Ireland is one the leading hubs in the world for the biopharma sector. But what makes it so great for the pharma giants?
Ireland is home to some of the top biopharma companies in the country. In fact, 24 of the 25 largest biopharma organisations have set up an office here.
So, why is the country such an attractive place for these companies? Liz Dooley of Janssen Sciences Ireland has some insights.
“Firstly, I think it’s the talent that’s readily available in Ireland,” she said.
“I think that talent is built from the collaborations with the third-level colleges and with the organisations that are working on developing that talent.”
Janssen Sciences Ireland is a company within the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) family. Dooley is the director of operations (biologics) at Janssen and she spoke to us at a National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) event earlier this year about the presence of J&J, particularly in Ireland.
“We’ve got a huge diversity within the activities that we have,” she said. “We also have Vision Care in Limerick and we have DePuy Synthes in Cork as well.”
Along with the immense talent Ireland has to offer, Dooley believes the can-do attitude of the Irish is what makes the island so attractive to biopharma companies.
“They’ll work in any space, they’ll work in any field, they’re willing to travel and willing to support an organisation and become very loyal to that organisation,” she said.
So, for the can-do Irish looking to work in the biopharma sphere, what can they expect?
“We’re very fortunate in that we get to manufacture products that are sold commercially right across the globe but we also get an opportunity to actually manufacture products that are used in clinical trials,” Dooley explained.
Speaking about diversity within the sector, Dooley said J&J are really focused on ensuring a gender balance, through a collaboration with University of Limerick.
The project aims to encourage young women to enrol in science at third level before taking a career in the industry.
