1 | “Signing of the Ireland-China MOU to Promote Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation,” Gov.ie, July 15, 2019, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e86ed7-signing-of-the-ireland-china-mou-to-promote-science-technology-and-i/
2 | Science Foundation Ireland, “Science Foundation Ireland–National Natural Science Foundation of China International Partnership Programme,” February 13, 2017, https://www.sfi.ie/funding/ funding-calls/sfi-nsf-china-partnership/21-SFI-NSFC-Partnership-2017-Call-Document.pdf
3 | “Irish Universities Open AI Research Doors to China with Signing of Agreements,” IDA Ireland, November 2, 2018, https://www.idaireland.com/latest-news/press-release/irish-universities-open-ai-research-doors-to-china-with-signing-of-agreement
4 | National Treasury Management Agency, “ISIF and China’s CIC Capital Announce €150 Million Fund to Focus on High-Growth Companies Seeking Access to Irish and Chinese Markets,” Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, March 16, 2018, https://isif.ie/news/isif-and-chinas-cic-capital-announce-150-million-fund-to-focus-on-high-growth-companies-seeking-access-to-irish-and-chinese-markets
5 | Nicholas Tarrant, ESB Networks Innovation 2026 (ESB Networks, 2026), https://www.esbnet-works.ie/docs/default-source/database-documents/esb-networks-consultation-innovation-2026--innovation-to-deliver-networks-for-net-zero.pdf
6 | PRC Government, “Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Devel-opment and the Long-Range Objectives to 2035 of the PRC,” March 13, 2021, https://www.gov. cn/xinwen/2021-03/13/content_5592681.htm PRC Government, “Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the PRC,” March 13, 2026, https://www.gov.cn/yaowen/liebiao/202603/content_7062633.htm
Biomedicine is named as one of the strategic emerging industries for the government to develop and strengthen in the new five-year plan. The clinical application of innovative drugs also features as part of the plan’s development of strategic products and services.
7 | “How China Is Changing the Clinical Development Landscape,” DIA Global Forum, October 1, 2019, https://globalforum.diaglobal.org/issue/october-2019/how-china-is-changing-the-clinical-development-landscape Bruce Liu et al., “China’s Trial Advantage: Tracking Nation’s Growth in Pharma Innovation and Global Investment,” PharmExec, May 21, 2026, https://www.pharmexec.com/view/chinas-trial-advantage-tracking-nation-s-growth-in-pharma-innovation-and-global-investment
8 | Institute of Drug Regulatory Science at Tsinghua University and PharmaCube, “China’s In-novative Drug Industry from a Global Perspective: A Decade of Review and Outlook,[CN]” PharmaCube, March 17, 2025, https://bydrug.pharmcube.com/report/detail/3ca5bf61e7c-f45a787c99df045386f12 Bruce Liu et al., “Navigating Cross-Border Pharma Deals: Key Trends and Lessons Out of China,” PharmExec, February 12, 2025, https://www.pharmexec.com/view/navigating-cross-border-pharma-deals-key-trends-and-lessons-out-of-china
9 | John FitzGerald, The Irish Pharmaceutical Sector (ESRI, 2025), https://doi.org/10.26504/rn20250301.
10 | “Key Players in Ireland’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Space,” IDA Ireland, July 9, 2025, https://www.idaireland.com/latest-news/insights/pharmaceutical-manufacturing-companies-ireland
11 | Brian O’Donovan, “Why the Pharmaceutical Sector Is So Important to Ireland,” RTÉ News, April 1, 2025, https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0401/1505311-pharma-sector/
12 | IDA Ireland, “The Future of Biopharma in Ireland,” December 3, 2025, https://www.idaireland.com/latest-news/insights/the-future-of-biopharma-in-ireland
13 | Central Statistics Office, “Key Findings: Goods Exports and Imports December 2025,” CSO, February 17, 2026, https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-gei/goodsexportsandimportsdecember2025/keyfindings/
14 | John Campbell, “Weight Loss Drug Demand in US Drives Ireland’s Exports,” BBC News, June 19, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23gkrej2y0o
15 | Catherine Eckford, “Novo Nordisk Expands Oral GLP-1 Manufacturing Capacity in Ireland,” European Pharmaceutical Review, March 2, 2026, https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/novo-nordisk-expands-oral-glp-1-manufacturing-capacity-in-ireland/1131739.article, Andrew Silver, “Novo Nordisk to Seek Approval Soon to Sell Wegovy Pill in China,” World, Reuters, June 16, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/novo-nordisk-seek-regulatory-approval-wegovy-pill-china-soon-says-ceo-2026-06-16/
16 | John Campbell, “Weight Loss Drugs: €400m Tablet Factory to Be Built in Ireland,” BBC News, March 2, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24g89ewmeo
17 | Julie Zhang, “China’s Obesity Drug Makers Take on Global Giants as Novo Nordisk Patent Expires,” South China Morning Post, March 26, 2026, https://www.scmp.com/business/china-busi-ness/article/3347869/chinas-weight-loss-drug-makers-take-global-giants-novo-nordisk-patent-expires
18 | Emer Walsh, “Cork’s Solvotrin Therapeutics and Nuance Pharma Partner to Launch Iron Supplement in China,” Irish Examiner, January 8, 2026, https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/companies/arid-41772131.html
19 | Dominic Coyle, “Supplements Group Solvotrin Raises €6.7m to Fund China, US Expansion,” The Irish Times, November 2, 2020, https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/supplements-group-solvotrin-raises-6-7m-to-fund-china-us-expansion-1.4397018
20 | Dermot O’Leary, The Irish Pharmaceutical Sector in Ireland (Goodbody, 2026), https://www.goodbody.ie/corporate-news-and-media-insights/the-irish-pharmaceutical-sector-in-ireland/
21 | Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, “Public Consultation on National Life Sci-ences Strategy,” Gov.ie, October 24, 2025, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-enterprise-tourism-and-employment/consultations/public-consultation-on-national-life-sciences-strategy/
22 | Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Silicon Island: Ireland’s National Semicon-ductor Strategy, May 19, 2025, https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/publication-files/silicon-island-a-national-semiconductor-strategy.pdf
23 | Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, “Powering Prosperity: Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy,” March 8, 2024, https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/powering-prosperity.html
24 | Department of Defence, “National Maritime Security Strategy 2026–2030,” Gov.ie, February 25, 2026, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-defence/publications/national-maritime-security-strategy-20262030/
25 | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, “Critical Raw Materials Act Enters into Force,” Gov.ie, May 23, 2024, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-envi-ronment/press-releases/critical-raw-materials-act-enters-into-force/
26 | Houses of the Oireachtas, “Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026, No. 37 of 2026,” Houses of the Oireachtas, April 8, 2026, https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2026/37
27 | Government of Ireland, Government Action Plan on Market Diversification (August 2025), https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/publications/publication-files/government-action-plan-on-market-diversification.pdf
28 | Helen McEntee, “Trade Promotion, Thursday, 26 March 2026, Parliamentary Questions, 34th Dáil,” Houses of the Oireachtas, March 26, 2026, https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2026-03-26/75
29 | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, “Energy Security in Ireland to 2030,” Gov. ie, November 14, 2023, https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/energy-security-in-ireland-to-2030/
30 | “Celtic Interconnector,” EirGrid, accessed May 22, 2026, https://www.eirgrid.ie/celticinterconnector