Ireland’s Data Centre and Life Sciences Boom Is Moving Abroad
Once a global hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and data centre construction, Ireland is now watching those industries shift their focus to the United States and parts of Europe. According to Anthony O’Rourke, chief executive of PM Group — one of Ireland’s largest construction project management firms — the country is losing out on once-in-a-decade investments.
PM Group, which helps blue-chip clients like pharma giants and data centre operators manage major construction projects, reported a 15% rise in revenue to €567 million for 2025. Operating profit climbed to €43.3 million, up from €34.8 million the previous year. The Irish business employs 4,000 people and holds net assets of €175 million. Underlying professional fee revenue, a key indicator, grew by 17%.
Why Is Investment Leaving Ireland?
O’Rourke pointed to a combination of global trends and domestic hurdles. In the United States, President Donald Trump has pushed the pharmaceutical sector to produce more medicines domestically, a shift that predates his tariffs but has accelerated since his return to office. “The US probably had underinvestment, but there is now a wave of investment in life sciences happening there,” O’Rourke said. “PM Group had doubled down on the American market, and that is paying off for us.”
In Europe, data centre growth is moving to markets like Spain, Portugal, the Nordic region, and Benelux. “Demand is huge. There is a wave of activity,” O’Rourke said, but added that Ireland is largely missing out due to “well-known issues here, including slow and uncertain planning.”
What This Means for Irish Workers and Communities
For a country that has long relied on foreign direct investment to fuel its economy, this shift is a sobering reality check. Life sciences and data centres have been pillars of employment in regions like Cork, Dublin, and the Midlands. As these projects move abroad, Irish workers face uncertainty, and local economies may feel the pinch.
PM Group, which has had a US presence for 15 years, opened a new office in North Carolina last year and expanded in Philadelphia. In Ireland, the emphasis is now on upgrades and updates of existing facilities rather than new green-field investments. “The Irish market has softened after what had been a number of years of very big green-field investment in facilities for the manufacturing of new medicine,” O’Rourke noted.
Can Ireland Win Back Investment?
O’Rourke’s comments come at a time when data sovereignty and local control of data are becoming critical factors in location decisions. Energy-intensive data centres are controversial but essential for digital economies. Ireland’s planning system, energy supply constraints, and costs are pushing investors elsewhere.
Still, Ireland remains PM Group’s largest market, providing “centres of excellence” where teams work on international projects in a hub-and-spokes model. The question is whether the government can address the bottlenecks — planning delays, energy infrastructure, and regulatory uncertainty — before more investment slips away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are data centres moving away from Ireland?
Data centre investment is shifting to markets like Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics due to slow planning, energy supply issues, and rising costs in Ireland. Data sovereignty concerns are also driving decisions.
What is driving life sciences investment to the US?
The US is seeing a wave of investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing, partly due to President Trump’s push for domestic production and concerns about supply chain resilience that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How is PM Group adapting to these changes?
PM Group is focusing on the US market for life sciences and on a pan-European platform for data centre projects. In Ireland, it is shifting to upgrades of existing facilities rather than new builds.
Photo: Irish Independent