Minister Damien English launches Griffith-Innopharma Faculty of Science

DUBLIN – 5th February 2015 – Innopharma has entered into an innovative education partnership with Griffith College Dublin to collaborate in up-skilling graduates and experienced professionals for onward careers in the Pharmaceutical, MedTech and FoodTech sectors.

The Griffith-Innopharma Faculty of Science was launched last night at Griffith College Dublin by the Minister of State for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English T.D.  

The Faculty will provide pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and food science accredited qualifications for graduates interested in direct entry or conversion to careers in these economically important sectors.

Innopharma Labs is an award-winning Irish technology company. As well as operating an R&D Budget of over €6 million a year, it is also the country’s leading provider of innovative training programmes in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. This provides Innopharma Labs and the wider tech sector with graduates to sustain technology developments and industry growth in Ireland.

Addressing a seminar marking the occasion entitled ‘The Changing Face of Pharma and MedTech in Ireland’, Minister English said: 

“The Pharmaceutical, MedTech and Food sectors have undergone significant change over the past decade. Successful companies in these sectors have remained flexible and adaptive in their thinking, business strategy and staffing.”  

“This requires having an agile and flexible workforce whose skills are aligned to these relevant industry sectors which offer strong growth potential and the prospect of long-term sustainable employment.   The Griffith-Innopharma Faculty of Science programme aims to achieve that objective.  

“As Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, it is important to ensure that both the further and higher education systems deliver the skills needed to build the economy on talent and innovation. In this way, the Action Plan for Jobs 2015 contains a commitment for a National Talent Drive and central to this is the commitment to deliver a step change in the level of engagement between the education and training systems and employers.” 

Ian Jones, CEO of InnoPharma Labs said, “The Pharmaceutical, MedTech and Food sectors have undergone significant changes over the past decade with pressure to reduce manufacturing costs, increase product quality and improve manufacturing efficiencies. Our technologies and graduates are helping these industries to remain competitive as they move through those changes.”

“The philosophy of being agile and flexible is crucial to economic success. Many of Innopharma Labs’ graduates have upskilled, jumped industries and are now adding value with new employers in the Pharma, MedTech and FoodTech sectors. We try to embed this idea within all of our education programmes where our graduates open thinking, data savvy and process focused. These skills enable them to be relevant to virtually any high-tech manufacturing industry.  

“We welcome this development with Griffith College Dublin and look forward to continuing our contribution to industrial and economic growth through this new Griffith-Innopharma Faculty of Science programme.”