Professor Peter Clinch, Vice-President for Innovation

Peter Clinch is currently Vice-President for Innovation at University College Dublin (UCD). He also holds the Jean Monnet Professorship of Economic Integration (European Environmental Policy) as well as a Chair in Public Policy.

After completing BA and MA degrees in economics as well as a PhD and a Diploma in environmental impact assessment management, Peter started out his academic employment in an Engineering Faculty and has since based his career on engaging in multidisciplinary research and teaching on a wide range of areas related to economic development and environmental policy, with a particular emphasis on evidence-based policymaking.

He is the author of over 100 publications including books, book chapters, international journal articles and conference proceedings as well as almost 100 conference papers and other publications. He has held visiting positions at the University of California Berkeley and San Diego and has carried out work for, inter alia, the World Bank, OECD and UK Overseas Development Administration.

Peter was a lead investigator in two successful inter-institutional bids (UCD Urban Institute Ireland and the UCD Earth Sciences Institute) to the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI). These bids raised approximately 60m euro. He has raised a further €6million in research funding for UCD through European Framework Programmes and in smaller projects.

In 2011, Peter became Vice-President (VP) for Innovation, one of three academic VPs who support the President in the management of the University by leading the development of the three pillars of the University – research, innovation and teaching and learning.

Peter has specific responsibility for developing innovation as the 'Third Pillar' of the University. This includes supporting technological innovation but also policy innovation and transfer and social and cultural innovation. Peter is responsible for the development and implementation of UCD's strategy for innovation and is the Senior Manager responsible for the Strategic Alliance between Ireland's two leading universities - UCD and Trinity College Dublin. This includes playing a lead role in the development and stewardship of university-industry partnerships in education, research and service provision and liaising with government departments and agencies on national innovation policy and initiatives. Peter also remains active in teaching and learning and research.

In 2002, Peter co-authored (with Brendan Walsh and Frank Convery) 'After the Celtic Tiger', a book warning of fragilities in the Irish economy well in advance of the subsequent economic crisis. Subsequently, between summer 2008 and early 2011, Peter served as Special Policy Adviser to the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) based at Government Buildings. During this time, he was responsible for advising on medium-term economic policy, enterprise and environmental policy.

Peter was instrumental in developing a medium-term framework for economic growth including drafting 'Building Ireland's Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal' published by the Government in December 2008.

This set out five action areas to revive productivity growth and restructure the Irish economy in the aftermath of the international recession and a domestic property bubble. Amongst many policy initiatives to position Ireland as a Global Innovation Hub, Peter was instrumental in establishing the Innovation Taskforce which reported in March 2010. This is a key input into Irish enterprise policy to 2020. Peter also led the development of Innovation Fund Ireland, a €500 million venture fund which has attracted top-tier venture capitalists to Ireland.

Peter's considerable experience of working in government includes working in partnership with senior civil servants as well as some of the leading companies in the world. In addition to serving, inter alia, Cabinet Committees on Economic Renewal, Climate Change and Energy Security, and Science, Technology and Innovation, he participated in bilaterals between the Prime Minister and Ministers and was a member of Irish Government delegations to the European Council, the UN General Assembly, Davos World Economic Forum, Asia-Europe Meetings, a series of overseas trade missions, as well as the Taoiseach's delegations to meet Heads of States, including US President Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Peter continues to provide advice to government including, inter alia, membership of the Innovation Fund Ireland advisory board to the Taoiseach.

In 2007, Peter co-founded AP EnvEcon Ltd, a UCD spin-out company for which he won a NovaUCD Entrepreneur award.