Ireland is well placed for EU research but isn't winning enough grants, according to Professor Luke O'Neill.
The Trinity College Professor was speaking from a European Research Council (ERC) conference in Norway.
The ERC funds researchers to run projects across Europe with a budget of more than €16bn from up to 2027.
Prof O'Neill, who is Ireland's representative on the ERC, told The Pat Kenny Show Europe is lagging behind,
"The worrying signs are Europe's falling behind, especially behind China and the US inevitably," he said.
"The talk this morning is how can we stop this; it'll involve, as usual, more funding but all the signs are that Europe's falling behind".
'Great biotech sector'
Luke O'Neill said Ireland has done quite well with EU research funding but we need to do better.
"We've done quite well out this - we've brought about €100m since this ERC thing started, in investment, into the universities mainly," he said.
"We've performed extremely well - we've a great biotech sector.
"IT is big in the digital transition, as they call this, [and] Ireland is very well-placed.
"The trouble is we're not winning enough grants, that's another thing that's become clear compared to our neighbours.
"That's a concern and that could be because Science Foundation Ireland needs to fund indigenous stuff first, then you get a good idea going and then you can apply to the ERC for further funding.
"So Ireland needs to look at this closely as well in terms of how we're supporting new research that's happening in Ireland".
EU v US
Prof O'Neill said one recent Irish success is UCD Professor Emma Teeling.
"She's just won €10m from this scheme to fund her research on bats," he said.
"Bats are very interesting; that's where the coronavirus came from for a start and bats don't get cancer".
Luke O'Neill said Ireland "would be crazy not to be capitalising on this".
The conference also heard that €46bn has been invested in new high-tech companies in the US in 2022, with only €18bn across the EU.
The US is also spending 50-times more on AI research than the EU.
