Quantum Partnerships and Life Sciences at the Forefront During Trade Mission to Ireland

Governor Spencer J. Cox recently completed a trade mission to Ireland and Northern Ireland, supported by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), World Trade Center Utah, and a delegation of Utah business, civic, and academic leaders. The trade mission aimed to strengthen commercial, academic, and technological ties in Dublin, Galway, and Belfast, bringing together stakeholders from government, private industry, and higher education to align strategies for ongoing partnerships and shared learning.

Dublin

In Dublin, Governor Cox held a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin to discuss shared trade opportunities, technology policy, and family well-being initiatives. The delegation also reconnected with Senator Mark Daly, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann and co-founder of the American Irish State Legislators Caucus, who hosted the Utah delegation at Leinster House for formal legislative recognition in both parliamentary chambers and spearheaded key diplomatic meetings. The delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh and chairs of Irish Parliamentary committees to deepen sub-national diplomacy and establish Utah as a premier Western U.S. gateway for European business.

At Trinity College Dublin, representatives from Utah’s Nucleus Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the €30 million national RINN Quantum Institute to explore areas of potential collaboration on quantum hardware integration and commercialization under the Utah Quantum Initiative. The delegation also toured Dublin’s Dogpatch Labs to examine startup acceleration and corporate innovation frameworks that can further inform Utah’s startup ecosystem and plans for Convergence Point, Utah’s 600-acre innovation hub at The Point.

Galway

In Galway, the trade mission focused on life sciences, bridging Utah’s $21.6 billion BioUtah ecosystem with Europe’s largest medical technology cluster. The delegation celebrated the 30-year anniversary of South Jordan-headquartered Merit Medical’s European operations and toured Medtronic’s campus following its $550 million acquisition of Salt Lake City-based Scientia Vascular. Engagements at the University of Galway explored expanding student co-op workforce models and multi-institutional research and development partnerships, such as the STELLAR Project for 3D glass printing.

Belfast

In Belfast, the delegation met with Invest Northern Ireland at the Queen’s University Belfast and leadership from the Northern Ireland Assembly to position Utah exporters at the intersection of European and UK commerce via Northern Ireland’s unique dual-market access. The trade mission concluded at Google European Headquarters in Dublin, where GOED Commissioner Jeff Moss moderated the “Silicon Slopes Meets Silicon Docks” panel, connecting Utah’s homegrown startup corridor with Dublin’s multinational tech hub to foster ongoing transatlantic trade.

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