Big companies come to Limerick as part of their quest to solve some of the world’s most important health challenges. These companies have sparked a vibrant local life sciences sector that ranges from third-level spin-outs to early-stage SMEs – a trend that’s growing throughout Ireland. There have also a been several notable acquisitions.
You’ll recognise names including:
- Johnson & Johnson – vision care and contact lenses
- Cook Medical – minimally-invasive medical devices
- BD – medical, life sciences and intervention solutions
- Edwards Lifesciences – structural heart disease and critical care monitoring
- Eli Lilly – recently announced $1 billion expansion of its Limerick, manufacturing site to increase production of biologic active ingredients, including those for its Alzheimer’s treatment.
- Regeneron – biotechnology. Inventing life-transforming medicines
- Stryker – creating innovative products and services to help improve patient outcomes
Our universities increasingly focus on developing life sciences departments and research institutes. A significant example, the Bernal Institute, UL, counts spin-outs Cala Medical and Hooke Bio among its successes.
Opportunities in direct healthcare are strong across the region. There is significant investment in public and private healthcare, with two new private hospitals through Ireland’s largest independent hospital group, Bon Secours Health System, with the new Bon Secours Hospital, Ballysimon Limerick due to open in 2025. Also, the US-based healthcare provider, UPMC that has opened a new Sports Medicine Clinic, TUS Moylish Campus.
