Dr Finnian Hanrahan
Scientific Programme Manager, Research Ireland
Ireland has grown into a knowledge economy powerhouse, particularly in life sciences. Strategic investments and partnerships can help advance research and innovation in this area.
Ireland’s research and innovation story is one of transformation and achievement. It has become a knowledge economy powerhouse, particularly in life sciences, and boasts the highest university graduation rate globally.
Bubbling medtech ecosystem
The medtech sector employs 50,000 people nationally – the highest level per capita in Europe. This is particularly concentrated in the West. Around 1 in 10 working adults in Galway work in medtech, from large multinationals to a bubbling ecosystem of SMEs and startups.
The life science sector is changing worldwide, with moves towards data-driven healthcare, including advanced treatments like cell and gene therapies. These areas depend on strong links to the clinical research system, and enabling infrastructure like biobanks, registries and electronic health records. Research Ireland aims to foster and grow this vibrant life science research and innovation system. Ireland must be strategic and focus on areas where we have potential to make a difference.
The medtech sector employs 50,000 people nationally – the highest level per capita in Europe.
Research and pharma deeply connected
Research Ireland has invested in CONCEPT – a facility for early-stage biotherapy development at the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) in Dublin. It now contains some of the most advanced technology in the world for biologics, cell and gene therapies.
Similarly, Research Ireland Centres – a network of large-scale multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional centres of excellence – are operating at the interface between academia, industry, the healthcare system and society.
For instance, SSPC Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals has, over 16 years, developed deep connections with Ireland’s pharmaceutical sector, provided a pipeline of talent, worked with industry on the sector’s greatest challenges and led to the spinning out of high-tech startup companies such as the global-leading APC Ltd and the emergent ArrayPatch.
Research Ireland will continue to make strategic investments in medtech, pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. New paradigms like digital health and cell and gene therapies are increasingly being monitored. Achieving scale in these areas will enable Ireland to continue punching above its weight in life sciences.
