A Galway based company which is the world’s leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of less invasive medical devices, has won a major engineers award.
Boston Scientific which is based at Ballybrit and set up its first plant in Galway in 1994, was named the overall Engineers Ireland CPD (Continuing Professional Development ) Company of the Year 2010.
It received the award for embracing CPD activities which included linkages with further education institutions and State agencies. The Galway site devised, in co-operation with the IDA, a business development proposal that introduced a transformational research and development project, developing and commercialising new technologies for Boston Scientific, specifically the Galway site.
The awards were presented in Dublin this week by the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan TD.
Commenting on Boston Scientific’s award, John Power, Engineers Ireland director general and chartered engineer, stated through collaborating with State agencies and creating multiple opportunities for workplace learning, Boston Scientific Galway has impressively “moved up the value chain”.
“As well as a hi-tech manufacturing site, the Galway plant is also now home to an advanced research and development facility. This has obvious implications not only for the retention of high-value jobs here in Ireland but also for the future creation of new product lines and further enriching employment.
“We need to look to trail-blazers such as Boston Scientific in terms of how they harness the power of CPD and workplace learning to create and sustain employment.”
The Engineers Ireland Continuing Professional Development (CPD ) Awards, now in their seventh year, aim to recognise companies through adopting CPD activities and investing in their engineers and technicians.
Terry Vick, the director of programme management at Boston Scientific, Galway said its multi-level CPD programme looked at product, process and knowledge capabilities based on a dedicated mentoring programme to transfer expertise across the firm.
“The engineering team then brought this ambitious project proposal to senior management and with very significant support from the IDA a new R&D capability was created.”
The Engineers Ireland CPD Accredited Employer scheme is co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills under the National Training Fund and plays an important role in the Government’s objective to build a Smart Economy. The 123 organisations involved in the scheme employ more than 26,000 engineers and technicians.
Engineers Ireland is one of the largest representative bodies in Ireland with more than 24,000 members.
