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Biopharma

Why Ireland for pharma investment

  • Be part of an established ecosystem for pharmaceutical and biopharma activity, combining technology, talent and research

  • We offer regulatory stability, sub-supply capability, a multicultural workforce and collaboration opportunities with industry partners

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us

Source the skills you need to make your investment in Ireland a success

Connect with us
Factory Building

A Global Pharma Leader

Ireland’s life sciences sector has a global reputation for operational and innovational excellence. Leading industry names including Novartis, AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Sanofi, Lilly, AstraZeneca, MSD, Bristol Myers Squibb and Takeda have significant operations here.

  • 90+ pharmaceutical companies operate in Ireland
  • 45,000 people employed in IDA client companies
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An Exporting Powerhouse

Ireland is the world’s third largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, according to the UN International Trade Statistics database. The sector continues to evolve, expanding its capabilities to include innovation, digitalisation and next-generation technologies.

  • €116+ billion annual exports
  • Third largest exporter of pharmaceuticals globally
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Opportunities to Collaborate

Multinationals operating in Ireland have many opportunities to collaborate with domestic companies, a network of life sciences sub-supply providers and multiple industry-focused research centres spanning a variety of technologies.

  • Facilitated sharing of best practice between companies
  • Active industry-academic partnership in technology, materials, manufacturing and more
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Strong Compliance Record

Ireland has an exemplary compliance record with regulatory agencies like the FDA and EMA, who collaborate and work closely with our Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) to achieve trouble-free compliance.

  • 50 FDA-approved pharma and biopharma plants
  • Fair oversight of regulated companies and a culture of excellence in compliance
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World-Class Talent

Ireland’s industry can avail of skilled talent in existing pharma sites, experienced in quality assurance, quality control, product development, science and engineering. There’s also unrestricted access to the EU labour pool of over 240 million people.

  • Strong links with universities provide local talent matched to industry needs
  • Fast-track support for employment permits for skilled international labour

We are committed to Ireland and will work with all local partners to build this state-of-art next generation biomanufacturing facility as a showcase to the global biotech community

See similar companies in Ireland

West
Zoetis
Pfizer
Gilead
Regeneron
Merck
Takeda
Novartis
Janssen
Bristol Myers Squibb
GE Healthcare
MSD
Johnson
Baxter
Abbvie
WuXi Biologics
Sanofi
Lilly

Success Stories: Hear from leaders calling Ireland home

A proven path

See all Success Stories
Ericsson
Johnson Controls
MeiraGTx
Logitech
Zendesk
Qualtrics
One of Ireland’s largest enterprise software development centres 

One of Ireland’s largest enterprise software development centres 

Ericsson creates game-changing technologies and services that shape our future and here in Athlone, as one of Ericsson’s largest R&D centres, we are at the forefront of opening new possibilities in communication for the world.

In 2022, the HQ opened a new R&D facility focused on sustainable technologies

In 2022, the HQ opened a new R&D facility focused on sustainable technologies

I am proud of how Johnson Controls is leading the way in sustainable innovation and I am particularly proud of how OpenBlue solutions and services are transforming buildings to help businesses, communities and governments to reach their net zero goals.

Gene therapy startup chooses Ireland for commercial-scale manufacturing

Gene therapy startup chooses Ireland for commercial-scale manufacturing

MeiraGTx’s Shannon facility is unique, not only in Ireland but globally, as it streamlines gene therapy development, testing and manufacturing capabilities together in-house. This significantly reduces the time to patients for advanced therapeutic products, with months or potentially years saved.” -

Logitech’s Irish presence dates back more than three decades to 1988

Logitech’s Irish presence dates back more than three decades to 1988

We’re pleased to see Logitech’s Cork operations grow to encompass more opportunities ahead of the new year. This is a reflection not only of Logitech’s long-term performance, but also the wonderful culture and spirit our employees have developed, here and across the world. At Logitech, talent working out of Ireland is shaping the future, and enjoying it! We’re very grateful to IDA Ireland for their consistent support over the years.

Dublin site is a regional hub for product development

Dublin site is a regional hub for product development

Dublin is such a hub for big tech companies that you might think ‘if we come to Dublin, we’re going to be competing with all of them, we won't be able to get good staff’. But I think the opposite is true. Because we’ve got such a base of well recognised brands in Dublin, that actually brings qualified people from all over Europe here.

Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Qualtrics Chooses Ireland for its Skills Base

Ultimately, what you want is a geography where you can build an office that has broad market coverage. For a company going into Europe, Ireland has the lowest cost to set up a business, with a broad pool of talent from across the EU

Find your European home

Find your European home