device products; it’s also about providing long-term support and services around those devices. The future will be a lot more about smart technology and wearable innovation.” Ireland’s key part in that journey was underscored by the opening of the


Customer Innovation Centre in Galway in 2012. Designed to enhance partnership and collaboration, the Centre allows physicians and business partners from across the world to work with Medtronic engineers in understanding and addressing the challenges ahead. “The Centre supports collaboration with end users, leading to improved patient experiences and healthcare offerings. New therapies and solutions are emerging from this environment of collaboration,” Ronan says. “Medtronic’s presence in Galway is continuing to grow based on our ability to support and advance the company’s mission.”


ABBOTT DIAGNOSTICS With a presence dating back to 1946, “Ireland has always been an important region for Abbott, and we have a long history of helping people here and around the world live healthier, happier lives,” says Ciaran Corcoran, Site Director for Abbott’s Diagnostics’ business in Longford. Centred on developing and manufacturing diagnostic tests for use in hospitals and laboratories, the Longford site produces more than 400 million diagnostic tests annually, in areas such as infectious diseases, cancer, thyroid and cardiovascular diseases. Abbott has one of the largest and most regionally diverse footprints of


any international company based in the country, employing over 3,000 people across nine locations. These include the company’s nutrition plants based in Cootehill and Sligo, its commercial offices in Dublin, and its


THE NUMBERS As the second largest MedTech exporter in Europe, Ireland produces:


of ventilators used in acute hospitals worldwide


Injection devices used by over


of the world’s population with diabetes


of global orthopaedic knees


50% 75%


25% of the world’s contact lenses 33% Source: IDA Abbott Diagnostics, Longford


MedTech manufacturing operations in Sligo and Longford (diagnostics); Clonmel (vascular) and Donegal (diabetes management). Abbott’s 135,000 sq ft Longford facility opened in 2005 and has won


numerous accolades for its performance in terms of health and safety, and energy efficiency. In 2015, it was named MedTech Company of the Year by the Irish MedTech Association and the following year received the prestigious Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. Ciaran explains how Ireland provides a critical link in the company’s


overall innovation journey: “All of our Irish sites have key talent that support innovative new product launches. This enables a rapid transfer-to- market timeline, giving that critical competitive advantage to Abbott and supporting the long-term growth strategies for the business.” Among recent projects giving employees in Ireland pride is Abbott


Diagnostics’ new unified suite of next-generation instruments, informatics and services, Alinity. “The Alinity series helps reference laboratories, hospitals and health systems get fast, quality and accurate diagnostics. By providing a comprehensive solution across multiple diagnostics platforms, Abbott’s Alinity systems can help increase throughput, minimise errors and offer value to health institutions,” Ciaran explains. “The sites in Sligo and Longford have played a key part of the global team supporting the


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development of the new series of systems. They were also central to the international launch through manufacturing the new diagnostic testing kits that support the instruments.” Another


success story directly involving the Longford


facility is the development of a high sensitive troponin test. Cardiac troponin is a protein that can indicate injury to the heart muscle and a British Medical Journal study suggests that Abbott’s high sensitive troponin test may help pick up twice as many women’s heart attacks as standard blood tests. “Structurally, men and women’s hearts are built the same,


but when the heart is in trouble, the outside signs vastly differ by sex. Using Abbott’s high sensitive troponin test, doctors could have the information they need more quickly, leading to faster treatment decisions to potentially save more women’s lives and get them back to better health,” says Ciaran. Abbott


is a global healthcare company with 94,000


employees worldwide. Of its achievements in Ireland, Ciaran says: “We have developed a strong business in Ireland that helps people around the world live healthier lives by getting accurate, timely information to manage their health. Our employees in Ireland play an important role in these efforts, delivering quality products and overall performance. Fundamentally, this comes down to their strong work ethic, excellent technical capabilities and pride in what they do.”


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