Invest in Ireland - Q1 2022

Q1 2022 | A promotional supplement distributed on behalf of Mediaplanet, which takes sole responsibility for its content

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A Mediaplanet campaign focused on

Invest in Ireland

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Why Ireland is a stable choice for investment.

Bernard Smith, Head of Europe, IDA Ireland

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Irish medtech: Leading nationally and making an impact globally.

Sinead Keogh, Ibec Head of Sectors and Irish MedTech Association Director

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IN THIS ISSUE

“The food sector is a vital industry in the country.”

Alexa Toomey Dairy, Food & Food FDI Department Manager, Enterprise Ireland

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Why Ireland is a stable choice for investment The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit has been well documented, however, Ireland’s economy has been resilient. Despite immense global challenges, Ireland continues to be an excellent place to invest.

“Ireland is setting ambitious targets to enact change.”

Ian O’Hora Head of Sustainability, IDA Ireland

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ey to the country’s growth has been strong foreign direct investment (FDI) across all industry sectors.

In fact, IDA Ireland – the inward investment promotion and development agency of the Irish Government – reported significant growth in FDI in 2021, with the highest employment creation figures ever in a single year.

Investing in the Irish workforce An important factor that makes Ireland so attractive to investors is its rich talent pool. Central to this, is the country’s continued investment in its education system – which already ranks among the best in the world – to meet the demands of a competitive economy. Indeed, Ireland is implementing a comprehensive, forward-looking National Skills Strategy and Action Plan for Education, aiming to make Irish education and training the best in Europe by 2026. Plus, to upskill and develop the workforce, Skillnet Ireland plans to invest €77 million in supporting 20,000 companies and 80,000 workers this year.

World-class education aside, the opportunities here are greatly appealing for talented professionals – from both Ireland and overseas. Being the only native English-speaking country in the EU, Ireland is uniquely positioned to connect UK, EU and US businesses, creating a hub of international talent, collaboration and knowledge sharing. This propensity to draw talent from a large European workforce is a real advantage for business leaders wanting to expand.

Companies with Irish operations have access to a labour pool of approximately 250 million people from across the EU. Currently, 16.5% of Ireland’s total workforce originates from other EU countries.

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Ireland is uniquely positioned to connect UK, EU and US businesses, creating a hub of international talent.

Ireland offers excellent career opportunities Furthermore, collaboration and open dialogue between IDA Ireland client companies, Ireland’s home-grown companies, government and academia on common strategic goals such as skills, the future of work, the green economy and digitisation, help to educate tomorrow’s workforce and create a network of innovative minds.

This network is home to many of the world’s leading high-performance companies including Intel, Twitter, Pfizer, Citi, Ericsson, Vodafone, Sage and Novartis, which continue to invest in Ireland long after they first established their Irish operations. This demonstrates how Ireland not only attracts multinationals, but also continually helps them to expand and climb the value chain.

Ireland’s track record, talent and collaborative ecosystem continue to entice multinationals and cement Ireland’s important role in Europe.

WRITTEN BY Bernard Smith Head of Europe, IDA Ireland

Contact information: uk.info@mediaplanet.com or +44 (0) 203 642 0737

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Project Manager: Cian Raftery cian.raftery@mediaplanet.com Business Development Manager: Lucy Harris Managing Director: Alex Williams Head of Ireland: Ross Bannatyne Head of Production: Kirsty Elliott Designer: Thomas Kent Design & Content Assistant: Aimee Rayment Digital Manager: Harvey O’Donnell Paid Media Strategist: Jonni Asfaha Social & Web Editor: Henry Phillips Digital Assistant: Carolina Galbraith Duarte All images supplied by Gettyimages, unless otherwise specified

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Digital platforms boost collaboration in construction Digital approaches to design and construction are taking mechanical and electrical installation into a new era.

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nnovative approaches to electrical and mechanical construction are being advanced via digital technologies providing greater execution certainty and efficiency to clients.

Digital design platforms allow teams to work remotely and closely collaborate on projects.

Meanwhile investment in fabrication facilities enables more work to be completed in the controlled environment of a workshop before being shipped to construction sites thereby reducing the construction manpower and improving site quality and safety.

Dornan Group has embraced these innovations as a mechanical and electrical installation contractor on large capital expenditure projects through their offices in Ireland, the UK and Europe.

Off-site assembly With blue chip clients in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, data centre and commercial/institutional building sector, digital design and construction delivery are key aspects of the business model, coupled with continual innovation in construction.

The pre-construction assembly of modules in fabrication workshops, such as the company’s site in Coventry, England, using the DFMA (design for manufacture) concept offers clear benefits.

