Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- IPHA’s Priorities for 2025: Improve speed of access to medicines, attract more clinical trials, and position Ireland as a competitive market for global investment.
- Ireland as a Life-Sciences Hub: Ireland offers a rich ecosystem for biopharma, with +50,000 people employed in the sector, robust regulation, a skilled workforce in STEM, Strong government support and policy signals for innovation, and high academic and institutional alignment to support pharma growth.
- Takeda’s Strategic Footprint in Ireland: Almost 30 years of operations, present in 4 locations for commercial, corporate services, and manufacturing, leading portfolio for rare diseases, oncology, gastroenterology, and plasma-derived therapies.
- Corporate Culture & Decision-Making: Strong adherence to “Takedaism” and PTRB framework: Patient, Trust, Reputation & Business.
- Digital Transformation & Innovation: In the context of Takeda’s ambition to be the most trusted digital biopharma company, it is investing heavily in digital and tech skills across all roles and using them to create value with initiatives such as Screen4Care & FYWY app.
- Attracting and Retaining Talent: Takeda promotes pharma careers through storytelling and value-driven impact, is active across academic levels, gives its employees empowerment and autonomy, and has transparent communication.
EF: You are coming up on a year as head of IPHA. Tell us, what is at the top of your agenda right now? And what do you think 2025 will be remembered for in the Irish healthcare and life sciences space?
SR: The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) strives to be a valued partner in improving healthcare and in advancing Ireland as an innovation-ready and investment-friendly location, and a global leader in life sciences. This is a critical time for our sector; we have the opportunity to build on the strong foundations already in place and to chart a course for the future. The Government’s Programme includes a number of positive signals of continued support for Ireland as a life sciences destination. However, to realise this ambition, we must work in partnership, with patients at the centre, alongside academia, the health service, and government.
To continue to attract investment, drive growth, and improve our nation’s health, it is essential that Ireland and the broader EU remain globally competitive. This means we need to streamline regulation and appropriately reward innovation, but a top priority is improving the speed of access to new medicines in Ireland. When it comes to patients’ access to medicines, Ireland is still behind its peer countries in terms of how quickly patients get access to new treatments. For example, only one in four oncology treatments licensed since 2020 are available in Ireland; that is something we are working hard to change. We have engaged at every level with government, health authorities, patients, and other partners to seek changes as we believe improving patients’ access to innovation is essential to raising standards of healthcare in Ireland.
This year, we are due to renegotiate our pricing and supply framework agreement with the government. This provides an important opportunity that we must seize if we are to deliver improvements in patient outcomes. This agreement can play a key role in improving the overall availability, affordability, and accessibility of life-enhancing medicines for patients in Ireland, enhancing standards of care, while maintaining the industry’s strong contribution to investment and employment in Ireland.
Additionally, Ireland has the opportunity to make significant progress in attracting and advancing clinical research and clinical trials. Doing so will enhance patient access to cutting-edge treatments and also strengthen the wider healthcare ecosystem. The state has already made progress in examining the possibilities in this area, and the current Programme for Government includes a clear call to make Ireland more attractive for clinical trial investment.
If you look at these together, faster access to medicines and a stronger clinical trials environment, along with our ambition to keep Ireland competitive for continued investment, they form the foundation of a strong and robust life sciences strategy. This is our focus, and there is strong support and commitment – from patient groups to academia - to contributing to this. So 2025 will be a pivotal year. It will bring significant challenges, but also significant opportunities for us.
EF: Why is one dollar invested in Ireland better than a dollar invested anywhere else? What is your pitch when it comes to attracting investment and resources?
SR: Ireland is a really special ecosystem. When you look at pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, there are around 50,000 people directly employed in the sector, and probably just as many indirectly. Since the first parent companies came here, some as far back as 40 years ago, we have seen the ecosystem flourish over two generations. What we have now is a very strong platform, with a high level of expertise and a robust, well-respected regulatory environment.
Over the years, academic institutions have developed specific courses and capabilities to support the industry, which has created a rich pipeline of talent for the workforce. Ireland also has one of the highest proportions of adults with higher education (college or university) qualifications, and one of the highest in STEM. So you have the talent, the capability, and the full ecosystem to support future investment.
