SFI - Science Foundation Ireland

SFI began with an intensive study commissioned by the Irish Government in 1998. Dozens of leaders in Government, academia, and industry assessed the Irish economy, from pharmaceuticals to life science, from transportation to manufacturing asked how might these areas evolve over the long-term?

They concluded that biotechnology and information and communications technology represented 
"the engines of future growth in the global economy....A world class research capability in selected niches of these two enabling technologies is an essential foundation for future growth."