Manufacturing Site
The people who run Ireland’s life sciences sites are meeting to answer one question: how do we put artificial intelligence to work on the manufacturing floor — safely, at scale, and for real?
Setting the tone.
The keynote frames the day ahead — a candid look at what it really takes to put AI to work across pharma manufacturing, from the plant floor to the enterprise.
William Fahey.
Leads data science in Pfizer’s Manufacturing Intelligence organisation, scaling AI, machine learning and generative AI across its global biopharmaceutical manufacturing network.
First on the stage.
Practitioners shaping AI-ready manufacturing — sharing what works on the plant floor, not just the theory.
Brendan McGrath
Meg Leahey
Dr Hisham Al-Obaidi
Domhnall Carroll
Tom Quinn
Cormac Byrne
Susan Costello
Fergal Wall
James Murphy
Alice Redmond
Matt Moran
Dinny Crowe
Araz Raoof, PhD, MBA
Ger McCabe
Prof. Damien Thompson
Colm Bambury
Trevor Marshall
Shaping the conversation.
Industry and academic leaders are steering the programme — making sure every session earns its place on the agenda.
Matt Moran
Dr Bernadette Whelan
Prof Radi Haloub
You’ll be in good company.
This conference is brought to you by BusinessRiver — the team behind Ireland’s leading life sciences awards and events, as well as the Fit Out Awards, Green Awards and Irish Construction Industry Awards.
Get involved at the Life Sciences Industry Conference 2026
The organisations behind the conference.
Cognizant
Cognizant is an AI builder and technology services provider, building the bridge between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, realize tangible returns and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world.
ABM Ireland
ABM (NYSE: ABM) is one of the world’s largest providers of integrated facility, engineering, and infrastructure solutions. Every day, our over 100,000 team members deliver essential services that make spaces cleaner, safer, and efficient, enhancing the overall occupant experience. ABM serves a wide range of market sectors including commercial real estate, aviation, mission critical, and manufacturing and distribution. With over $8 billion in annual revenue and a blue-chip client base, ABM delivers innovative technologies and sustainable solutions that enhance facilities and empower clients to achieve their goals.
Mason Technology
Established in 1780, Mason Technology is one of Ireland’s leading providers of scientific instrumentation, technical services and compliance solutions. Supporting the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries, we deliver technologies that help organisations improve operational efficiency, strengthen data integrity and maintain regulatory compliance. Our solutions span laboratory automation, sample management and storage, digital equipment management and autonomous disinfection technologies, supporting increasingly connected and efficient operations. Working with world-leading manufacturers, we combine innovative technologies with local expertise, ISO 17025 accredited calibration and specialist technical support to help customers improve productivity, maintain quality and advance digital transformation across laboratory and manufacturing environments.
ALS Identify
ALS Identify is a trusted identification and traceability solutions provider, supporting over 40 Life Sciences companies across Ireland. We deliver labelling, printing, barcode, scanning, automation, and traceability solutions for pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare environments. Our team works closely with customers across production, packaging, warehousing, and distribution to improve accuracy, compliance, and operational efficiency. From individual equipment and consumables to fully integrated solutions, we combine leading technologies with experienced local support. ALS Identify helps Life Sciences organisations reduce risk, strengthen traceability, streamline processes, and maintain reliable, compliant operations in demanding regulated environments.
Amárach Research
Amárach Research is Ireland’s leading market research consultancy and provides detailed analysis of consumer and business trends to Ireland’s blue-chip companies. In uncertain times, Amárach Research provides the insights that give a firm foundation on which to base key investment and purchase decisions. Amárach’s Chairman Gerard O’Neill is a member of IBEC’s Sustainable Enterprise Committee and has co-authored several studies and reports on business and economic trends in Ireland.
BusinessRiver
BusinessRiver is the B2B events company behind Ireland's industry awards and conferences, including the Pharma Industry Awards, Life Sciences Industry Awards, Women in Pharma Awards and the Pharma Industry Awards UK. It engages a community of more than 24,000 professionals across Ireland and the UK.
Hour by hour.
Keynote, presentations and panels across the morning and afternoon.
