Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris T.D.'s speech at the EI Healthcare Companies and Team Ireland Reception

Tánaiste & Minister for Finance, Simon Harris T.D.

EI Healthcare Companies & Team Ireland Reception

Tuesday January 13th 2026

Opening

Good evening, everyone, and a very warm welcome to the magnificent Ireland House here in San Francisco.

It is a real pleasure to join you this evening for the third Irish Healthcare Reception, during the JP Morgan Healthcare Week, and to welcome such a strong gathering of Irish and Irish American international leaders from across healthcare, life sciences, investment and innovation.

Let me begin by thanking Team Ireland here - the Consulate General of Ireland and our two outstanding state enterprise agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA, for their leadership in bringing us together tonight.

I have seen first-hand this week how Micheál, Killian and Ivan’s teams work hand-in-hand to deliver on the ambition of the Government in California.

Events like tonight happen throughout the year and I know are the product of sustained teamwork, shared ambition and a clear sense of purpose. I want to acknowledge the dedication of all involved.

Ireland-US Relationship

This evening is, at its heart, about relationships.

It is about the ever-enduring and ever-evolving partnership between Ireland and the United States, about our engagement with California in particular, and about the exceptional Irish healthcare and life sciences companies who are here this week, building connections that will shape the future.

We are all very familiar with the scale and depth of the economic relationship between Ireland and the United States. It is one of the most successful and mutually beneficial economic partnerships anywhere in the world and that is why I am here this week to meet with some of the biggest companies that have decided to make Ireland central to their story.

US companies have long seen Ireland as their base for the EU, for Europe, Middle East and Africa and beyond.

Ireland has supported those companies as they scaled across regions and globally, through a highly skilled workforce, pro-enterprise policies, a stable political system and a deep commitment to innovation.

And this relationship is very clearly a two way one. Ireland is now the 5th largest investor in the United States. Today, 781 Irish companies operate across the US, employing over 200,000 people – 200,000 American jobs.

That is something we are immensely proud of, not just because of the numbers, but because those companies represent long term commitment, local job creation, and genuine partnership with American communities.

California is a central part of that story.

Enterprise Ireland in the West Coast

This great State is a global leader in innovation, in healthcare, in technology and in venture capital.

It sets the pace in so many of the areas that will define the next decade of global growth and that is why it is entirely fitting that Irish companies, particularly in healthcare and life sciences, are so strongly represented here this week.

Enterprise Ireland plays a vital role in that engagement. It acts as a conduit between world class Irish innovation and global markets.

Today, Enterprise Ireland works with over 4,000 client companies, and around 900 of those export to the United States.

Enterprise Ireland is also one of Europe’s most active public investors by deal size, with approximately 3,500 investments in 1,400 Irish companies.

On the West Coast, its focus is very clear: helping Irish companies to start, scale and succeed in the US market; and building partnerships that are genuinely mutually beneficial.

That approach is delivering results.

In 2024, Enterprise Ireland client exports to the US exceeded €6.6 billion, an increase of 8 percent on the previous year. This year alone, Enterprise Ireland supported companies established around 90 new presences in the US, with more than 20 of those on the West Coast.

Those companies are not just exporting products. They are embedding themselves in the US economy, creating jobs and contributing to local innovation ecosystems.

Among them are global leaders such as ICON, a world leading clinical research organisation, and Taoglas, a global connectivity leader with significant operations in San Diego. These are companies competing and winning at the highest international level.

Life Science and Healthcare

This brings me to the sector we are here to celebrate this evening.

Ireland’s life sciences and health tech sector is world renowned. It is diverse, highly collaborative and deeply integrated across research, manufacturing and commercialisation.

Ireland is home to more than 700 life sciences and health tech companies. Over 400 of these are homegrown Irish firms, operating alongside a strong multinational presence that includes the world’s top ten biopharma companies, nine of the world’s top ten medtech companies and the world’s leading technology firms.

