NUI Galway’s €30 million Biomedical Science building opens

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD has opened NUI Galway’s €30 million Biomedical Science building that will bring together 300 scientists and researchers.

Designed by Reddy Architecture and Urbanism in Dublin and Payette Architecture in Boston, the project aims to build on the University’s role at the heart of Galway’s vibrant medtech sector; one of five global hubs in a market worth €95 billion annually in the EU.

The Biomedical Science Building, funded under the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) and co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund will create a platform for discovery, development and delivery. It will build on the output of NUI Galway’s cluster of world-leading biomedical research groups in areas such as regenerative medicine and stem cell research, cancer biology (particularly breast and prostate cancer) biomechanics and biomaterials.

Speaking at the opening, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said “I’m delighted to be here for the opening of this new Biomedical Science building at NUIG.  This development will help build on Ireland’s reputation as a location for the medtech sector.  Already 250 medical technology companies based in Ireland export €7.9bn worth of product annually and employ 25,000 people, and the Government sees this sector as a key driver of economic growth.”

NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said “This building will see innovation in action. Located in Galway, close to nine of the world’s ten leading medtech companies, researchers at the Biomedical Science building will work on the science which will address some of today’s most pressing biomedical challenges. It is a tangible expression of this University’s commitment to providing the human and intellectual capital needed by the medtech sector here in Ireland.”

NUI Galway Vice-President for Research, Professor Lokesh Joshi said “This new development is the result of excellence and success in biomedical research in NUI Galway for the past decade. It marks the beginning of a new era to find synergies among different groups and will enable us to continue to compete successfully for funding from European and other sources. It will also help researchers focus on translating their research into products for societal benefit.”