Welcome & Keynote
Registration
Chair’s Welcome & Introduction
Brendan McGrath — Former Ireland Site Head & VP Manufacturing, Wuxi Biologics
The future of biopharma manufacturing in the age of AI
How AI could transform operations, accelerate innovation and redefine the future of manufacturing, and how organisations can prepare for the changes to come.
William Fahey, Director Data Science, Pfizer
From Research to Reality: How AI Is Transforming Pharma R&D
How modelling, AI and machine learning are being integrated into pharmaceutical R&D, and the skills the next generation of scientists will need.
Prof. Damien Thompson, Professor of Molecular Modelling, University of Limerick / Director, Rinn Pharma & Biopharma
Trust, Governance & Responsible AI
Building Trust in AI: The Foundations for Responsible Adoption
From governance, validation and data integrity to transparency, compliance and workforce confidence, building trust while meeting regulated-industry standards.
Ger McCabe, COO, Biostór Ireland
Can we trust AI enough to scale it?
Governance, regulation, data quality, cybersecurity, validation, IP and accountability, balancing innovation with the controls needed to scale AI responsibly.
Moderator: Brendan McGrath · Dr Araz Raoof (ARC Hub for Therapeutics) · James Murphy (Eirgen Pharma) · Matt Moran (Matt Moran Consulting)
Refreshment break
Scaling AI — From Pilot to Production
The journey from experimentation to enterprise scale
The technical, organisational and cultural barriers to enterprise-wide adoption, and how to deliver measurable value at scale.
Trevor Marshall, Head of Consulting — Life Science Manufacturing, Cognizant
Why do so many AI projects never scale?
Data challenges, integration, change management, governance and proving business value on the path from pilot to enterprise deployment.
Moderator: Brendan McGrath · Trevor Marshall (Cognizant) · Colm Bambury (Amgen) · Meg Leahey (Sanofi)
Lunch break
People, Skills & Organisational Change
Digital & AI Maturity in Biopharma Manufacturing: What Industry Leaders Really Think
Drawing on in-depth interviews with senior executives across leading global biopharma organisations, an unfiltered view of where the sector genuinely sits on the digital & AI maturity curve, where it is heading and what is holding progress back. The biggest barriers are not technical but rooted in workforce readiness.
Fergal Wall, Director of Technology, Digital & Data, NIBRT and ATU
The human side of AI adoption
Preparing the workforce, developing new skills, overcoming resistance, and keeping human expertise at the centre of decision-making.
Moderator: Brendan McGrath · Dinny Crowe (ABM) · Domhnall Carroll (Digital Manufacturing Ireland) · Dr Hisham Al-Obaidi (University of Reading) · Susan Costello (BioPharmaChem Skillnet)
The AI-Ready Enterprise
The AI-ready enterprise: What leaders need to do now
From vision and governance to digital capabilities and aligning technology investment with business goals.
Cormac Byrne, Head of Digital, APC / VLE
How will AI redefine manufacturing leadership?
Strategy, investment priorities, competitive advantage and the long-term implications of AI for manufacturing businesses.
Moderator: Domhnall Carroll · Alice Redmond (CAI) · Matt Moran (Matt Moran Consulting) · Brendan McGrath (Wuxi Biologics) · Tom Quinn (Novo Nordisk)
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Brendan McGrath — Former Ireland Site Head & VP Manufacturing, Wuxi Biologics
Timings and speakers are subject to change.
Where the community meets.
A working room of leaders, engineers and partners — the panels, the questions, and the networking that make the day. Scenes from recent BusinessRiver conferences.
In their words.
Having a forum like this where everybody can share their views, brainstorm and problem-solve together — it’s a great opportunity.
A wonderful mix of delegates and speakers, everyone bringing their own perspective. Great engagement, and we’ve moved beyond trends — we’re looking to the future.
We all have the same challenges and the same opportunities. Platforms like this are a great chance to meet up and collaborate head-on.
Reserve your seat
- Pharma
- MedTech
- Medical Devices
- Biotech
- Site & Operations Leaders
- Quality & Compliance
- Engineering & Technical
- Commercial & BD
- Supply Chain
- People & Talent