Biomedical engineering is at the intersection of engineering, the life sciences and healthcare. Biomedical engineers take principles from applied science (including mechanical, electrical, chemical and computer engineering) and physical sciences (including physics, chemistry and mathematics) and apply them to biology and medicine. Although the human body is a more complex system than even the most sophisticated machine, many of the same concepts that go into building and programming a machine can be applied to biological structures and diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The goal is to better understand, replace or fix a target system to ultimately improve the quality of healthcare.

Graduate skills and career opportunities

Biomedical engineering is the fastest-growing career and this trend is expected to continue over the next decade. Ireland?s medical technology sector has evolved into a global leader for medical device and diagnostic products, with exports annually exceeding ?8bn. Ireland has over 400 companies involved in developing, manufacturing and marketing medical devices. These include Abbott, Bayer, Becton Dickinson, Boston Scientific, Johnson and Johnson, Guidant, Medtronic and Stryker.These companies have a strong demand for high quality graduates at the Masters and PhD level because of the high technical level of their products. Biomedical engineers also find employment in clinics and hospitals where they work as clinical engineers, responsible for complex, expensive diagnostic equipment and laboratories.