To ask the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for an update on her Department’s plans to introduce and facilitate an Innovation Council.

The Executive’s Innovation Strategy emphasises that improving Northern Ireland’s innovation performance will require long-term sustained leadership at the most senior levels in the private and public sectors. Building on best practice in other higher performing regions the Strategy commits to examine the feasibility of the establishment of a Northern Ireland Innovation Council chaired by the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment and including senior representatives of business, the public sector including local government, the third sector and academia.

As part of the implementation of the strategy my officials have commenced work on a detailed review scoping the role and operation of an Innovation Council. This work will include examining the roles of the Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy, the Economic Advisory Group (EAG) and MATRIX, in order to ensure an Innovation Council will complement existing structures and genuinely add value.

A key element of the review will be to ensure that the council does not add another level of bureaucracy and governance. The review should be complete early in 2015 and its findings brought to the Executive Sub-Committee on the Economy as soon as it is completed.