Galway City grows as industrial hub

A series of important collaborations were formed and maintained by the IDA during 2014 which will help grow Galway’s profile as a hub for some of the world’s biggest companies.

In November, NUI Galway was announced as the lead in a new national medical device research centre, CÚRAM, which will design and create implantable ‘smart’ medical devices to deliver therapeutic agents where needed.

Cutting-edge science will develop the very latest research from biomaterials, stem cells and drug delivery. Devices will be developed with strong clinical collaborations and with industry partners and hospital groups and will strengthen Ireland’s standing as a major global hub for medical device sector research and development.

CÚRAM brings together researchers from NUI Galway, UCD, DCU, UL, UCC and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The centre will include almost 40 industry partners and support product development and the creation of new spin-out companies.

“We work very closely with NUIG and it is especially significant that CÚRAM will be led by NUIG and based in Galway which is the centre of a very advanced globally competitive medical device hub and which can only be strengthened by the presence of this new world class research centre and this is very welcomed by IDA,” said Catherina Blewitt, the IDA’s Head of Regional Development, West Region.

In November, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Minister, Richard Bruton, visited Galway as part of an Irish Trade and Investment Mission – the first of its kind in Ireland.

“The objective was to maximise procurement opportunities for Irish companies with Ireland-based multinational companies. As part of the Action Plan for Jobs, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland are working together to deliver more sales for Irish companies out of the global supply chains of multinationals based in Ireland.

“The Galway event was a huge success and gave a number of Galway/West Region Irish companies the opportunity to engage directly with Irish-based multinational companies,” said Ms Blewitt. She went on to stress the importance of the Galway Science & Technology Festival, which takes place each November.

“IDA along with a number of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) companies such as Medtronic, Cisco, Fidelity etc are sponsors of this along with other bodies and very much support this festival as it brings shows and workshops to primary and secondary schools throughout Galway City and county engaging the students and nurturing their interest in the STEM subjects.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.