Creating the next Alan Sugar is not an economic plan, Mr Cowen

Yesterday, Brian Cowen attended an Intel event. He gave the same waffley, banal speech about "the genius of our people" and "entrepreneurship" that now passes as analysis of our economic future.

"Ireland's best asset is its people," he said. "We have a younger and better-educated population than most other countries – better even than the United States. It is the creativity and ingenuity of people and their ability to invent new products and services that will drive Ireland's future growth."

Yawn.

"Entrepreneurial activity in Ireland is well above the European average, with as many as 2,800 people setting up businesses every month. As a Government, we will do our utmost to create the best possible environment for these entrepreneurs."

2,800 setting up 'businesses'? And how many of these 'businesses' are service-sector jaunts? (I'd say it's most of them.)

But here's the worst bit...

"We need to develop an enterprise culture from school children upwards, and right through the universities and institutes and throughout our companies. It should be a reasonable aspiration of all children born in this country that they might, one day, start their own business."

This sums up everything that's ill-informed about our current thinking. The challenge isn't about becoming the next Apprentice or Dragon's Den winner. Nor is it about showing that you have the toughest neck, the most persistent sales tack or the ballsiest tactics. What good is a future generation of salesmen and SME chief executives?

The goal is to produce people who can -- from their own resources -- create top-class products that other people can't create. (Then let the salesmen sell away.)

That has nothing to do with "creating an enterprise culture in school". It has more to do with rejecting the short-cuts, flash aspirations and hard neck approach that "entrepreneurship" has become shorthand for in this country.

Cowen's approach is to create the next Alan Sugar. What we should be concentrating on is creating the next James Dyson.

Comments

[Michael Logan]

You have put your finger exactly on what has been passing for economic growth here for the past 15 years. Well said.Pass the parcel property games and spivism. Business grows and prospers by selling things that people need.

[orlaith]

"We need to develop an enterprise culture from school children upwards.."
Ha! By this I presume Mr. Cowen doesn't actually mean equipping schools with the staff support and adequate facilities to achieve such a noble ambition. Unless of course he means creating the type of business enterprise culture which would have a student removed from class due to non-payment of fees. Yep, that must be it.