Health/Lifesciences

The following actions will be undertaken in 2012 in respect of the Health/Lifesciences sector. We will:

7.2.1 Deliver a Health Innovation Hub to drive collaboration between the health system and commercial enterprises leading to the development and commercialisation of new healthcare technologies, products, services and start‐ups emerging from within the health system and/or firms. (IDA, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland, Department of Health and other stakeholders )

7.2.2 Enact a Health Information Bill to support a conducive environment for health research in Ireland; this will streamline the ethics approval process for health research not governed by statutory regulation and EU law; the Bill will also provide a legal framework for the introduction of an individual patient identifier. (Department of Health)

7.2.3 Support the development of Ireland as a Global Centre of Excellence for the Medical Device industry by providing a local high‐quality, wide‐scope, responsive CE mark certification service. (National Standards Authority of Ireland)

7.2.4 Undertake preparatory actions for the design and establishment of new research centres in the areas of Pharmaceutical Production, Medical Devices and Connected Health. (DJEI, SFI, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and other funders as appropriate)

7.2.5 Where Government funding of health research supports specific areas of opportunity for Ireland, it will focus on areas including manufacturing/ formulation of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, medical diagnostics and other medical technologies and Food for Health/nutraceuticals. (Research funders and Prioritisation Action Group)

7.2.6 Prepare a detailed implementation plan for the development of a national biobanking structure. (D/Health)

7.2.7 Review Section 42 of the Patents Act 1992 with the aim of clarifying research actions that do not constitute patent infringement under Irish law in order to maintain and attract high value added Bio‐pharmaceutical investment. (DJEI)