EF: Takeda will be celebrating 30 years in Ireland soon. You have built a strong footprint, especially in areas like cell therapies and advanced manufacturing. Can you walk me through how that came together in what is, relatively speaking, a short period of time? What made Ireland such a competitive location for Takeda?
SR: 30 years will be a big milestone for us. Takeda’s operations in Ireland were established in 1997, and since then, Ireland has played a key role in Takeda’s global leadership in rare diseases, oncology, gastroenterology, and plasma-derived therapies. Today, we have commercial operations, corporate services, and manufacturing facilities across four different locations in Ireland. Like many others at Takeda, we are strongly committed to our patients and our employees. We focus on improving quality of life, having a meaningful impact, and partnering with others across the healthcare ecosystem.
Our culture is something that sets us apart. “Takedaism” outlines our values, which are put into practice through our decision-making framework, PTRB: patient, trust, reputation, business, always in that order. That is how we approach every business decision. Is it good for the patient? Does it build trust? Does it strengthen our reputation and the reputation of the sector? And is it right for the business? These principles are deeply ingrained in how we work, and we are very proud of our culture, which is inspired by our Japanese heritage.
Looking ahead, our global R&D pipeline, driven by both internal research and external partnerships, is expected to deliver a steady stream of treatments. That will help sustain our growth and our impact. Another key element supporting this goal is our digital transformation. Takeda has a very clear objective to become the most trusted digital biopharmaceutical company. This commitment is just as strong in Ireland as it is everywhere else. We are seeing this transformation across the entire value chain, which is very exciting.
Considering all of this, and in light of my role as President of IPHA, I recognise I have the opportunity and platform to help shape positive action in the external environment. Everything we do aligns with Takeda’s mission: to improve patient outcomes, ensure Ireland remains competitive as a global life sciences hub, and to have an impact both at home and abroad, where our treatments are exported.
EF: As Ireland stands at the intersection of shaping electronic health records and broader digital transformation, what do you think is the level of awareness and value the country places on this shift? Specifically, how is Ireland thinking about the value of the data being generated from its own population?
SR: I am glad you referenced the progress towards the electronic health record and the digitalisation of our healthcare system. There have been significant strides, both in terms of proposed legislation and investment in e-health infrastructure to make that happen. From both my perspective as IPHA President and as General Manager of Takeda, we feel this is absolutely critical to Ireland’s ambition to be a leading life sciences destination, and to be ready to fully capitalise on the innovative treatments of the future.
Ireland still has work to do in this area. We are not yet a leader in capturing data and the digitisation of healthcare, but we are starting to take the right steps. With the speed at which data and digital technologies are advancing, there is confidence that Ireland will quickly catch up with those countries at the forefront of this transformation. Ultimately, the greatest beneficiaries will be patients in Ireland. We will be able to work in a more efficient way, measure the impact and effectiveness of care and treatments, deliver personalised care, and become more attractive and competitive for clinical trial investment.
EF: Can you tell us a little bit more about how Takeda is building value for patients, for employees, and in terms of developing skill sets?
SR: As mentioned, our CEO set out our ambition to become the most trusted digital biopharmaceutical company. This is a bold vision, but it is one that we are all committed to achieving. Over the last few years, Takeda has made significant investments in upskilling employees across data, digital, and technology. Of course, that looks different depending on where someone works across the value chain, but overall, the promise is huge. It brings gains in productivity and efficiency and will eventually help reduce the cost of developing new molecules.
There are a number of initiatives I would highlight that show how we are adding value, as well as using digital technology in a meaningful way. One example is an initiative called Screen4Care. It is a consortium made up of a number of Irish contributors, including ourselves, peer companies, and academic institutions. It uses advances in data, digital technology, AI, and machine learning to help speed up diagnosis in rare diseases.
This is a topic close to our hearts because the diagnostic journey for rare diseases can take up to eight years. And for many patients, time is critical. This initiative is using technology, including facial recognition and other diagnostic markers, to broaden and speed up diagnosis.