Group Operations Director Paul Flynn explains: “We can build in a factory environment where we can control the quality and safety more closely than we could do on site, then deliver QC checked, snag free assets to site to be assembled. That is the innovation that is driving our growth.”

Tracking progress Group Engineering Director Kay Springall outlines how the design process using 3D platforms is carried out collaboratively with clients using software that allows all partners to be READ MORE AT BUSINESSANDINDUSTRY.CO.UK

involved at every major step.

She says: “Design can be shared in real time across the design partners and the client as it is progressing and constructability can be embedded in the design, the earlier in the process the better.”

“This visualisation of design allows for any issues to be addressed on-screen before any component gets to the site. Once the design moves to fabrication, we track the module production progress using QR codes imbedded within the DFMA process for each asset, from fabrication to installation.

“The model can be as-built and provide a digital environment within which our clients can embed their operation and maintenance information.”

Cloud-based system For the past three years Dornan had moved to a cloud-based system to increase remote working.

“The pandemic accelerated it, but it was already in play,” adds Springall, The technology extends to apps designed in-house, such as D’PRISM that has been developed to measure progress on a site and incorporates tools for QC and testing.

“This gives more accuracy for ordering, prevents human error and also brings greater cost certainty and control of components into the project,” adds Springall.

Safety and quality Group Quality and Performance Excellence Director David McNamara oversees outputs from the engineering construction department to ensure everything meets the client’s requirements.

Safety and Quality are core to the company’s service. Handover documents, records and drawings are now digital and any tests, inspections and checks are recorded digitally.

“We are starting to conduct more remote visual inspections using specialist smartphone and tablet-based applications, thus avoiding travel and reducing our carbon footprint as a group,” he adds.

Augmented reality technologies are also coming to the fore, using models to show what will be fabricated but then use photographic records to compare the installation to the digital model.

Streamlined design Overall, the digital approach has streamlined design and construction approaches and has reduced or eliminated paperwork. The approach allows our clients leverage our documentation into their final qualification process.

Paul emphasises the key factor is early engagement with clients, working with them on “front end” studies for the best outcomes to build and plan for a project. “They come to us with the concept, and we use our experience, knowledge and expertise to deliver the product that they require. The sooner we get involved with a client the more value we can bring to the process.”

INTERVIEW WITH Paul Flynn Group Operations Director, Dornan Engineering

INTERVIEW WITH Kay Springall Group Engineering Director, Dornan Engineering

INTERVIEW WITH David McNamara Group Quality and Performance Excellence Director, Dornan Engineering

WRITTEN BY Mark Nicholls

Paid for by Dornan Engineering

Find out more at dornan.ie/

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Showcasing the best of Ireland’s biopharma industry

Our food sector has a very strong reputation for being sustainable and having a green ethos.

The Republic of Ireland has become one of the largest manufacturers of biopharmaceutical and chemical products in the world, a major win for the country.

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oday, the biopharma and chemical industry in Ireland is booming. It accounts for 67% of the total goods exported, valued at €106 billion.

All of the top 10 global biopharmaceutical companies have a presence here, eight of which are manufacturing sites and employ 42,000 people directly. This current success is in stark contrast to the industry in the 1970s when the trade volume was a little over €100 million.

Mind the gap Identifying and understanding the true value of this industry by successive Irish Governments has been critical in this success story. Manufacturing sites tend to grow deep roots in their community due to the sizable investment of time and capital required during the initial set up.

However, increasingly fierce competition, especially from lower cost countries has meant that Ireland needs to keep adapting in order to attract new investment.

Catching the next wave The initial manufacturing base for Ireland centred on synthesising small molecules and pre-cursor active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). One key feat for the country is that it is the only producer for Abbvie’s world famous Botox.

However, over the last two of decades, there was an emergence of a new class of therapeutics, large biological molecules, with antibodies being the most prominent.

Already having a large pharma presence and built-in knowhow meant Ireland was poised to exploit this nascent manufacturing stream.

Most recently though, cell and gene therapy has come to the forefront. Ireland has managed to make a dent in the market by manufacturing components for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Diversity and depth – multinationals vs home-grown Although multinational corporations (MNC) dominate biopharmaceutical landscape in Ireland, their presence has been crucial in nurturing a small but vibrant indigenous ecosystem. MNCs have the resources to set an increasingly high benchmark for product quality that is then adopted by smaller companies.

Now Ireland has started showcasing its own successful home-grown biophama businesses with Chanelle and ICON being the leading lights.

The important role for food sector in Ireland Ireland has long been associated with high quality produce. This remains true today as the food sector continues to be a vital industry in the country.

