Ireland's life sciences sector may benefit from Big Tech job losses

Hiring at medtech and biopharma firms has increased by 19% since the onset of the pandemic — and the booming sector may be hiring many people laid off due to the global tech downturn 

Multinationals such as Pfizer, Takeda, Sanofi, and J&J have significant operations in Ireland, and 14 of the world’s top 15 medical technology companies have Irish outposts. Stock picture: iStock

As layoffs cut across Ireland’s tech companies, the country’s booming pharma and medical technology sector is eyeing talent released from firms such as Google and Meta as part of a broader push to accelerate its own plans for digitisation.

For these life science firms, “the tech downturn is definitely an opportunity,” said Gareth Fleming, managing director at the employment agency Brightwater Recruitment. A quarter of laid-off candidates who registered with Brightwater in the last three months are interviewing with life science outfits for new roles, he said.