If you know Aoife Kiely, LSC’s Sales Manager, you know her deep knowledge of the life sciences market. In this blog, Aoife shares her expert insights on what 2025 holds for Ireland’s life sciences sector—highlighting key opportunities, trends, and what consultants need to know about upskilling. With continued investment and evolving market dynamics, Aoife’s perspective will keep you ahead of the curve for the year ahead.
What does 2025 hold for the Irish life sciences market?
The Irish life sciences market is looking very positive. We continue to see announcements of new investments and plans for further development, which is encouraging. Initially, there were concerns that geopolitical issues, including the change in U.S. presidential leadership, might shift significant investments away from Ireland to the U.S. However, we are seeing sustained and even growing investment in Ireland, which is a very positive sign. As with every year, certain clients are experiencing higher levels of activity than others, particularly those involved in the production of blockbuster drugs. Ireland is fortunate to host some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, with facilities dedicated to manufacturing these high-value products. We are truly lucky to partner with these clients who are at the forefront of producing life-changing blockbuster drugs. These companies are not only maintaining their presence here but are also continuing to invest heavily in their Irish operations. This ongoing investment is a testament to Ireland’s strategic importance in the global life sciences sector.
What are some of the market trends we can expect to see?
The investment pipeline in Ireland remains strong. However, due to political and geopolitical factors, we may not see the same level of large-scale Greenfield investments as we have in the past. Instead, the focus will likely shift towards Brownfield projects, such as expansions, retrofits, and upgrades. These upgrade projects will encompass not only equipment and IT improvements, but also increased production capacity and the development of new drug delivery capabilities within existing plants and facilities.
The investment landscape is changing, however. We are now seeing significant investments spreading beyond Dublin and Cork. Regions like the Midlands, the Limerick-Shannon area, and the West are emerging as key areas of focus for new developments. This creates opportunities not only in these regions but also in Cork and Dublin. For example, professionals who had relocated from places like Limerick to Dublin or Cork for work may now have the chance to move back closer to home as these new investments create jobs locally. In turn, this migration will create vacancies in Dublin and Cork, generating new opportunities there as well. While the major investments may no longer be concentrated solely in the cities, we’re used to seeing them in, this broader distribution of activity is still creating significant opportunities for people across Ireland.
With inflation on the other hand, we are anticipating a tightening of rate increases and staff headcount freezes on client sites as companies adjust their budgets. However, with continued investment and the ongoing need to bring medicines to market, these roles aren’t disappearing—they are shifting toward contract positions. This presents a significant opportunity for consultants, particularly those partnering with resourcing agencies like LSC, who can provide access to exclusive roles that may not be publicly advertised.
What will be important for consultants?
One trend we will see more emphasis on is data and business analytics. These skills are becoming integral to all life sciences roles. The ability to analyse information and make decisions based on that analysis is now widely expected. However, the focus is shifting more towards decision-making on the information provided, as the systems themselves will handle much of the analytical work. Interpreting the data presented by these systems and making informed decisions will be critical. This is why it’s so important for consultants in the life sciences sector to continue upskilling and gaining experience in this area. At the same time, the downturn in Ireland’s tech industry is pushing skilled professionals with transferable expertise—such as project management, engineering, and data analytics—into the life sciences sector. As AI and digitisation continue to advance, life sciences consultants will need to prioritise upskilling, especially in data-driven decision-making, to remain competitive amidst this influx of talent from other industries.