The revelation comes just two weeks after AmCham published the strategy, 'Retuning the Growth Engine', which called for closer links between US multinationals, SMEs and the Irish education system.

Observers said Devane's redundancy showed the potential dangers of the approach advocated by AmCham.

"They are talking about investing in research but they are actually cutting back, " said a leading academic. "If a skilled manager like Devane is expendable in their eyes, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

A spokeswoman for AmCham said that Devane's employment status was "irrelevant". "The chamber would repeat its full and total commitment to the development of R&D in Ireland as evidenced in the R&D paper published, " she said.

Devane confirmed that he would be leaving his post at the end of April due to ongoing restructuring of AlcatelLucent's Irish operations after the two companies merged last year. Industry sources warned that the decreasing competitiveness of Ireland as a manufacturing location was also a factor.

Devane said he hoped to continue to help AmCham develop its research strategy, which aims to build up Irish indigenous industry.