Research & Development
The R&D sector in County Wexford focuses on agri-food technology, pharmaceutical manufacturing, green engineering, and smart technology, which is strongly supported by Wexford County Council, the Local Enterprise Office, and IDA Ireland to drive innovation.
R&D in County Wexford is expanding
The R&D industry is rapidly growing, highlighted by the opening of the €12.7 million National Agricultural Sustainability Research and Innovation Centre (NASRIC) at Teagasc Johnstown Castle in late 2025.
Wexford has a wealth of knowledgeable students available to the R&D industry with South East Technological University (SETU) with campuses located Counties Wexford, Waterford and Carlow and serving 18,500 students each year in a variety of technological courses.
The University is one of the region’s largest employers and is by far the leading institution when it comes to the recruitment of regional students. In particular, the University, in further developing its innovation and research capability, will add momentum to the region’s drive to be identified as Ireland’s innovation capital.
According to Central Statistics Office (CSO)
- Research & Development (R&D) expenditure in Ireland in 2023 was €7.0bn, which was 81% higher when compared with 2021 (€3.9bn).
- Irish-owned enterprises accounted for 16% or €1.1bn of total R&D expenditure in 2023.
- In 2023, the top 10 enterprises accounted for 58% or €4.0bn of total R&D expenditure, compared with 37% in 2021.
- There were 40,956 people employed in R&D in Ireland in 2023, of which 50% or 20,334 people were employed as researchers.
BD
BD (Becton Dickinson) is a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and health care worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories.
As one of the largest manufacturing businesses in County Wexford, BD currently employs 500 associates at the Enniscorthy site, made up of manufacturing operations roles, as well as research and development and regulatory teams helping to generate new products for the future.