One hundred and twenty publicly funded inventions are to be unveiled to potential investors, with the hope that some could become new companies and create job opportunities.

The new inventions will be displayed at the Enterprise Ireland Big Ideas Technology Showcase in the Convention Centre, Dublin.

Among the 'Big Ideas' being pitched to potential investors are technologies that will; avoid brain damage in premature babies caused by seizures, help physiotherapy patients perform their exercises properly, provide 'real' learning material for students of the English language, produce manufacturing moulds for the smallest medical devices, pick up the 1 in 5 cases of colon cancer that are currently missed during screenings -cram more information on to existing telecoms bandwith to avoid laying new fibre optic cables.

The Minister for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock said: "It is exciting, highly encouraging and very promising for the future to see such a range of high end technologies emerging from publicly-funded research."

"Besides creating jobs, it is uplifting to see that many of the 'Big Ideas' can help people here in Ireland and across the globe with health and lifestyle issues," he added.

Enterprise Ireland and the Higher Education have built 185 spin-out companies from State-funded research to date.

The Big Ideas event is the largest annual gathering of inventors and investors in the country. 120 new technologies being developed for the marketplace, will be unveiled and, of these the promoters of 18 'investor ready' technologies will be vying for the attention of 200 potential investors attending the event.

The 'Big Ideas' Showcase is a key event funded by the Government to help develop publicly-funded research into new companies, technologies and services.

Feargal Ó Móráin, Executive Director of Enterprise Ireland said: "the focus of the Big Ideas event is to get some deals done between the inventors and investors during the 150 one-to-one meetings which will take place."

(LB/BMcC)