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The Medical Device Sector – Why you should consider a move to the West?

As a whole the Medical Device Technology Industry is estimated to be worth somewhere between 173-193 billion euro and Ireland are the second biggest exporter of medical technology in Europe with giants like Boston Scientific and Medtronic employing 5200 and 4500 respectively in Ireland alone. The main area of expertise lies in Cardiovascular (Abbott, Medtronic and Boston) but there are plenty of Orthopaedic (J&J and DePuy) and Diagnostic (Beckman Coulter) MedTech companies too. The West of Ireland specifically has roughly 40% of the employment in the MedTech sector and 31% of that is stationed in Galway city and county. Eight of world’s top ten med tech companies are established here. The only downside…the companies in the West need more Engineers as their growth is surpassing the local development of graduates. So why not be part of the wave of new job opportunities washing over the West? Galway – the beating heart of the Medical Device Sector It’s a well-known fact that Dublin has overtaken London as the most expensive city to live in Europe. It’s also far to say that there is plenty on offer across the south in the biomedical engineering sector, but it is spread very far apart with one location not necessarily leading the way. It’s also no secret that multinational MedTech companies have identified Ireland as one of the best companies to develop their excellence, manufacturing and R&D operations. Don’t worry though as the Wild Atlantic West has plenty to offer and particularly in the MedTech hub, Galway. With the IDA developing Parkmore, Mervue and the other business parks and with most of the working professionals either directly or indirectly employed by a MedTech business, the future seems as bright for the West Coast of the emerald isle. Galway also has a thriving cultural scene, even winning the European Capital of Culture for 2020 where they aim to flood the city with cultural activities and tap into the deep history and sense of community. Galway has been named UNESCO city of film and awarded the European green leaf award as the most environmentally sustainable small city. Start-ups or Multinationals? The choice is yours! Whether you’re looking to get into an established company and to learn from the best in product excellence and R&D like Boston, Medtronic or Merit or have your heart set on getting into that niche start-up and making a life changing new product, thereby claiming your place in the Global Medtech Innovation. There is so much opportunity. A client of ours made waves after starting off in the engineering start-up program with NUIG by making ground breaking neurovascular devices and were recently acquired by J&J to help the Galway based site grow further with a global network of sister sites in America and Europe to help with manufacturing, compliance and product development. Similarly, another start-up called Novate was sold in a deal worth up to $150m due to their success in developing a blood filter. Also, with the likes of Capsos, Neosurgical and Veryan there is a large possibility, the amazing ability of the Irish and particularly Galway to innovate will continue strong, further adding to the vast opportunities for Engineers here in the West. Start-ups aren’t the only ones pushing the boundaries in Research and Development as Boston had 21 successful patent applications last year for their Galway site. They are also the largest medical device employer in Ireland and the Watchman implant has the MedTech sector very excited. Medtronic too have added the likes of Covidien life support products to their growing catalogue and founded their global site of excellence and development here in Galway for a reason, the continued success of the Galway talent pool to innovate and improve patients’ lives. Similarly, academic studies into MedTech are securing massive investment such as the Cúram research centre at NUI Galway (NUIG) which secured 22 million in funding from the EU. Finally, a key aspect which many of the MedTech companies here are involved in is Additive Manufacturing and the research of 3D Printed medical device solutions. Specialists in Polymers, Compliance/Regulatory Affairs and Manufacturing will have their choice of the lot when it comes to the jobs of the future. Innovation has been and will continue to be a massive part of the West’s success story in Medical Devices. Why the West? From Sea Sessions (outdoor music festival on the Atlantic coast which is not to be missed) in Donegal, Other Voices (an unmissable acoustic experience in Mayo) and the Galway International Arts Festival. The music scene has something to be seen and heard all year long. Galway has become renowned for attracting the music stars of the future, with no small mention to Ed Sheeran who busked and based a world-famous song on the city. If trad music is what your searching for, Sligo Live or one of the many traditional pubs will be sure to give you a great night out. Regarding food, the Galway farmers market has a baffling variety of Indian, German, traditional Irish and even more types of cuisine. Similarly, the likes of Kai (Awarded Michelin Bib), Cava, Dela, Ard Bia and the Galway Bay Brewery (Several best in Ireland beer awards) all have fantastic locally sourced food but as a whole Galway has been highlighted as the Gastronomic must visit city of Ireland. Sport-wise and activity wise, there are plenty of local sport clubs across the city and suburbs to join with the Medical Device companies offering sports and social clubs too. Also, Connacht have enjoyed plenty of success domestically and in internationally. The Sportsground is very centrally located and is always worth a visit. Croagh Patrick and Westport offers a decent challenge to mountain and hill climbers with spectacular views. As annual exports of medical devices valued at over 7 billion euros it would only make sense that investment has been made to further develop the infrastructure in the West of Ireland. With two airports, both seeing increased global services including regular flights to the UK and Germany from Knock and massive long-haul flights departing from Shannon as of late, the west is well serviced. Also, it is very well connected by road and rail to the other beautiful parts of Ireland. It’s hard to argue with how amazing the West of Ireland and how much further potential it has is. With a bright future in the medical device sector, come visit us or contact us directly for all of the details on the top jobs in MedTech here in the West of Ireland.

Why Good Employees Quit Their Jobs

It’s the dreaded words that no manager wants to hear from a good employee, “I quit”. All employers want to keep their talented staff for as long as possible. Not only is the turnover of staff expensive it is also difficult to find good replacements, along with the uncertainty of how they will work out. Sometimes there are reasons that an employee may leave, that you unfortunately can’t prevent such as personal reasons, or they have been offered an opportunity that was too good to let pass by. However, often there are other reasons that are preventable, below are some of the most common reasons. No Opportunities For Promotion Every employee wants the chance to better themselves and get ahead in the company they are working in. However, employers can often just focus on getting the work done and ensuring targets are met. If a member of staff feels that they are not going anywhere in the company, they will look elsewhere for better opportunities. Therefore it is important for managers to take the time to talk to their staff with regards to their career progression and where they would like to see themselves going in the company. They Are Overworked It can be easy for managers to overwork their best employees, however this can be counterproductive. It can make employees feel like they are being punished or that they are being loaded with too many responsibilities without getting the pay or title to go along with it. They Don’t Like Their Boss It is not necessary for employees and their manager to be friends, but it is important that there is a relationship there. The boss is too much a part of an employee’s daily life at work to have an awkward or uncomfortable relationship. Having a bad relationship with a manager can discourage staff members from doing a good job. Commitments Aren’t Honoured Managers can often promise their employees the sun, moon and stars, however they don’t always follow through on their promises. This can be extremely frustrating for employees when they have put in the work and effort but are not rewarded with the promotion or raise that they were promised. Making empty promises to good employees can often result in them finding work elsewhere. They Are Bored No one wants to be unchallenged or bored with the work that they do. Employees that perform well, need to be challenged in their work and given the chance to develop their skills. By giving employees more meaningful work, they use more of their skills and can often find better ways to get things done. If staff do not get to engage creatively, they are more likely to become restless in the job and begin looking for a more stimulating job elsewhere. The important thing to remember when trying to retain top staff, is communication. Think about how you treat your staff and if you would be happy in their position. Often factors for employees leaving are preventable, therefore it is important to be actively developing staff members as much as possible. Good employees have the talent that gives them plenty of other options, so make sure they want to stay working for you.