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here are currently 11,000 people employed within around 50 companies in the FDI food space located across the country, particularly in regional locations.

Along with smaller, innovative firms, many wellknown brands have a well-established presence in Ireland including Danone, Abbott, Diageo, Nestle and Mondalez. Alexa Toomey, Manager of Dairy, Beverages and FDI at Enterprise Ireland, says there is good reason why these sector giants are attracted to Ireland.

“We have a really strong record in partnering with foreign owned companies,” she says. “This country is a great place for businesses in the food sector as it is our most important industry in terms of the indigenous sector, so we have built up a massive level of expertise.

“We have a strong reputation for food safety and food science. There is a huge emphasis on this within our university system along with a very broad government support network through Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, Teagasc and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Ireland is seen as a world leader regarding research into areas including immunology, molecular biology and genetics.

WRITTEN BY

Enda Dempsey Executive, BioPharmaChem Ireland

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A range of benefits According to Toomey, the Irish Government’s support for the sector, both directly, and through the Third level institutions, puts Ireland in a very strong

position when it comes to food FDI – but this is not the only benefit.

“Our researchers are internationally renowned and have a global reputation for being leaders in their field – Ireland is seen as a world leader regarding research into areas including immunology, molecular biology and genetics,” she says.

“Building on this expertise, we have technology centres for food, for health, a dairy processing technology centre and a meat technology centre – showing how government brings together industry and academia to really focus on tying all of the key strengths together.

“In addition to this, our food sector has a very strong reputation for being sustainable and having a green ethos. In fact, we are home to the worlds’ only national food and drink sustainability programme, Origin Green, which has been running here since 2012.

“So along with the benefits associated with tax, talent and track record, which applies to all sectors, our food sector is leading the way when it comes to our research and sustainability credentials.”

Ongoing support Investing in the Irish food sector has many positives and strong supports are in place to help companies get established in Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is on hand to provide connections along with both financial and non-financial support.

WRITTEN BY Alexa Toomey Dairy, Food & Drinks FDI Department Manager, Enterprise Ireland

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Irish medtech: Leading nationally and making an impact globally The pandemic has highlighted the medtech industry’s role in improving lives and Ireland has stood out as one of the top five producers of COVID-19 related goods.

I WRITTEN BY Sinead Keogh Ibec Head of Sectors and Irish Medtech Association Director

reland’s global medtech industry spans 450 business, with nine of the world’s top 10 medtech companies having a base here. This is complimented by a strong base of homegrown companies ranging from disruptive start-ups to multinationals, the industry employs 42,000 people overall, making Ireland the largest employer of medtech professionals, per capita, in Europe.

A survey of senior business leaders conducted during the development of our new 2025 strategy revealed Ireland’s attractiveness is thanks to our skilled resources and experience; proven track record of delivery; industry leadership and global influence; ecosystem competitiveness and installed base.

Global medtech game changers The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the medtech industry. However, confidence is now on the rise. To usher in a future success, the Irish Medtech Association has identified five game changers: 1. Ageing demographics and rising demands are increasing healthcare costs. New business models are emerging to offer value-based care that promotes outcomes.

2. Smart devices are empowering consumers to take greater control of their wellbeing and data accessibility is

supporting more personalised and preventative care.

3. Sectors are coming together with medtech, tech and biopharma to develop and deliver the latest health technologies.

4. New business models are evolving in response to greater stakeholder collaboration to compete better.

5. The global competitiveness landscape is being reframed in the face of tax reform, as well as changing political and economic relationships between leading economies.

Future strategy for Irish medtech Our vision is for Ireland to be strongly positioned as a global leader in innovative patient-centred medical technology solutions, helping to set the future global healthcare agenda, with a proven ecosystem that is a major contributor to the economy.

To achieve this, we’ve identified four strategic pillars innovation with impact, talent to thrive, competitiveness of our ecosystem and excellence through collaboration.

Operating within an ecosystem of collaboration among medtech, academics, educational institutions, investors, government and stakeholders, we are set to build on this success and take a greater share of the rapidly growing global medtech market. It is forecast to grow 5.6% (CAGR) annually with sales expected to reach over €530 billion by 2023.

Faster, safer, better: prefabrication in engineering Modularisation could be the only way to ensure top-quality results on today’s major engineering projects - and Irish companies are more than up to the challenge.

T WRITTEN BY Mark Flanagan Group MD, Kirby Group Engineering

he process of change is at the heart of engineering.

The recent pace of change in engineering has been breath taking, with rates of innovation off the scale, and for good reason.

Clients and consumers need better products that are more reliable and operate faster than ever. It is an exciting time to be a major player in the international mechanical and electrical contractor sector as we all strive to keep our place at the cutting edge.

