Pharma majors could cluster around Meath

Jackie Maguire, CE, Meath County Council

Pharma companies like clusters

“The life sciences industry in the UK is big and there will need to be a way found to balance both the UK business and the EU connection and I think we can play a good role there,” according to Kelly Martin of Irish pharma company Malin. What we’re hoping is that Malin, which says it is entering a new phase of building companies from scratch rather than buying them, will think to #MakeItMeath and to join other big names like @ShirePlc and @Alltech who are already here.

We’re ready to go right now

According to an @IrishTimesBiz story this morning Mr. Martin commented that, “Ireland has a great reputation in terms of life sciences, the Government here is very pro-business and there are excellent resources in the universities, all of which make the country very attractive.”

Bordered by three third level colleges

And how right is he? Meath County Council is setting the national benchmark for being the most business friendly as well as business ready region in the country. Our fully functioning Enterprise Team has terrific contacts with third level institutions including @MaynoothUni @DCU and @ThinkDkIT and understands the detailed needs of pharma companies.

Meath costs are more attractive

On top of that we’ve got both greenfield and brownfield sites ready to go and the aforementioned Enterprise Team will help guide any project, such as the Facebook project they’re currently helping with, to completion. Meath doesn’t have the same population concentration as neighbouring Dublin so has plenty of space for building facilities while still offering the same ease of international access as the capital city. Also, because we have plenty of land in Meath purchase costs are so much more attractive.

Meath needs you

It’s a big world out there and our colleagues in the IDA, who do a terrific job and with whom we work closely with, can’t realistically cover all bases. There are pharma companies around the world that have expansion plans and they may very well have Irish scientists and engineers working in them. What I’m asking is that those people act as ambassadors for Ireland and suggest Ireland as a terrific location to base a new plant. If you are one of those people, don’t just mention it internally though. If it’s commercially appropriate why not tell our Enterprise Team and they will make direct contact if you’d like?

An early Christmas present

It’s coming up towards Christmas time and many of our emigrants will be coming home for the holidays. Wouldn’t it be a nice Christmas present if we could give them the opportunity of staying home while still working with their current employer, only based in Meath? Now you’re talking Santa…