John Nugent
Manager Medical technologies & Healthcare Services, IDA Ireland
Manufacturing contributes 39% of Ireland’s GDP and €208 billion in exports. Industry 5.0 capabilities are key for attracting high-value investments and driving innovation in future manufacturing pipelines.
IDA Ireland partners with over 1,800 leading multinational companies across various sectors including biopharmaceuticals, medical technologies, engineering, technology and financial services. From their operations in Ireland, these leading international companies develop and deliver products and services globally.
Strategy for Ireland to win new manufacturing investment
Ireland’s stable business-friendly environment, EU membership, skilled workforce and strong manufacturing heritage, particularly in medical technologies and biopharmaceuticals, position it as a top manufacturing investment location.
IDA’s 2021–2024 strategy, aligned with the Government’s White Paper on Enterprise 2022–2030, focuses on five pillars (growth; transformation; regional development; sustainability; and impact) and continues to drive both existing and new manufacturing investments. The transformation pillar focuses on increasing the competitiveness, agility and resilience of Irish operations through RD&I, digitalisation and sustainability. All this is underpinned by a relentless focus on talent development.
In medical technologies, companies like Abbott and Dexcom, have announced and constructed large-scale greenfield advanced manufacturing facilities to produce next-generation blood glucose monitoring devices for patients living with diabetes. Other leading manufacturers have leveraged the transformation opportunity to build out high-value manufacturing operations.
The twin digital and green transition
is bringing challenges and opportunities
that require an agile and resilient workforce.
Irish manufacturing: digital growth supported by skills
The twin digital and green transition is bringing challenges and opportunities that require an agile and resilient workforce. Ireland remains a stable, reliable partner for organisations pursuing agile, flexible, digitally enabled and sustainable manufacturing, supported by a strong ecosystem and a focus on future skills to drive this transformation.
Future-proofing life sciences workforce
IDA Ireland, through its transformation, talent and innovation team, recently facilitated an event on ‘Future-Proofing Ireland’s Life Sciences Workforce: Strategies for Talent Transformation’ hosted by the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT). The event featured workshops from Digital Manufacturing Ireland and included speakers from the Future of Work Institute and the Skillnet Climate Ready Academy, plus leaders from life sciences companies. Through collaboration with the ecosystem and our partnership on upskilling, Ireland is building the strategic workforce for the future of life sciences manufacturing