Modularisation is key Experience has shown my team and I that the concept of modularised construction is now crucial to meeting demand when it comes to major engineering projects. There is no way to properly deliver today’s

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large pharma, life sciences and data centre projects without utilising prefabrication to the fullest extent.

Each time Kirby begins a project, we review the plans to see which elements we can prepare at our offsite prefabrication facilities in the Irish midlands. The selection of the primary equipment vendors at the earliest possible stage is a key driver to opening up opportunities for modularisation.

The benefits for industry are highly convincing. Modularisation saves time when it comes to on-site construction. It reduces waste and risk, creating a more efficient and safer environment. Products can be manufactured to a higher quality standard and more efficiently in the dedicated factory environment. It allows contractors to balance the need

for precision and safety with the rapid timeline that comes with the job. Once delivered, on-site commissioning of equipment is quicker.

The ability to run modularised manufacturing in parallel with on-site construction is another positive feature. This allows for an overlap of scheduled timelines and can offer considerable time savings to a project.

Paid for by Kirby Group Engineering

Communication is vital Centralising this style of manufacturing to our off-site facilities, as we have done at Kirby Group Engineering, brings benefits for contractors and clients. However, to ensure success, communication must be a top priority. Technology plays a vital role in this, ensuring all project data is accessible for each site online and updated in real-time to ensure accuracy and precision.

Pairing modularisation with augmented reality 3D modelling is nothing new to our industry. What I’m really excited about is the potential for next-level augmented reality that works in parallel with modular construction.

Maintenance crews can use their AR equipment to see what’s going on behind an interface and address changes before they become a problem. Focusing on a vision of the amazing possibilities ahead of us will ensure that innovation in engineering keeps breaking new ground, on- and off-site.

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Currently producing 4GW of wind electricity onshore, Ireland has committed to installing 5GW of offshore capacity by 2030.

Ireland is at the forefront of sustainable transformation with wind power The Atlantic Ocean gives Ireland a major advantage: the frequent and consistent winds create potential for substantial wind energy production, particularly largescale and offshore wind energy.

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reland is the second highest user of renewable wind electricity in Europe. Currently producing 4GW of wind electricity onshore, Ireland has committed to installing 5GW of offshore capacity by 2030.

The commitment to grow renewable energy capacity is huge, with many commentators seeing Ireland as a major exporter of renewable energy, such as hydrogen, in the years to come. With the EU Climate Change 2030 Plan becoming an increasingly urgent framework, Ireland is setting ambitious targets to enact change.

WRITTEN BY Ian O’Hora Head of Sustainability, IDA Ireland

Increasing use of wind resources Ireland’s updated Climate Action Plan strives to generate more energy from wind resources and another major focus will be decarbonising the electricity system to 80% by 2030.

Approximately 150 countries worldwide have currently pledged to become net zero by 2050; Ireland has pushed its ambitions a step further by seeking to decrease its own emissions by 51% across all sectors by 2030.

With these goals now set in law, industry experts consider the country’s decarbonisation targets to be the most aggressive in the world. Transitioning to electric vehicles and transport and reducing agricultural emissions will also be key targets for Ireland moving forward.

With the EU Climate Change 2030 Plan becoming an increasingly urgent framework, Ireland is setting ambitious targets to enact change.

Growing impact of Ireland’s decarbonisation IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment into Ireland, partners with multinational investors to increase the impact and the rate of industry decarbonisation in Ireland.

In line with national ambition, IDA’s strategy for sustainable investment works to build strong future proof economy targets by encouraging ‘high-carbon-fuel’ clients and ‘high-energy’ clients to switch to low carbon alternatives and renewables. It also positions decarbonisation, innovation, skills and the green economy at the forefront of client investment in Ireland.

Industry use of wind power Working with IDA to enhance the sustainability of its operations, Johnson & Johnson has installed four 3MW wind turbines, three combined heat and power units and 667 panel roof-mounted solar PV panels. Two wind farms will supply all the company’s electrical power needs, thanks to its Wind Power Purchase Agreement.

Not far from Johnson & Johnson, pharma manufacturer Lilly delivered a new solar farm in 2021 to transition the manufacturer’s energy needs to carbon free sources, and deliver 6GW of power, removing 2,350 tonnes of carbon.

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Taking a smart glimpse into the digital factories of the future Smart manufacturing helps companies make better decisions regarding their products and processes, and so strengthens their economic, societal and environmental resilience.

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he factories of the future will look completely different to the factories of today, says Conor McCarthy, Director of CONFIRM, a smart manufacturing research centre at the University of Limerick. This is all thanks to digital transformation.

