County Galway
One-third of Ireland's 25,000 MedTech workers concentrate here—Boston Scientific's largest global site and CÚRAM's €756M economic impact (12x government investment) define Galway's cluster.
County Galway emerged as Ireland's MedTech capital—8,333 employees across startups, multinationals, and research centers, representing one-third of Ireland's 25,000 medical device workers. The West region accounts for 39% of national medical device employment; Ireland has Europe's highest per-capita MedTech employment.
Boston Scientific anchors the cluster: 30 years in Galway, largest manufacturing site globally, 6,500 employees across Cork, Galway, and Tipperary sites. The €100 million Ballybrit expansion (announced 2022) creates 300+ jobs in renewable-powered manufacturing. Four million medical devices ship annually from Galway—heart stents, vascular balloons, oesophageal stents treating cardiac and cancer patients worldwide.
CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland research center at University of Galway, generated €756 million economic impact by 2024—a 12-fold return on €64.8 million government investment since 2015. This research-industry linkage attracts additional investment; Medtronic, Integer, Aerogen, and Zimmer Biomet cluster around university expertise.
Galway demonstrates how research institutions create manufacturing clusters. Initial investments attracted supply chains; supply chains attracted more manufacturers; manufacturers funded more research. The positive feedback loop positions Galway as global MedTech hub beyond Ireland's domestic market.