A POWERFUL new advisory board has been established to help promote the north’s burgeoning life & health sciences sector to potential investors in the US.
It is made up of leaders from across the sector in the US, all of whom are either originally from Northern Ireland or who have a strong connection to the region.
And board chair Mark Goldstone – originally from Killinchy in Co Down and who now lives in New York but with a second home near Downpatrick – says the new group will not just open doors and help gain vital access to the lucrative US market, but will also potentially attract valuable foreign direct investment.
He said: “The combined industry knowledge and experience of our board members make it a powerful instrument for advancing the sector and the Northern Ireland economy by championing the region’s significant life & health sciences capabilities.
“We are all passionate about promoting Northern Ireland as a great investment location and a centre of innovation excellence.”
Goldstone, who is partner at Eckuity Capital, a venture capital firm based in New York, told The Irish News: “When you think of life science, you think of diagnostics, pharma and bio-tech, all growth areas.
“But if you’re going to build companies in Northern Ireland in that sector, you must do so with an eye on succeeding in the US market, which is huge.
“Whether you’re just thinking about spinning out of university, or you’re already up and running and want to get to the next stage, or if you are an established company perhaps looking to further expand, this board will offer significant expertise and insight to help you.”
US special economic envoy Joe Kennedy III has welcomed the launch of the advisory board which he says “offers a unique opportunity for Northern Ireland companies to benefit from the knowledge and experience of some of the top professionals in the sector”.
He added: “The US is the largest export market for Northern Ireland life & health sciences companies, so it makes sense to nurture relationships between the two regions and promote mutually beneficial opportunities.”
Others on the 13-strong board - which has been brought together by Invest NI and diaspora outreach initiative NI Connections - include Northern Ireland native Andrew Ball from Abcam in Boston; Anne Heatherington, chief data and technology officer at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, who studied at Queen’s University; Dawn Waterworth, head of immunomics in translational sciences for immunology at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, who graduated from Ulster University; and another UU alumni in Barry Keenan, founder and CEO of Neurosomnics, who has has held several executive positions including CTO at the Alfred Mann Foundation for Scientific Research and spent 10 years at Medtronic directing research.