International opportunities in a booming life science sector – Gerry McLoughlin’s journey with NIRAS
Gerry McLoughlin joined NIRAS Ireland in April 2016 as a Junior Project Engineer, back when the company was known as Dolmen Engineering. Now, he’s a Construction Manager working on large capital projects within a Global Pharmaceutical Company.
“The sustainability perspective is something that we use actively in our work on projects, and track via different tools. It’s becoming very important in Ireland to anchor sustainability in projects, partly because of power source considerations and new restrictions that prompt industries to build more sustainably, and partly because of the social and environmental responsibility that companies across the line are taking on.”
Gerry has a Honors Degree in Energy Engineering from GMIT Galway and is currently undertaking yearlong program n Building Performance (Energy Efficiency in Design), which he applies to his projects that involve retrofitting of existing buildings and designing new ones with environmental considerations.
“The sustainability perspective is something that we use actively in our work on projects, and track via different tools. It’s becoming very important in Ireland to anchor sustainability in projects, partly because of power source considerations and new restrictions that prompt industries to build more sustainably, and partly because of the social and environmental responsibility that companies across the line are taking on.”
Gerry’s area of expertise is managing complex construction projects in live pharmaceutical plants, where he ensures quality and safety standards are met while minimising the impact on the production process.
“I’m currently working on a project that involves relocating two small support service cleanrooms and building a larger cleanroom to accommodate two new 20,000 litres process tanks. Quality and safety are the paramount pillars in the project, as we need to ensure we have no effect on day to day production as the products made have a direct impact of 58% of the blood screening worldwide”.
Exponential growth in the Irish life science industry
From Gerry’s seat, the growth in the life science sector in Ireland is visible, both in terms of employment and career opportunities, but also in terms of infrastructure and ease of transport:
“The life science industry is one of the most important within Ireland. It’s continuously growing and has provided a significant level of employment both directly and indirectly to the people of Ireland. Along with the high level of employment, the life science industry has also had a very positive impact on the infrastructure across Ireland. As most life science factories are trying to expand outside of Dublin, the road and rail services are being improved constantly across the country in order to link up all areas with the main transportation hubs in the east and south. This also has a positive impact on the standard of living for the personnel living in rural Ireland ”
An international door-opener
When Dolmen Engineering became part of NIRAS in 2022, Gerry and his team became part of a global organisation with approx. 3000 professionals working across several industries. It opened a lot of doors for the Irish employees and clients, which has had a positive influence on projects and knowledge-sharing:
“The transition from Dolmen Engineering to NIRAS has been very positive for employees and clients alike. It has broaden the level of expertise within the team and opened the door to learning from the other disciplines working across NIRAS. Expert groups are available for cross-team training, which allows employees to learn from each other and discuss past experiences.
Opportunity is probably one of the biggest benefits. Because NIRAS is a global company, the opportunity to work in different countries and cultures are more accessible. Also, in my almost 8 years at Dolmen Engineering, I have predominantly worked in the pharmaceutical industry, but since joining NIRAS, we have branched into the food and beverage industry, which presents interesting opportunities professionally”.
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