Another example, which perhaps has a broader impact, is an app called For You With You, or FYWY as we call it. It is a multilingual app designed to help ADHD patients track their condition, and it is a great example of how we have built our own internal innovation capability.
Those are two very recent and active examples of how we are using our digital capabilities to bring significant value beyond the medicine itself, but we’re also extremely proud of our collaborations and campaigns. As with the digital initiatives I’ve outlined, our activity in partnership with patient groups seeks to better support the health of the population. I am Number 17 is a campaign to raise the voices of those living with a rare disease and to show that rare isn’t always rare. It’s been developed by Takeda Products Ireland Ltd, Rare Diseases Ireland, and Rare Ireland, and has the support of 16 patient organisations. The campaign has been warmly received by policy-makers and patients alike, and we’re committed to growing it further.
EF: On the topic of human resources, how do you attract the best and brightest talent?
SR: We are very lucky in Ireland to have a rich pipeline of talent. At Takeda, we are very active, not only with those in higher education at university or college, but also with interns and apprenticeships. We engage across the board, from secondary school to qualified professionals. In my current roles, I have the privilege of meeting many undergraduates. I regularly visit academic institutions and speak to students about their future careers, especially those interested in life sciences. Engagement is really important. It is about showing them what is possible.
If you begin a career in biopharma or pharma in Ireland, you have opportunities across the entire value chain, from R&D, manufacturing, clinical trials, regulatory, sales, and marketing, to medical and more. And of course, because many of these companies are multinational, there is the potential to travel and make an impact globally. It is primarily about telling the story of the sector, and the story of life sciences in Ireland is very compelling. Life expectancy in Ireland has risen significantly in the last 25 years, from one of the lowest in the EU to one of the highest. Innovative treatment is not the only factor, but it is certainly one of the key components. Standards of care have directly improved, and that has had a clear impact on both population health and the economic health of the country.
Finally, it’s about telling our own unique story. We’re an award-winning organisation, and it is great internally for the team to be recognised externally. But it also has an impact on prospective future employees. They will want to join a progressive organisation, not just in terms of what we do in the healthcare ecosystem, but also in what we do from a people perspective in ensuring an inclusive and progressive culture in which everyone can contribute and belong.
EF: How do you retain your talent?
SR: If we are fortunate enough, and we have been, to attract really talented and committed individuals, then I feel that the Takeda values and the way we approach things really resonate. When people see our patient–trust–reputation–business framework being applied in real-life situations, it can be very powerful. We are also very clear on our purpose. The work we do is meaningful, and we reinforce that a lot. Whatever role someone holds, we make it clear how that role contributes to our overall purpose of being leaders in impact, influence, and reputation across the healthcare ecosystem.
At Takeda, we like to empower our employees. They are trusted to make the appropriate decisions at the appropriate level. We do not struggle to attract talent, and from day one, we listen. Employees will tell us what they like and where we can improve, as we have a very strong speak-up culture. When people know they are being heard, when they see their ideas being acted on, they respond. Even when an idea cannot be acted upon, explaining why can be equally powerful. I think a mixture of all those things is why we enjoy high retention.
EF: You will soon be celebrating 15 years at Takeda, and you also bring with you a wealth of experience from across the pharmaceutical sector. When you reach that milestone, what would you say if you were giving a message to your team? What personal reflections or moments are you most proud of looking back on?
SR: I can’t quite believe it’s been nearly 15 years at Takeda, but if I were to mark it, the first thing I would want to do is celebrate with the people I work with. From a Takeda Ireland perspective, we have achieved great things over the years. We have had a really positive impact on the healthcare ecosystem in terms of our treatments, but also through our impact on policy, thought leadership, and the value we have delivered beyond medicines. All of that has been a team effort.
Secondly, I would reflect on the honour and privilege of being elected by my peers to represent the healthcare sector as President of IPHA. I still have a year left in that role, so it is too early to start looking back. I look forward to what we still need to achieve in the next year and a half, from improving access to medicines and increasing access to clinical trials, to continuing to promote Ireland as a prime location for life sciences investment.
