Post by Fiona Killard-Lynch PhD

Ireland has no shortage of brilliant science. Every day, researchers across the country are generating discoveries with the potential to make a real difference to people's lives. The challenge is not coming up with the ideas, it's making sure more of them make the journey from the lab into the hands of patients. That's why I'm delighted to have contributed to this piece in The Irish Times https://lnkd.in/deW3BNyn, looking at how Ireland can build more successful research spin-outs and strengthen our indigenous life sciences sector. We have spent decades building a world-class research and biopharma ecosystem. The opportunity now is to connect the pieces more effectively so that more Irish discoveries become Irish companies, creating high-value jobs, attracting investment and, most importantly, delivering new therapies and technologies that improve lives. NIBRT National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, we are fortunate to sit at the point where scientific discovery meets manufacturing reality. Through translational research, industry collaboration and facilities like CONCEPT, we are helping researchers think not just about whether something works, but whether it can be manufactured, scaled and ultimately reach patients. There's still plenty to do, but I genuinely believe Ireland is starting from a position of strength. If we continue to invest in people, partnerships and the pathways between research and commercialisation, the future is incredibly exciting. Thanks to Danielle Barron at The Irish Times for the opportunity to be part of the conversation.