Name: Why Ireland Depends on Big Pharma
Uploaded: 2026-04-01T17:36:27.000Z
Duration: 12 min 50 s

Viagra, Botox, Mounjaro—these drugs have taken the world by storm,

Viagra、Botox、Mounjaro，這些藥品風靡全球，

and they're all manufactured in the same place: Ireland.

而它們都是在同一個地方製造的：愛爾蘭。

In little more than half a century, Ireland has scaled from an industrial newcomer to a global powerhouse, now the world's third-largest exporter of pharmaceutical products.

在短短半個多世紀裡，愛爾蘭已從工業新手躍升為全球巨頭，如今是全球第三大藥品出口國。

The pharmaceutical industry has really had a massive impact on the Irish economy.

製藥業確實對愛爾蘭經濟產生了巨大的影響。

It has attracted a lot of big multinational pharmaceutical companies, and it's visible really all over Ireland.

它吸引了許多大型跨國製藥公司，而且這點在愛爾蘭各地都看得到。

Between 1958 and 2010, the country welcomed more than 50 new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

在1958年至2010年間，這個國家迎來了超過50家新的製藥生產設施。

Industry pioneers such as Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and

Rowa Pharmaceuticals led the way, paving the way for Ireland to become home to 9 of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

Rowa Pharmaceuticals 等行業先驅帶頭，為愛爾蘭成為全球十大製藥公司中九家的所在地鋪平了道路。

But this growth has been a double-edged sword.

While Ireland has reaped the benefits of high-value employment and huge tax receipts, the pharma industry's sheer scale has skewed the nation's headline GDP.

雖然愛爾蘭已從高價值就業和龐大的稅收中獲益，但製藥業的龐大規模卻扭曲了國家主要的 GDP 數據。

In fact, Irish GDP is so heavily inflated by multinationals that the government now uses Modified Gross National Income, or GNI, as a more accurate pulse of the domestic economy.

事實上，由於跨國公司嚴重膨脹了愛爾蘭的 GDP，政府現在使用修正後國民總收入（GNI）作為衡量國內經濟更準確的指標。

But even by this more grounded metric, the sector's dominance is staggering.

但即使以這個較為實際的標準來看，該產業的主導地位也令人咋舌。

In 2019, pharmaceutical exports accounted for roughly a quarter of Ireland's GNI.

2019 年，製藥業出口約佔愛爾蘭 GNI 的四分之一。

Just six years later, that figure climbed to more than 40%, highlighting a deepening economic dependence on a single industry.

僅僅六年後，這個數字就攀升至 40% 以上，凸顯了對單一產業日益加深的經濟依賴。

Our growth has been driven largely by foreign direct investment.

我們的成長主要由外國直接投資帶動。

The risk then for us is whether foreign direct investment will continue to flow into Ireland at the rate that it has over the last 50 years.

那麼，我們的風險在於外國直接投資是否會繼續以過去 50 年的速度流入愛爾蘭。

So how did Ireland's economy become so dependent on Big Pharma, and what risks lie ahead?

那麼，愛爾蘭的經濟是如何變得如此依賴大型製藥公司，又潛藏著哪些風險呢？

Before the '60s, Ireland's whole economy was quite protectionist.

六十年代之前，愛爾蘭的整個經濟體系相當保護主義。

It had very high tariffs, sometimes up to 50% for some imports.

它的關稅很高，某些進口商品的關稅有時高達 50%。

And it was a lot of focus on import substitution, which led Irish industries to not be very competitive.

並且非常注重進口替代，這導致愛爾蘭的產業缺乏競爭力。

At the time, Ireland was a very grim place with very high unemployment and massive outward migration.

當時的愛爾蘭是個非常嚴峻的地方，失業率很高，人民大量外移。

The way that Ireland had approached trade wasn't really working for the Irish economy, and

愛爾蘭處理貿易的方式並沒有真正讓愛爾蘭經濟受益，

One early turning point came in 1956 when Ireland introduced Export Profits Tax Relief, or EPTR.

一個早期的轉捩點出現在 1956 年，當時愛爾蘭推出了出口利潤稅優惠，也就是 EPTR。

It offered up to 100% tax exemption on profits from exported goods, attracting manufacturers to set up in the country.

這項優惠提供了出口商品利潤高達 100% 的免稅額，吸引製造商在當地設廠。

At the same time, Ireland began dismantling tariffs and expanding the role of its investment agency, the Industrial Development Authority, or IDA, sparking a wave of foreign investment.

同時，愛爾蘭開始逐步取消關稅，並擴大了其投資機構工業發展局（IDA）的角色，引發了外國投資的浪潮。

The pharmaceutical industry was a natural focus for the IDA from the start.

