Export opportunity – Ireland – digital technologies for home-based healthcare

Ireland – home-based healthcare digital tech opportunity summary 

In recent years, the Irish healthcare system has been working to move from hospital-based care to primary, home-based care. Scotland’s growing digital health sector is well placed to meet the requirements of this transition. 

Several cross-border activities have created strong foundations that help Scottish companies engage with the Irish public health system: 

• The Scotland-Ireland Health Partnership, launched in 2019 
• The Bilateral Review, launched in 2021 
• Transnational EU funding programmes (for example, Interreg and PeacePlus) 

We have a strong and diverse network within the Irish healthcare ecosystem and can offer Scottish digital health companies direct access to opportunities across the sector. 

Scale of export opportunity 

The Irish Government’s €2.8 billion Sláintecare programme aims to weave digital health and precision medicine into an ambitious universal healthcare system by 2030. 

The domestic Irish digital health ecosystem is small, and is currently unable to meet the requirements of the programme. This presents opportunities for Scottish companies, which can expect to enter the Irish public health market by piloting their products in one of Ireland’s 18 living labs. 

If successful, the product or service will first be rolled out at a regional level, with the possibility of further nationwide adoption. 

Company suitability   

Scottish companies best positioned to win this type of business are:  

• Companies with solutions in the area of asynchronous outpatient visits 
• Companies with solutions that contribute to the stratification of risk 
• Companies with solutions that can accelerate hospital discharge 
• Companies with an established client base and experience in the UK health and care system