Medtech Rising 2025 and the Future of Skills: An Innopharma Education Perspective
Image by Irish Medtech via LinkedIn.
Author: Áine Behan, PhD, Programme Director for MSc/PGD in Medical Devices Business and Technology
The conversations at Medtech Rising 2025 made one thing abundantly clear: while the future success of Ireland’s MedTech sector will still depend on continued access to capital or infrastructure there is so much more built on how effectively organisations develop, retain and future-proof their teams. The themes emerging from this year’s event strongly reinforced the importance of industry aligned, lifelong learning as a cornerstone of competitiveness in the rapidly evolving Irish MedTech landscape.
Lifelong Learning Is No Longer Optional
As highlighted by Sinead Keogh of Ibec at Medtech Rising 2025, acquiring talent and upskilling nationally remain critical priorities to maintain our global leadership position in the areas of MedTech manufacturing and innovation.
One of the strongest signals I took away from Medtech Rising was that upskilling can no longer be viewed as a once-off intervention tied to a role change or regulatory requirement. Instead, industry leaders continue to emphasise the need for continuous learning pathways that evolve alongside technology regulation and organisational strategy. This shift is mirroring what is seen everyday working with MedTech employers and professionals across Ireland. Skills requirements are changing faster than traditional education models can keep pace and this is making flexible modular learning increasingly essential.
Innopharma Education programmes are designed to support learning across the full career lifecycle from early career entry level professionals to experienced specialists and leaders further on in their Medtech career progression. By offering stackable and/or part-time programmes, learners can opt to upskill without stepping away from the workplace while ensuring learning remains directly relevant to real operational challenges.
Developing Talent for a Digital and Regulated Future
Medtech Rising also highlighted the growing complexity of the skills landscape. Digitalisation and data integrity excellence are not future ambitions but recognised as current business imperatives by Abbott Irelands Managing Director, Dennis Dempsey.
Digital transformation, data integrity, automation, AI and evolving regulatory frameworks are reshaping what emerging roles look like in the MedTech sector. This creates a challenge and an opportunity for organisations seeking to build future-ready teams.
Innopharma Education addresses this by embedding digital regulatory and quality excellence into all our programme designs. Our learners engage with applied case studies, practical assessments and industry informed content that reflects the realities of regulated manufacturing environments, and our core focus is built around critical thinking and experiential learning. The result is an education for MedTech staff that does not just inform but translates directly into workplace capability.
Rethinking Talent Acquisition Through Internal Capability Building
One recurring theme at Medtech Rising was the growing difficulty of attracting experienced talent in an increasingly competitive global market. As a result, many organisations are re-evaluating their reliance on external recruitment and placing greater emphasis on developing capability from within. Access to the right education is what will play a critical role in this shift.
The real differentiator consistently identified across the conference sessions was the importance of home-grown talent, and to have it developed and retained through continuous capability building rather than relying solely on global recruitment markets.
By supporting structured career progression and professional development, Innopharma Education helps organisations create internal talent pipelines that strengthen retention, improve engagement and reduce recruitment pressure. When employees can clearly see how learning supports their career trajectory then the MedTech organisations can benefit from stronger loyalty and deeper institutional knowledge.
Collaboration Across the Medtech Ecosystem
Another key takeaway from Medtech Rising was the importance of collaboration between industry education providers and sector bodies in addressing skills challenges at scale.
Innopharma Education works closely with employer networks and industry stakeholders to ensure our programmes remain responsive, employer-led and aligned with MedTech sector priorities. This collaborative approach allows us to adapt quickly to emerging skills needs while supporting national objectives around upskilling, lifelong learning and workforce sustainability.
Turning Insight into Action
Medtech Rising 2025 reinforced a reality that many MedTech leaders already recognise: that people strategy is business strategy. Through the provision of flexible learning pathways, industry-aligned programme design and a strong focus on real world applications, Innopharma Education continues to support the Irish MedTech sector in translating insight into action by helping organisations and professionals build the skills needed to thrive today and into the future.
