Ireland positions as European centre for women's health technology innovation

Ireland is seeking to establish itself as a leading European hub for innovation in women's health as AI-driven medical technologies and an expanding cohort of female-led startups address structural gaps in clinical research, diagnostics and treatment pathways. The country's life sciences cluster, home to 19 of the world's top 20 medtech and pharmaceutical companies, provides founders with access to manufacturing expertise, regulatory knowledge and clinical partners.

Euractiv reported that global FemTech investment rose to $2.6 billion (€2.4 billion) last year, up 55 per cent, though still representing only 2 per cent of total healthtech funding. Analysts expect the market to exceed $103 billion (€96 billion) by 2030, with particular interest in diagnostics, AI-enabled care and chronic disease management.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the Women's Health Action Plan Phase 2 commits to exploring opportunities presented by FemTech to address specific women's health issues. The department announced €2 million in funding for women's health research, the first time Irish research funding has been dedicated specifically to women's health, to be operated by the Health Research Board throughout 2026 and 2027.

Ronan Glynn, business consulting partner at EY Ireland, noted that whilst 19 of the top 20 life sciences companies have a base in Ireland employing over 100,000 people, the Irish Government is working on the country's first Life Sciences Strategy. He said the aim is to ensure the sector remains competitive and that the state adopts a coherent and ambitious approach to future opportunities.

The Sláintecare Integration Innovation Fund provides funding for proof-of-concept projects allowing startups to pilot technologies within the public health system.

Explore the complete analysis for details on how Ireland is building its FemTech innovation ecosystem.