BioPharma success built on solid foundations

Rory Mullen, head of BioPharma and Food at IDA Ireland,  analyses the strong investment figures that show why life sciences companies add so much value to the Irish economy

Aisling Moloney, Sacred Heart, Clonakilty, gains insights into lab work from lecturers in CIT (now MTU) Department of Bio Sciences during the 2020 CIT IWISH Campus Week, an initiative to inspire and motivate young female students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), an area heavily promoted by the companies featured in this special report. Picture: Darragh Kane

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Life Sciences sector has a hugely significant impact on the Irish economy with more than 78,686 people directly employed within the industry in facilities located right across Ireland, including more than 17,700 across the South -West region.

The South-West region comprises counties Cork and Kerry. The thriving, dynamic and innovative enterprise base in the region is supported by third level institutions of scale within the region, including UCC, MTU, the SFI Research Centres and the ETBs.