Following the Irish Medicines Board approval of the cell manufacturing facility at NUI Galway, Ireland boasts one of only six regenerative medicine institutes in Europe, which is approved to manufacture stem cell therapies for human use. This resource provides the foundation for strong engineering and manufacturing employment opportunities.

John O’Dea said: “The medical device industry is vital to Ireland’s economic growth and future. It is a heavily manufacturing-focused industry which currently employs in the region of 25,000 people and is close to export levels of €8bn. 

“A recent study by Johnson and Johnson suggests that the regenerative medicine market will exceed $10bn by 2020, and Ireland has an opportunity to lead the progress in this field. Therefore we must ensure strategic focus is awarded to ensuring the right skills and facilities exist in order to be at the forefront of this game-changing advancement in medicine and medical technology.”