Commissioner Phil Hogan launches BPCI new sector strategy in Brussels
European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan today launched “Ireland – the Global BioPharmaChem Location of Choice”, the 5-year strategy of BioPharmaChem Ireland (BPCI), the Ibec group that represents Biopharmaceutical and Chemical Manufacturing) in Brussels.
Speaking at the launch Commissioner Hogan stated: “Ireland’s remarkable success story in the Biopharmaceutical and Chemical Manufacturing sector is a superb example of a small country harnessing the favourable winds of global trade to benefit its economy and its citizens.”
Also speaking at the launch, BCPI Director Matt Moran, said: “The phenomenal growth of the sector in Ireland is no accident – it has been achieved by world class companies who continually focus on innovation and through delivering new and improved products to the market. We have always tried to stay at the cutting edge including a campaign to encourage Government to focus on biotechnology in the mid-1990s. This has paid dividends and over the last decade alone, in excess of €10 billion euro has been invested by the industry in bio-manufacturing operations in Ireland.
“Looking forward, we need to focus on the next phase of development including the digitisation of manufacturing and advanced therapeutics. The strategy is designed to bring the industry to its next phase of innovation. We are proud of our international reputation with all of the top 10 global BioPharma companies operating in this country.”
Since its foundation in 1994, BPCI has overseen an extraordinary growth in the industry with Ireland’s exports from the sector increasing from €6 billion to €73 billion in 2018. In addition, employment increased during the period from 18,000 to over 30,000, with the result that Ireland is regarded internationally as being one of the industry’s most important manufacturing locations in the world.
