrial technologies as well as assistance in corporate planning.   (Send an email)

Jim Ryan, Director,
Ph.D., University College, Dublin.

Formerly Director, BioResearch Ireland, The Irish National Biotech Programme. Previously Project Manager at National Board for Science & Trechnology. Extensive experience in commercialisation of biotech research, and in EU Framework programmes. Recent work has been in international research cooperation, Biotech start-up formation, and public opinion on biotech.   (Send an email).

Food Sector & European Research Management

Is an experienced food scientist having held a number of positions in Golden Vale over the last 20 years. Jim was factory manager of a butter and dairy spreads plant and a liquid milk plant. Since then Jim was responsible for a variety of new initiatives which received, in part, funds from external sources such EI, EU and other bodies. The projects varied from training and development to research. Jim's specialisms are food science, research project management and preparation of proposals to third parties for CIRCA clients. (Send an email)

Research Policy, Evaluation & Statistics

Michael Fitzgibbon, Associate Director,
B. E. (Elec.)  and B.A. (Economics) UCD; M.S. (Econ.) and MBA, New York University.

He is an economist and one of the country's leading experts in research policy evaluation and STI statistics.  Since 1990 he was head of the Science and Technology Indicators and Evaluation group in Forfás. Michael has been intimately involved in the development of national research and technology policies in Ireland over the last two decades.  He contributed to the development of the current national strategy in the Strategy for Science , Technology and Innovation (2006), particularly in relation to World Class Research.

Aidan Kennedy, Associate Director
B.Sc. Hons., University College Cork.  Ph.D., University College Dublin

Is a very experienced researcher, consultant and research manager in both the public and private sectors, located mostly in Ireland, but with several years spent in the USA, Japan, France and Belgium. He was an R&D manager of two multi-national companies for ten years; and 20 years as a senior manager with Enterprise Ireland - the Irish State Agency responsible for the development of Irish industry. During this time he was the Director of ‘Materials Ireland' - the Irish national research programme in Materials Technology - for 5 years. Aidan was a Fulbright Research Fellow at Northwestern University Chicago, USA and an Associate Research Professor at the University of Strasbourg, France.

David Kelly, Associate Director
B.Sc., M.Sc (Environment).

Is an experienced environment consultant. David's expertise covers site audits, environmental impact statements and assessment (EIS and EIA), surveys of factory emissions, receiving systems and environmental training. He has worked for many of Ireland's blue chip companies, the IDA, the IPA and many governments departments. David was formerly employed in Enterprise Ireland and the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards. He was educated in UCD and TCD.(Send an email)

Mr. Patrick Lawlor,  Senior Consultant
M.Sc. University of Surrey, MBA, University College Dublin

He has held a number of senior roles in operations and research in industry and he has also worked with the Institute of Industrial Research and Standards (Ireland) providing R&D support to Irish Industry. He was Director of R&D Europe and the USA for Magna Donnelly with responsibility for identifying and evaluating new opportunities. He has considerable knowledge of IP as a holder of several patents and in the defense of patents in Europe and the USA. He was a member of the National Research Support Fund Board and the Industrial Research Commercialisation Committee within Enterprise Ireland from 2003 to 2008.

Julie Roe, Senior Consultant
B.Des, NCAD, Dublin.

Is a designer with wide experience in product design and corporate image. Julie deigns surveys, questionnaires and analysis. She has undertaken a wide range of surveys to collect innovation and R&D statistics and indicators, as well as attitudinal and behavioural surveys at both the European and national levels. Julie has an interest and an expertise in female enterpreneurship  (Send an email)

Administrator

Extensive experience in accounting and book-keeping over many years in the Irish public and private sector. Pauline keeps CIRCA on the straight and narrow - and on its toes

Psychologist & Organisational Brehaviour

Michael Fitzgerald, Senior Consultant
B.A. (Psych.), M.Sc Mmgt. (Org. Beh.), FIITD

Is an Organisation Psychologist and communications expert with over 30 years of practical and academic experience of evaluation and qualitative research methods and as a facilitator of specialised organization development interventions. He is also a recognised evaluator / assessor on behalf of Government and EU training and development funding agencies. Mike is currently a Fellow of the Irish Institute for Training and Development and is a member of the FÁS Approvals Board for its Excellence Through People's National Training Awards Scheme.

Tom Casey, Director
DEA, University of Paris-Dauphine.

Worked in the OECD, the National Board for Science & Technology. Current work includes European Research and Human Resources Policy, Higher Education and Training Policy and Commercialisation of Research 

... see for more details. (Send an email)

STI Policy & Evaluation

Bill undertook a wide range of materials-oriented developmental projects and consultancy assignments in the UK and for companies throughout Ireland. He then joined an STI evaluation unit and undertook evaluation of publicly funded support schemes, developed monitoring methods and indicators of outputs and of STI activities. He was also responsible for consultancy and training for policy makers and programme managers in scheme design, implementation and evaluation.

Formerly, Business Development Manager, BioResearch Ireland and Commercial Operations Manager, National Diagnostics Centre, NUI, Galway., has worked in Irish and International clinical diagnostics industry for over 25 years. He is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Biology. His recent work includes EU research project evaluation, regulatory support, and the commercialisation of biotechnology.