Dr. Stryker founded his company in the U.S in 1941, aiming to make products that met patients’ previously unmet healthcare needs. Today, Stryker is one of the biggest medtech companies in the world. They have seven sites located across Ireland - five manufacturing sites and an R&D Innovation Centre in Cork, and a manufacturing site in Limerick. They also have a manufacturing site in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Johnson & Johnson is a US-based multinational company that was founded in 1886 with the initial idea that wounds should be treated and dressed using sterile equipment. Over time it has grown to be one of the biggest healthcare companies in the world. In Ireland, there are more than 5,000 people employed across sites in Cork, Galway and Limerick.

Medtronic began as a medical supply repair shop in the US in 1949. When they moved into medical device manufacturing, their first commercial product was a battery-powered, wearable pacemaker. Today, they aim to develop and manufacture technology that improves the treatment and management of chronic conditions. In Ireland, the company employs more than 4,000 people across 5 sites in Galway, Athlone and Dublin.

MSD was founded in 1891 and has grown to be the world’s seventh-largest pharmaceutical company. MSD began production in Ireland in 1976. They have so far invested over $4 billion in the country, developing six sites across five counties – Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Meath and Tipperary. Today, they employ approximately 2,800 in Ireland and export products made there to over 60 countries. The company’s annual turnover makes them one of Ireland’s top 20 companies.

Colonel Eli Lilly started the company in 1876. His motto to his employees, and all that followed within the company, was: “Take what you find here and make it better and better.” In 1923, Lilly launched the first commercially available insulin product. Their focus on diabetes care continued and in 1982, the company launched Humulin – insulin that was manufactured but identical to that produced by the human body.

Abbott was founded in 1888 by Dr Wallace C. Abbott in Chicago, USA. The company is involved in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of products. Their portfolio spans the breadth of healthcare including medical devices, diagnostics, branded generic pharmaceuticals, and nutritionals.

Boston Scientific is one of the biggest MedTech companies in the world – employing over 41,000 people around the world and selling products in 115 countries. The company was founded in 1979 with the aim of creating less invasive medical devices and procedures, and they continue to innovate across expanding areas of medicine. Today, their medical devices are used to diagnose and treat patients with issues in the areas of cardiology, urology, endoscopy and many more.

Pfizer is the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company with operations spanning the globe. Its research headquarters are located in Groton, Connecticut, America. Pfizer develops and produces vaccines and medicines for a range of conditions in the areas of oncology, infections and infestations, cardiology, ophthalmology, neurology and psychiatry. It has been in Ireland for over 50 years and currently has 3 manufacturing plants located there.

What are good manufacturing practices (GMP)? Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) – are a set of product quality regulations that have the force of law and require that manufacturers and packagers of medicines and medical devices take steps to make sure their products are safe, pure and effective.

What does the ideal candidate for an entry-level job in pharma manufacturing look like? We’ve analysed job adverts from pharma employers across the UK to find out. In this article we’re specifically looking at “soft” or transferable skills, counting down to the most popular. No matter what your educational background or work experience is, it’s likely that you can boost the case for yourself as a suitable candidate by demonstrating you have these skills. And while this is a good general guide, the most important thing to remember is to carefully read each individual job advert and highlight the skills mentioned within it as your tailor your CV for that application.

Whether you're trying to get to grips with what working in the industry "looks" like or you're preparing for an interview, it's always valuable to hear directly from employers. YouTube is a great place to do this. Not every company has a YouTube channel but those that do, are a really valuable resource. We've [...]

By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022 Image: Danone UK North West Life Science Sector at a Glance Employs 25,500 people across the North West Turnover of £6,072m Generates 38% of all UK pharmaceutical output Home to Alderley Park, the UK’s largest single-site life science [...]

By: Claire Wilson BSc and Donagh Fitzgerald B.Prod Eng. Last Updated: April 2022 Image: Körber What are some of the biggest myths about trying to find a new job within the pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing industry? And what are some of the things [...]

By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022 Image: tradeandinvest.wales Welsh Life Science Sector at a Glance Employs over 12,000 people across 360 companies Annual turnover of over £2bn Average of 5% growth in recent years 20% more life science companies per capita than the UK [...]

By: Claire Wilson and Sinead Creaner. Last Updated: April 2022 Whether you're in the industry and trying to stay up-to-date, or looking to start a career in pharma or medtech and trying to get to grips with the environment, keeping of top of industry developments isn't easy. [...]

By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022 The Life Sciences industries have been an important part of the UK economy for many years. And while the spotlight is often directed towards R&D activities and clinical trial capabilities, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device manufacturing make up a significant proportion [...]

By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022 Image: Takeda If you're trying to make a career change into pharma or medical device manufacturing, it can be difficult to really picture what it might involve. Strict rules and regulations mean that you're unlikely to be able [...]

Image: GEN Keeping up with new plant announcements, expansion plans, and brand new companies is a great way to find out about the latest opportunities within your commutable area. But it can also be prohibitively time-consuming. So we've decided to give you all the benefits with none of the time-draining [...]

By: Claire Wilson. Last Updated: April 2022 You should do more than just plan for your first job in the pharma industry - you should plan for a career. Many people make the mistake of stumbling through their career - waiting for opportunities to present themselves and for [...]

By: Donagh Fitzgerald. Last Updated: April 2022 Image: Masterflex UK What Kind of Jobs Can Engineers Get in the Pharma Industry? There are an enormous variety and range of engineering disciplines so it can be a real challenge to figure out what kind of jobs [...]