Ireland's pharma sector is world class, but why don't we have a Novo Nordisk to take our success to the next level?

"Governments, industry and universities should come together to build a global player, says Peter Keeling. Denmark has Novo Nordisk, France has Sanofi, Switzerland boasts both Roche and Novartis, while Germany has Bayer. It's a somewhat troubled relationship, but Britain has AstraZeneca. However, Ireland - even though 80,000 people on the island work in the sector - has no pharma giant to call its own."

"However, Ireland - even though 80,000 people on the island work in the sector - has no pharma giant to call its own."

Denmark has Novo Nordisk, France has Sanofi, Switzerland boasts Roche and Novartis, Germany has Bayer and Britain has AstraZeneca despite a somewhat troubled relationship. Ireland employs about 80,000 people in the pharmaceutical sector yet lacks a homegrown pharmaceutical giant. The absence of a domestic flagship company contrasts with other European nations that host major pharmaceutical multinationals. Building a global pharmaceutical player would require coordinated action from governments, industry and universities to combine capital, talent, infrastructure and research capacity. Strategic collaboration could create scale, retain high-value jobs and strengthen Ireland’s position in the global life sciences industry.

Read at Independent