The EMA is looking for a new home. In this blog post partner Elisabethann Wright argues the case for Ireland.
For thousands of years Ireland has been known as the Island of Saints and Scholars. The country is also world famous for its "Irish welcome". The scholarly aspect has evolved to make Ireland one of the acknowledged leading locations in the European Union for the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the respect in which the country's medical authority, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), is held is demonstrated by the disproportionate number of decentralised medical products in which the Authority takes the role of reference member state when compared to the size of the country. Ireland is also acknowledged to have cutting edge research facilities and a young, educated, and enthusiastic population.
The international research-based pharmaceutical industry has invested over €7 billion in Ireland in the last ten years. HPRA is also part of a professional, progressive and science-driven public sector, important essentials to support the relocation of the EMA to Ireland.
The facilities available and the accessibility that Dublin possesses also make Ireland an obvious choice to host the EMA. The city is just one hour flying time from London, making the transition for EMA employees from one English-speaking, culturally rich city to another less painful.
Ireland may not have the sunshine of Italy or the cheese and tulips of the Netherlands. Irish people are, however, to be found everywhere in the world – taking over one pub at a time. We are welcoming in Ireland and welcomed throughout the globe. This gives Ireland an unassailable advantage – the EMA and anyone interacting with the Agency will know what to expect when it moves its headquarters to Ireland.