The sector employs over 100,000 people in Ireland. Medtech alone accounts for 50,000 jobs, making Ireland the largest MedTech employer in Europe on a per capita basis.

One of the most compelling examples of this success is in Galway, now widely recognised as Ireland’s premier health tech hub.

With more than 100 MedTech companies clustered in the region, Galway has earned a new moniker as the Silicon Valley of MedTech. It may lack the Californian sunshine, but our west coast has its own unique charm, as many of you will know.

Global leaders such as Medtronic and Boston Scientific operate alongside innovative Irish companies including Aerogen, Innovative Catheter Solutions and Neurent Medical.

This is no accident. It reflects years of specific policy decisions by the Irish Government to invest in skills, research and industry collaboration, creating a national ecosystem that supports innovation from early-stage research through to global scale.

Enterprise Ireland-supported companies such as Vitalograph, ICS Medical Devices and Croom Medical have all announced significant expansions in recent times, underlining the momentum in the sector.

Looking ahead, the Irish Government is deeply committed to supporting the continued growth of life sciences and healthcare.

We are currently developing a new National Life Sciences Strategy, which represents a major opportunity to consolidate Ireland’s position as a global leader in health innovation.

This strategy is focused on addressing industry needs, fostering collaboration across the ecosystem, and unlocking future opportunities that will benefit the economy, the workforce and patients worldwide.

A core priority is supporting innovative start-ups, particularly those spinning out of our research system.

Increasing the number and impact of high potential start-ups in life sciences remains central to our approach.

The Irish Government continues to invest directly and indirectly in this space, including through its venture capital schemes. In 2025 alone, Enterprise Ireland invested in 30 life sciences companies through its Pre Seed Start Fund and High Potential Start Up supports.

Those investments are translating into real scale and global impact. Enterprise Ireland-supported companies have gone on to raise significant venture capital and European Innovation Council funding, enabling them to bring life-changing solutions to international markets.

Notable fundraises in 2025 included Fire1 (Fire One) raising $120 million and ProVerum raising $80 million. These are strong signals of international confidence in Irish innovation.

Programmes such as the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund and BioInnovate Ireland play a critical role in this journey. BioInnovate, in particular, provides a neutral platform where academia, clinicians and industry collaborate to develop novel medical technologies, supported by our universities, hospitals and industry partners.

Equally important is the close collaboration between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland-supported companies. The connectivity of our supply chains and our shared research agenda are stand out features of the Irish ecosystem, supported by initiatives such as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre.

However, we can never and will never rest on our laurels.

The future of healthcare will be increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, and Ireland is emerging as a critical hub for the companies driving that transformation.

With strong and established links with our third level institutions, Irish-based health care and life sciences firms are leveraging AI to move medicine from reactive treatment toward predictive, personalised and preventative care advances.

For U.S. stakeholders, Ireland represents not just a source of innovation, but a trusted gateway for advancing AI-enabled health care at scale.

All of this matters because healthcare innovation is not abstract.

It improves patient outcomes. It increases resilience in health systems. It delivers economic growth that is sustainable and inclusive. This evening, and this week, is all about building networks and finding partners for today and for the future.

It is about connecting Irish ambition with Californian and American scale, capital and expertise.

Conclusion

I am very much looking forward to the panel discussion later this evening and to hearing directly from the companies who are shaping the next phase of healthcare innovation.

My own message to you is clear. I am here to say that Ireland wants to be a leader in this space, and the Irish Government stands ready to work with you, to partner with you and to grow with you.

We have a strong and resilient economy, we are investing in our critical infrastructure and believe firmly in boosting our competitiveness.

Thank you for being with us here this evening. I encourage you to continue your conversations, to make new connections and to enjoy the rest of the evening here at Ireland House.

I wish you all a productive and successful JP Morgan Healthcare Week and, indeed a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

Thank you.

ENDS

Designated Public Official under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. See http://www.lobbying.ie