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A unique new venture between ������ and leading members of the biopharma sector will seek to ‘cultivate the leading scientific minds of the future’.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD has today (Thursday) launched a bespoke new immersive programme for the BioPharma sector – a BSc/MSc Immersive Bioscience and Biotherapeutics (iBio).

Building on the success of the innovative Immersive Software Engineering (ISE) programme now in its third year of operation at UL, iBio has been designed in collaboration with top biotech companies and students will have the competitive advantage of two years of experience working in industry when they graduate.

Students will receive a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in four years, with half of their time spent learning on campus and half in paid residencies in Biotech industries.

The goal of iBio is to turn curious, caring, creative and high-performing students into future leaders at the forefront of innovation in biotech.

Two major international companies with operations in the Mid-West of Ireland, Eli Lilly and Company and Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), have teamed up with UL as significant partners on the course.

Together with future partners across the Biopharma sector they will contribute to the learning process in terms of curriculum design, participate as guest contributors and host students on industry residencies.

The innovative new course will produce the graduates needed to fuel further growth in the sector.

Minister Lawless said: “The launch of the iBio programme at the ������ marks an exciting step forward in how we deliver higher education in Ireland. This innovative, industry-led and learner-focused course recognises that not all learning happens in lecture halls. Through immersive, hands-on experiences, both on campus and in the workplace, students will graduate with not just a degree, but two full years of real-world industry experience.

“That’s a major advantage in a fast-moving sector like biopharma. The involvement of leading companies such as Eli Lilly and ADI, both major players in the Mid-West region, ensures that this programme is shaped by the needs of industry and powered by the talent of our students. It offers more choice, more relevance, a modern model of education that’s fit for the future and supports the vision of education driving Ireland’s economy."

Acting UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins said: “iBio represents a giant leap forward in the delivery of undergraduate scientific education and students will be embedded in the knowledge community where they are active and interactive partners in the learning process.

“At UL we are deeply committed to aligning our academic offerings with the evolving needs of industry and society and through that, we are not only enhancing the student learning experience but also ensuring that our graduates are workplace-ready from day one. This reflects the innovative ethos of collaboration, and the real-world impact generated at UL by preparing the next generation of scientists to lead in a rapidly changing global landscape.”

ADI, a company at the forefront of an ecosystem that is driving healthcare, was also a founding partner of the successful ISE programme at UL. 

Martin Cotter, Senior Vice President, Vertical Business Units, ADI, and President, ADI EMEA, said: “Empowering the next generation of innovators is core to ADI’s purpose, which is why we are a proud supporter of the iBio programme. By embedding students in our teams and helping shape the curriculum, we are proud to support iBio and to partner with UL and Lilly in creating a pipeline of talent equipped to solve the most complex challenges in life sciences. Together, we are investing in a stronger, more connected healthcare ecosystem with global impact.”

Dave Riordan, Vice President and Limerick Site Head at Lilly, said: “At Lilly, we are committed to investing in future talent that will help us manufacture the medicines of today and of tomorrow. This partnership with ������ and ADI will enable us to develop a talent ecosystem that nurtures and cultivates the next generation of pharmaceutical manufacturing experts. We are not just building future specialists but creating a community of innovators who are dedicated to making lives better for people around the world.”

Professor Kenneth Stanton, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at UL, said: “The beauty of adding a course like iBio to our already broad programme offerings is that it allows a wider choice of options to learn and engage at UL for our prospective students. It also significantly deepens our engagement with industry across the Mid-West and further afield, which further underlines the importance of the university to the region in both an educational and economic sense. I look forward to seeing the emergence of future leaders for the biopharma industry who will emerge from iBio in coming years.”

Professor Jakki Cooney, iBio Course Director, said: “At iBio, we are committed to cultivating the leading scientific minds of the future. We want students who are interested in making a difference to the lives and health of others by exploring innovative solutions to complex challenges in health, disease, and medicine-making.

“This course is all about developing a passion for the science of disease and medicines, about being creative and curious about the world, embracing challenges and working in teams using scientific data to solve complex problems. We are offering a new way to learn the science and biology of medicine making and discovery.”

The Life Sciences industry is a rapidly growing sector in Ireland, offering fantastic employment opportunities for graduates. The iBio programme is designed in collaboration with top biotech companies to ensure that students graduate with skills matched exactly to industry needs.

Graduates will have proven skills and experience across foundational scientific theory, data and digital literacy, team communication, as well as the necessary business knowledge needed for a rewarding scientific career.

Students will engage in immersive, collaborative workshops and intensive lab sessions to learn how to apply knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems. In the residencies students will work in leading biotech companies, gaining essential skills and experience - all while making industry connections.

The first intake of students for iBio will be in September 2026.