INTERVIEW WITH Conor McCarthy Director, CONFIRM Centre for SMART Manufacturing Research

WRITTEN BY Tony Greenway

Paid for by Smart Manufacturing Research

Data opens up possibilities Digital innovations such as sensor technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), enterprise modelling and simulation and data analytics are making the entire end-to-end production process more data driven. Better data opens up a world of possibility.

“Smart manufacturing allows companies to make better decisions based on digital data from sensors on the production line and in the supply chain,” explains McCarthy.

“Advances like virtual reality enable workers to control machines from remote locations, making rigid manufacturing lines more modular and flexible. This means factories will become more distributed, increasing customisation, and reducing the length of supply chains.

That’s important as supply chains have come under immense pressure in recent years due to events such as the global pandemic and Brexit.” Digitalisation also makes it easier to monitor supply chains more efficiently and helps companies understand what products are popular with end users.

Growing smart manufacturing capabilities CONFIRM is involved in smart manufacturing projects across many sectors, and works closely with different stakeholders including multinationals, SMEs, institutes, and technology users and developers.

Smart manufacturing will help the factories of the future strengthen their economic resilience, because it will enable goods to be produced more quickly, efficiently and cheaply.

“Smart manufacturing is not omnipresent at the moment,” admits McCarthy. “Cost of entry into Industry 4.0 digital technology (which supports interconnectivity, automation, machine learning and real-time data) can be high for SMEs, for example. But interest is growing in certain spheres and we’re seeing companies investing a lot of energy and resources into developing smart manufacturing capabilities.”

Building economic resilience McCarthy believes that smart manufacturing will help the factories of the future strengthen their economic resilience, because it will enable goods to be produced more quickly, efficiently and cheaply. Smart manufacturing will also support societal resilience by giving workers more adaptability and flexibility.

“Plus it will strengthen environmental resilience,” says McCarthy. “Digital technology can make the production line more energy efficient. Because products can be tracked, it’s easier to assess their reusable assets and suitability for remanufacturing and upcycling when they reach end of life. This is key because companies in every industry are committed to reducing their carbon emissions or reach net zero goals. Smart manufacturing has an important role to play from a sustainability standpoint in the years ahead.”

Find out more at confirm.ie/

The commitment to grow renewable energy capacity is huge, with many commentators seeing Ireland as a major exporter of renewable energy, such as hydrogen, in the years to come.

Ian O’Hora, Head of Sustainability,, IDA Ireland

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Already having a large pharma presence and built-in knowhow meant Ireland was poised to exploit this nascent manufacturing stream. ~Enda Dempsey Executive, BioPharmaChem Ireland

and recycling activities in 2019 and estimated that 40-100 jobs could be generated per 1,000 tonnes of waste collected.

Strengthening the social economy: an investment in our future During the COVID-19 pandemic, the social economy has supported those in need, championed change and inspired us. In the wake of the pandemic, policy makers need to invest in it to build a better future for us all.

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istory shows that crises can be powerful drivers of change. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception, inviting us to question the way we live, work and do business.

It has also shown us that there is no better business than the social economy.

Succeeding against the odds Despite the difficulties they faced, social economy organisations moved quickly to support their communities to deal with the impacts of COVID-19.

Two social enterprises from Belgium, EcoRes and Travie, initiated a decentralised production line for

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personnel protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers, producing 240,000 masks in 1.5 months. Organisations like La Cantine pour tous in Canada worked with partners to provide food to vulnerable groups such as the elderly during the lockdown period.

Pointing the way forward The social economy is also leading the way in adopting more sustainable, responsible business practices that will be needed if we are to tackle the great global challenges we face. For example, RREUSE, a social enterprise network, diverted 1 million tonnes of material from landfills through repair

An investment in our future Governments all over the world are now finding ways to support the social economy including through their recovery and resilience plans.

Canada’s Social Investment Fund is one such example, injecting CAD 755 million to provide flexible financing for social economy organisations.

There is also strong policy momentum in Ireland to support the social economy. In 2019, Ireland adopted its first ever “National Social Enterprise Policy.” The policy included the establishment of the Social Enterprise Development Fund to support social enterprise start-ups and the development of a new Trustlaw Guide on legal forms for social enterprises and promote their growth.

WRITTEN BY Antonella Noya Head of Social Economy and Innovation at the Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

A paradigm shift on the way The COVID-19 crisis made it clear that we need to rethink how social gains for society can be given the same importance as economic ones. Social economy activities are therefore gaining traction for all the right reasons. We need to invest in their potential to transform our society and tackle the challenges we face now and in years to come.

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