N EWS June 2020
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Government
grant
scheme
Minister for Business,
Enterprise and
Innovation, Heather
Humphreys TD, has announced
details of a new grant scheme
aimed at supporting the
production of vital medicines
and medical equipment in
Ireland. The Department
of Business, Enterprise and
Innovation received approval
for the scheme from the
European Commission today.
The COVID Products
Scheme has been developed
under a new European
Commission Temporary
Framework that allows
additional aid to be granted
by EU Member States to
companies that are developing
or producing medicinal
products used in the fi ght
against COVID-19. The scheme
will be delivered through
IDA Ireland and Enterprise
Ireland under the terms of
the Temporary Framework,
which is aimed at supporting
the research, development,
and production of COVID-19
related products in Ireland.
The scheme allows for up
to €200m in targeted State
support to facilitate the
research and development of
COVID products, to enable
the construction or upgrading
of testing and upscaling
infrastructures that contribute
to the development COVID-19
relevant products, as well as
to support the production of
products needed to respond to
the outbreak.
Minister Humphreys said:
“The challenge of COVID-19
is fi rst and foremost a
health emergency and we
will continue to prioritise
the medical response to the
pandemic. The intention
of this new scheme is to
accelerate the production of
EU and targeted at Medicinal
products for Covid-19 is a
signifi cant step forward. The
Life Sciences sector will
be central to creating an
environment where human
health is protected and
economic life can begin to
return to normal and this will
allow us to support the sector.
The scheme allows for grant
aid of up to 50% of eligible
capital investment. This will
ensure that the intervention
will have a substantial
impact on COVID-19 related
production and will drive a
signifi cant return for the State.
Details on the opening
of the scheme will be made
available in the coming days.
Applications for aid under the
scheme must be approved no
later than 31 December, 2020.
Sempre Group boosts Ireland coverage
8 » JUNE 2020 » WWW.MADEIN.IE
vital medicines and potential
vaccines, along with essential
equipment, used in the fi ght
against COVID-19.”
The introduction of the
scheme will allow IDA Ireland
and Enterprise Ireland to
generate signifi cant additional
capital investment from fi rms in
the life sciences sector, thereby
helping the national economic
recovery from the COVID-19
crisis. Companies in the
pharmaceutical sector, including
a number of existing IDA
clients, are currently engaged
in developing both COVID-19
treatments and vaccines.
Companies are also seeking to
increase manufacturing capacity
to meet intense global demand
for treatments found to be
eff ective.
CEO of IDA Ireland,
Martin Shanahan, said: “This
new State Aid Framework
sanctioned for Ireland by the
announces
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Metrology expert The Sempre
Group has added a physical
presence to its Ireland reach, with
Jason McGlynn joining the team
as commercial manager and plans
to establish a new Technology
Centre to provide local support
to customers across Ireland,
particularly in the medical arena.
McGlynn will build on
his extensive experience in
high volume medical device
manufacturing, having worked
across the entire product lifecycle,
from concept, development, and
operations, and brings particular
expertise in coordinate measuring
machines (CMMs), gauging and CT
scanning to the company.
“Ireland is one of the largest
exporters of medical devices in
Europe and it has a world-class
aerospace sector,” explains Mike
John, managing director at The
Sempre Group. “We have been
dedicated to delivering quality
metrology solutions and services
to customers throughout Ireland
for many years, and, to further
this thriving market, we are now
investing signifi cantly in our Irish
operations.”
Adds McGlynn: “As the
complexity of products increases,
manufacturers need a high quality
measurement service provider
that understands the entire
product lifecycle. Bringing a
product to market is a signifi cant
investment and, at the moment, it
is diffi cult for Irish manufacturers
to access the local metrology
support they need from one single
provider. The Sempre Group will
provide Irish manufacturing
companies with this much needed
support.”
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