At LSC we have tried to take a quick look at some of the upcoming trends for 2017. We are very positive about the year ahead and the level of projects currently underway or about to start. We are however cautious as the international economic and political arenas are in a state of flux.
Technology:
• As the year advances we expect a number of new Biotech expansions to get the go ahead, continuing the trend towards large molecule manufacturing.
• Continued growth in the automation of Pharma/Biotech facilities – This will see a continued demand for Automation engineers far outstrip current supply. We also expect to see issues surrounding supply of CSV engineers.
• We expect continuing growth in Data Analytics throughout the entire drug life cycle. In recent years the data analytics advancements has been focussed on patient outcomes analysis and gathering data from large population groups. We are expecting to see more partnerships between Technology & Life Science companies (e.g. Google-Sanofi) and in particular a focus on data modelling in the drug discovery and exploration phase.
• Continuous manufacturing will be a key area of future investment.
Jobs:
• The industry is forecasting approx. 8,000 new staff roles in Pharma, Biotech and Medical Device companies nationwide before 2020.
• We expect the number of new Biotech based contract positions in Cork to increase significantly in the latter part of 2017 as planned expansions and new builds begin to ramp up.
• The growth in Biotech will drive a demand for related science and engineering professionals.
Projects:
• There is approx. 2 billion euros in capital investment currently underway in Ireland’s Biotech sector in facilities such as Alexion, Dublin/Athlone ; Regeneron, Limerick ; Shire, Meath ; Eli Lilly, Cork ; Bristol Myers Squib, Dublin; Mallinckrodt, Dublin; Janssen, Cork.
• While we expect continued expansion and investment in 2017 it is unlikely that we will see investments on the scale of recent Greenfield facilities.
In summary 2017 looks very positive with plenty of project activity in the pipeline. We expect the Irish unemployment rate to continue to drop, however this will likely increase pressure upwards on pay rates.
We will await with interest the outcomes of BREXIT and the US presidential elections and what they potentially mean for Ireland.
If you are thinking about a career change in 2017 contact us. We have a large number of project opportunities across Ireland and Europe.
From everyone at LSC we wish you a bright and prosperous 2017.