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| Heidelberg,
Tuesday, 1 July 2003 |
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| Ireland becomes EMBL's 17th member state |
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Press
Release 1 July 2003 [PDF]
Ireland
has been admitted as the seventeenth Member State of the European
Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL], with headquarters in
Heidelberg.The announcement comes as EMBL celebrates the twenty-fifth
anniversary of its move into the completed Heidelberg facility.
EMBL was officially founded in 1974 through the signing of
a ratification agreement between nine Western European countries
and Israel. Over the years, EMBL's membership has expanded
to encompass virtually all of Western Europe and the Laboratory
operates on sites in Hamburg, Grenoble [F], Hinxton [UK] and
Monterotondo [I] as well as the central Heidelberg facility.
The Laboratory is funded through public research monies from
its member states.
Martin Shanagher [Director of the Office of Science and Technology
in Ireland] made the formal application for membership at
the June meeting of the Council of member states governing
EMBL. "We feel that this is a very timely, important step
for Ireland to make," Shanagher says. "It follows a decade
in which there has been an enormous increase in investment
in high technology and research in Ireland."
The idea of establishing a European laboratory for the young
science of molecular biology arose out of discussions in the
early 1960s between Nobel Prize-winning biologists James Watson
and John Kendrew, as well as the physicists Leo Szilard and
Victor Weisskopf, who had been instrumental in creating a
European laboratory for nuclear research [CERN]. The chief
motivations were concerns about "brain drain" to the United
States as well as a need to encourage mobility and international
training opportunities among European scientists.These early
efforts led to the creation of the European Molecular Biology
Conference [EMBC] and the European Molecular Biology Organization
[EMBO] and culminated in the creation of the Laboratory.
Ireland's decision to join EMBL, Shanagher says, is the result
of a Technology Foresight exercise launched by the Irish Council
for Science Technology and Innovation four years ago. "The
report from that exercise stated very clearly that government
must invest now to develop a knowledge society, and that we
have to make choices – since we are a small economy,
we can't achieve world-class excellence in all areas. The
Foresight report said we must pick two key areas of focus,
and biotechnology and ICT were those that were selected."
The current development plan comprises 2.5 billion Euros to
be invested in basic research, education, the development
of infrastructures in universities and industry, and attracting
research and development activities from abroad.
EMBL serves the member states in several ways: particularly
through services and infrastructures made available to European
scientists, by welcoming visitors to participate in collaborative
projects, establishing institutional partnerships, and by
exporting highlytrained staff throughout Europe. EMBL researchers
even at a very high level – work on contracts limited
to nine years, and this ensures a steady flow of highly-trained
personnel back into Europe.Well over 80% of the Laboratory's
staff – often recruited from positions in the U.S. or
abroad – assume positions in academia or industry in
the member states after leaving, often as professors or heads
of departments, companies, or institutes.
"EMBL is great in our opinion," said Dr. John Atkins, an Irish
molecular geneticist, who spoke in support of the application
at the Council meeting. "Ireland plans to take a very active
role in EMBL." |
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