The County of Limerick is becoming a center of science

One-of-a-kind laboratories and conference centers are to be found in the City of Limerick

Limerick is a county in Ireland that is closest to the main island of Britain. The capital of the county, Limerick, has a rich cultural background and in 2014 was designated a National City of Culture. It boasts wonderful museums, splendid nature and an Art College that contributes to the variety of art exhibitions, styles and artistic expressions that can be enjoyed here.

International conferencing

As of late, Limerick is becoming an attractive destination for international conferences. For 2019 alone, more than 11 million euros worth of business came to this city, 65% more than in 2018. The city has the capacity to host more than 1000 people at a time which is very important in terms of international conferences for business, academics, and research, FDI, etc.

The City Council and the regional government decided to launch a digital campaign called “Meet in Limerick” in order to attract even more international attention in 2020. The website that was created lists the many conference halls available to national and international organizations as well as the already-planned events.

One of the things that make Limerick an even more attractive  destination for conferences is the huge success of hosting Ryder Cup 2026. This puts the county and the city on the map for luxurious resorts that can offer high level services.

State-of-the-art laboratories

Limerick is not only becoming an appealing spot for conferences. It also develops state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind laboratories offering services to the medical-technology (MedTech) sector.

BHP Laboratories, a family-owned company, exists for more than 40 years and works with clients in Irelands, UK and the EU. It provides services to the MedTech and pharmaceutical sectors.

At the end of December 2019, BHP Laboratories opened the only laboratory in Ireland that offers complete elemental impurities testing to meet the ever-growing needs and requirements of quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry.

BHP invested a significant amount in this area that will serve the quality needs of the customers, but also will reduce the time for sample testing. They further aim at developing new markets and deepening cooperation with the existing ones.

Niall Purcell from BHP Laboratories showing Minister Pat Breen the new facility. Photo by Limerick.ie

The new laboratory was inaugurated by Pat Breen, Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection. He said that the work that has been done and the future services are in line not only with the company's program for development. The laboratories will employ more people, enhance the innovativeness and competitiveness of the Irish economy and will eventually attract more capital to the region.

The County of Limerick draws an excellent example of how a good strategy, smart investment, and support from the regional authorities can turn an area into an attractive center for research, science and investments in medical and pharmaceutical production.