ABPI Northern Ireland

ABPI Northern Ireland was established in 2008 to support the development of life sciences in NI and to ensure that the benefits of biomedical innovation are brought rapidly to patients.

ABPI Northern Ireland works with stakeholders in academia, government, clinical research and industry to:

Increase the contribution of life sciences to the Northern Ireland economy by encouraging inward investment and cross-sector research collaboration
Improve patient access to innovative medicines and generate evidence of the resulting health gain
Develop and implement Joint Working and Partnership initiatives to improve patient outcomes

Working together: Guidance to support transformative industry partnerships with Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care system

The Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) is the voice of the organisations working across Northern Ireland’s integrated Health and Social Care (HSC) system.

Download the guidance at a glance

Fraser of Allander Institute Report

Fraser Northern Ireland May 2022 871X571

The pharmaceutical sector plays an important role in the Northern Ireland economy. This report, by the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) at the University of Strathclyde, looks at the value of the sector.

Download the report

What is the value of the pharmaceutical industry to Northern Ireland?

Around 70% of jobs in pharmaceuticals were in occupations classified under the two highest skill levels, which typically demand a salary three times greater than lower-skilled occupations.

We estimate the Life Sciences sector, identified as a key growth sector over the coming decade for skills and qualifications, supports more than 19,500 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) jobs across the entire Northern Ireland economy.

We estimate that pharmaceutical firms spend on R&D in Northern Ireland was around £25 million in 2019 or 4% of total Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD) in Northern Ireland.

Accounting for the pharmaceuticals industry's manufacturing, wholesale, and research elements, we estimate the wider pharmaceuticals sector generates more than £2.4bn of output and supports 15,140 FTE jobs across the whole Northern Ireland economy.