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.

Peter 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.

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 downturn. 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. This included:

• Playing a key role in drafting ‘Building Ireland’s Smart Economy: A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal‘ published by the Government in December 2008
• Leading the establishing of the Innovation Taskforce which reported in March 2010
• Developing Innovation Fund Ireland, €500m euro venture fund which has attracted top-tier venture capitalists to Ireland.

In addition to serving, inter alia, cabinet committees on economic renewal, climate change and energy security and science and technology, Peter participated in bilaterals between the Taoiseach 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.

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