CAPITALISING ON CULTURE, COMPETING ON DIFFERENCE:
Innovation, Learning and Sense of Place in a Globalising Ireland
Finbarr Bradley and James J. Kennelly
Blackhall Publishing [2008]
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Speech by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen, T.D. at Book Launch in IFSC House, Thursday, 30 October 2008 at 6.00pm
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Is mór agam a bheith anseo anocht chun leabhar Finbarr agus James, “Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference”, a sheoladh.
Tá ríméad orm gur shocraigh beirt a bhfuil an oiread taithí idirnáisiúnta acu sna réimsí airgeadais, gnó agus oideachais, léargas úrnua a thabhairt maidir le forbairt na hÉireann amach anseo. Is léir gur saothar ar bhain siad taitneamh as é seo agus is léir go bhfuil an-suim acu i gcad atá i ndán dár tír.
Ag an tráth seo, caithfimid dianmhachnamh a dhéanamh ar threo na hÉireann, ó thaobh an gheilleagair de agus go sóisialta agus cuirtear ceisteanna inár láthair sa leabhar a chuireann gnáthsmaointeoireacht faoi bhrú agus tugtar ábhar dáiríre dúinn go léir le machnamh a dhéanamh air.
Moltar roinnt freagraí a thagann as réimsí na heacnamaíochta, na polaitíochta, na staire, na socheolaíochta agus eile agus tugtar dúshlán don ghnáth-shaoithiúlacht sa leabhar seo.
Bhí ar an Rialtas roinnt cinntí deacra a dhéanamh le déanaí agus beidh orainn roinnt cinntí deacra eile a dhéanamh amach anseo. Déanfaimid sin mar go gcreidimid i gcumas na hÉireann déanamh go han-mhaith sa gheilleagar domhanda agus is é an fíordhúshlán atá romhainn a ndóthain féinmhuiníne a bheith againn leis na cinntí cearta a dhéanamh ag an am sin.
It is a pleasure to be with you here this evening to launch Finbarr and James’ book “Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference”, which is being published by Blackhall Publishing.
I am delighted that two people with such international experience from the worlds of finance, business and education, have decided to provide an original perspective on Ireland’s future development.
They raise questions which challenge conventional thinking, and they give all of us serious food for thought.
And this is a time when we need to think seriously about the economic and social direction of this country.
We all know that Ireland has changed dramatically during the last two decades. We have become a wealthier, more diverse society, closely integrated into Europe and the wider world.
Now, quite suddenly, we face huge economic challenges and difficult choices. We have to chart our way forward to remain a successful economy and society.
What will be our sources of competitive advantage in the global economy? How will they differ from the past? Can Ireland, in the struggle to remain competitive, retain its identity? Have the years of growth already eroded our sense of ourselves and of what is important to our society?
These are big questions. The authors of “Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference” draw from economics, politics, history, sociology and other fields of thought to suggest some answers. And they do not hesitate to challenge conventional wisdom.
A core theme is that globalisation makes local distinctiveness even more important. The authors draw inspiration from the Irish Revival at the start of the last Century and highlight the self-confidence and patriotism which flowed from that cultural re-awakening.
We need to invest more time in thinking about Irish identity. A significant proportion of the population were born outside the country and there are new, more positive, relationships between North and South. This diversity can be strength. But we may need to articulate more clearly what it means to be an Irish citizen.
The authors rightly identify intangibles such as human, cultural and social capital as sources of competitive advantage. They write about a ‘learning society’ where leadership and innovation deliver productivity and competitive advantage. I was particularly struck by the connection they make between language, identity, self - knowledge, self - confidence and innovation.
It is difficult to argue with their analysis. But it is also frustratingly difficult to quantify these intangible factors and design public policies which nurture them.
The authors are critical of the current emphasis on investment in science and technology. They argue rightly that this will not, on its own, lead to innovation and economic growth.
That is why the Government’s policy seeks to ensure strong connections between academic research and the business sector, both Irish and foreign-owned. The policy statement on innovation we published earlier this year identified knowledge creation as only one of ten strands of our system of innovation.
In other words, public investment in scientific research and development is a pre-requisite for economic development. But it is not sufficient on its own. We also need the right policies and supports for the enterprise and higher education sectors.
For example, many multinational companies are now locating their R&D functions in different locations around the world instead of concentrating in their headquarters. In 2007, the IDA attracted over 40 R&D investments to Ireland, and the pipeline remains strong. Our goal is to replicate this success by building-up indigenous companies at the same time.
In my view, the real challenge is to have sufficient self-confidence and maturity as a country to make the right decisions at this time.
In fact, this time of serious adversity can and should be a time of opportunity which I think goes to the crux of the book’s message. As it states:
“The Irish economic successes of the past decade are not at the end of a long-delayed development journey but rather the beginning of a different, more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding path…”
The authors also put forward a strong argument that people are motivated by more than financial rewards – that many are influenced by an ethic of service to their community and the public good.
This is clearly the case and one of the objectives of this Government is to reform public administration by removing any obstacles which can get in the way of that sense of public service.
There are many more insights in the book, too many for me to cover this evening.
However, I do want to take the opportunity of echoing a few sentiments which should give us confidence in these difficult economic times.
Ireland and the Irish people have great strengths which will become more, not less, relevant in the years ahead.
We have links of history and kinship around the world completely out of proportion to our size as a country. These remain a source of goodwill and practical assistance – as the IDA will tell you.
We are comfortable on the world stage – punching well above our weight in international business, sport, politics and culture.
We retain strong values of community and a sense of place. Research by the Taskforce on Active Citizenship last year found no evidence of a decline in community engagement or volunteering, although its nature may be changing.
Above all, Irish people are inherently creative. Our contributions in literature, music and other fields show that. This creativity and cultural inheritance will be more important than ever in the age of the knowledge economy.
These are reasons for confidence in the future. The authors highlight the need to nurture that spirit of confidence and self-reliance in a turbulent global economy.
That requires an honesty and willingness to face up to difficult choices when we know they are in the long-term interest of the country.
The Government has had to take some difficult decisions recently, and more will be required in times ahead. Our decisions are informed by our belief in Ireland’s potential to perform strongly in the global economy – for some of the reasons set out in this book.
But we need to be clear that we can only achieve our potential as a country if we face up to, and deal with, the realities that confront us now.
In conclusion, I want to pay tribute to the efforts of Finbarr and James in producing such an original and well-researched piece of work. It is clear that for both of them it must have been a labour of love and they clearly care deeply about the future of our country.
Can I thank you once again for the invitation to be present at this occasion and wish you both every success with your publication.
Thank you very much for your attention.
ENDS