Delivering Ireland’s Talent Pipeline for Global Pharma Leadership
An innovation industry partnership approach is exposing graduates to a competitive career.
SSPC the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals focusing on process innovation and advanced manufacturing is the largest provider of PhD graduates for the (bio)pharma industry in Ireland.
SSPC researchers are highly sought after; 400 PhD graduates have been trained and 70% of those, and 40% of postdoctoral researchers, have transitioned directly into industry. Crucially, 57% of SSPC’s international alumni have chosen to remain in Ireland, directly strengthening the national skillsbase and addressing critical talent shortages in the sector.
Alumni hold leadership roles in global firms like Pfizer and Eli Lilly while driving indigenous enterprise such as APC Ltd. and VLE Therapeutics. Co-founded in 2011 by SSPC alumni, APC Ltd. has grown from start-up to a global leader in process development, partnering with 8 of the top 10 pharma companies. The company has invested €100 million in a 130,000 sq ft ‘medicine accelerator’ campus in Dublin to deliver treatments for
cancer, Alzheimer’s, and HIV, and plans to expand to over 600 scientists, digital experts, and manufacturing professionals. APC Ltd. and VLE Therapeutics is now co-investing €2 million with Research Ireland in gene therapy research at NIBRT, and setting an ambitious benchmark for other Irish spin-outs.
By advancing talent and fostering impactful partnerships, Research Ireland is securing Ireland’s competitiveness in the life sciences sector for decades to come.
Through a PhD-related industrial placement with APC Ltd. and VLE Therapeutics, I worked with highly skilled, multidisciplinary, and technical scientists, across bioengineering, innovation, and commercial teams. Building these strong relationships and upskilling in new areas while also seeing how research can translate to commercial value and patient impact is hugely valuable for my career development.
– Laura Foley, University of Limerick
Partners:
SSPC the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals is hosted by University of Limerick.
