Ronan Rogers and Ruth Callanan discuss innovation in the West of Ireland and the evolution of Irish STEM careers.
In Ireland the medtech sector goes beyond traditional medical engineering, finds Ronan Rogers, senior director of R&D for cardiac output solutions at Medtronic. He explained that his region has “real depth”, not just in medtech, but in all key areas such as pharmaceutical sciences, advanced analytics and digital technologies. Areas that are now “increasingly converging”.
He told SiliconRepublic.com, “That diversity of opportunities is Ireland’s greatest strength. It allows people from different professional backgrounds to find meaningful, high-impact careers in healthcare, while helping Ireland move up the value chain as a center for complex, globally relevant innovation.”
Having recently expanded the Galway-based Pharmaceutical Laboratory, the facility now serves as the West of Ireland’s hub for technological innovation and the evolving needs of the global healthcare space. Rogers is of the opinion that this reflects the convergence of the country’s medtech sectors.
Noting that the main purpose of the lab is to “bring together pharmaceutical technology, engineering and analysis under one roof to address the complex challenges of product combination, [that is] where the medical device and medicine work together.
“We see that coming together very clearly in this Laboratory and there are a variety of career paths in our industry, whether that’s a pharmacist who is drawn to fast new cycles and applied medtech science, or a software developer who wants to use his skills to solve real health challenges and code with a deeper purpose.
What are the possibilities?
With expansion comes the opportunity for students and professionals to consider new roles, such as a division of Medtronic or within Galway’s thriving life sciences and medtech spaces.
“Galway offers a unique new program where infrastructure, academic partnerships and a significant medtech base all provide a strong foundation to sustain Ireland’s leadership in the life sciences sector,” said Ruth Callanan, Medtronic’s site quality director.
With investment focused on significantly expanding R&D capacity and technical depth in a key area of Ireland’s medtech sector, Medtronic increased the lab space by almost half and introduced analytical technology that was not there before.
Callanan said, “This creates the conditions for future high-value work as the programs expand. It strengthens Galway’s ability to attract and retain exceptional talent, pharmaceutical scientists, chemical engineers and logistics and allows work that was previously outsourced internationally to be done here in Ireland.
“Over time, depending on the level of demand and scale of work, we expect this capability to support additional specialist roles, which will be added over the coming years. Importantly, it reinforces Ireland’s position at the forefront of advanced medtech R&D and reflects an industry-wide trend towards self-sufficiency in high-tech analytical testing.”
Enter the future
He explained that the new lab will enable experts to integrate processes as the center will cover the entire life cycle of product development, from the initial R&D stage, to market orientation.
He added, “The laboratory uses advanced LCMS and GCMS technologies, which act as ‘molecular microscopes’. This allows our scientists to identify unknown compounds or impurities at very precise levels.”
According to Rogers, the new lab has a role to play in what he believes is a reshaping of how STEM careers in Ireland are perceived and run, with Callanan noting that this creates opportunities for students and professionals to engage in activities that bridge the gap between the various fields of science.
He said, “A laboratory of this type and complexity requires students and professionals with diverse skills and knowledge in many fields.”
“Most importantly,” added Rogers, “we are sending a clear signal to pharmacists, chemists and analytical scientists that medtech offers deep, intellectually challenging career paths that go beyond traditional manufacturing or classical bioengineering.”
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