製藥業從一開始就是 IDA 的重點關注對象。

Pharmaceutical products, especially the branded drugs, are high-value products,

藥品，特別是品牌藥，是高價值的產品，

and they have high value-to-volume ratios, which means that they are less sensitive to transportation costs.

且其價值與體積的比例很高，這意味著它們對運輸成本的敏感度較低。

There was also a growing demand for medicines around the world at this time, as national health systems wanted to buy more medicines.

當時全球對藥品的需求也在不斷增加，因為各國的國家醫療體系希望購買更多藥品。

And as soon as one actor, one company, established themselves in Ireland, that had a snowball effect.

而且一旦有了一個演員、一家公司在愛爾蘭站穩腳步，就產生了滾雪球效應。

In its quest for foreign investment, the IDA focused heavily on U.S. and U.K. corporations.

在尋求外國投資的過程中，IDA 鎖定美國和英國的企業。

Beyond tax incentives, Ireland positioned itself as a gateway to Europe, an English-speaking base inside the European market.

除了稅務優惠，愛爾蘭更將自己定位為進入歐洲的門戶，一個位於歐洲市場的英語系基地。

American company Bristol-Myers Squibb was one of the first movers and became a showcase example used by the IDA to attract more investors.

美國公司 Bristol-Myers Squibb 是最早的先行者之一，並成為 IDA 用來吸引更多投資者的展示範例。

In 2017, the firm sold one of its manufacturing facilities to SK Biotech, part of South Korea's SK Group.

2017 年，該公司將其中一個製藥生產設施賣給了南韓 SK 集團旗下的 SK Biotech。

This manufacturing site has actually been here since 1964.

這個製藥生產設施其實自 1964 年就已經在這裡了。

We are a contract development and manufacturing organization, so we don't own the IP, the intellectual property, of any of those products.

我們是合約開發及製造組織，所以我們不擁有任何那些產品的 IP，也就是智慧財產權。

We're specialized in small molecule APIs, so active pharmaceutical ingredient.

我們專精於小分子 API，也就是活性藥物成分。

The APIs we manufacture are for a range: diabetes, cardiovascular,

我們製造的 API 適用於多種領域：糖尿病、心血管疾病、

and we have a large range also in history of manufacture of anti-cancer products.

而且我們在抗癌藥品的製造歷史也很悠久。

Taking advantage of its position, Ireland was able to build a supply chain serving international markets.

愛爾蘭利用其地理優勢，成功建立了一個服務國際市場的供應鏈。

In the process, manufacturers had to meet strict regulatory standards, including approvals from agencies like the U.S.

在這個過程中，製造商必須符合嚴格的法規標準，包括獲得美國食品藥物管理局和歐洲藥品管理局等機構的準許。

Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

食品藥物管理局和歐洲藥品管理局。

And as exports rose, so did the footprint of the pharmaceutical industry in the country.

隨著出口的增加，製藥業在該國的影響力也隨之擴大。

它吸引了許多大型跨國製藥公司，這在愛爾蘭各地都看得到。

But there are regional hubs like County Cork and Dublin where the ecosystem around the pharmaceutical industry is really well built out.

但也有像科克郡和都柏林這樣的區域中心，那裡的製藥業生態系統非常完善。

What you got were self-supporting clusters of these firms.

你看到的是這些公司自給自足的集群。

So in different parts of the country, you have medical device companies or computer companies or high-tech companies or pharmaceutical companies.

是以，在國家的不同地區，你可以看到醫療設備公司、電腦公司、高科技公司或製藥公司。

According to the Central Statistics Office, Ireland's pharmaceutical sector employed 75,000 workers in basic pharma products and preparations in 2025, a 15% rise since 2023.

根據中央統計局的數據，2025 年愛爾蘭製藥業在基礎藥品和製劑領域僱用了 75,000 名員工，比 2023 年成長了 15%。

The industry also creates a lot of jobs, both at these manufacturing plants, at research and development centers,

這個產業也創造了很多工作機會，無論是在這些製藥廠，還是在研發中心，

but there's also a whole set of other sectors that supply the pharmaceutical sector.

但也有許多其他相關產業在支援製藥業。

Multinationals brought physical capital with them, new plant and equipment.

這些跨國公司帶來了實質的資本，像是新的廠房和設備。

And around those businesses then clusters formed.

然後圍繞著這些企業就形成了產業聚落。

And we have seen, for example, people who had worked for the multinationals leave, set up their own small businesses.

我們也看到，例如，有些曾在跨國公司工作的人離職後，自己創辦了小型企業。

Another draw for pharmaceutical companies in Ireland was its highly educated workforce.

愛爾蘭吸引製藥公司的另一個原因是這裡擁有高素質的勞動力。

Ireland also focused a lot on transforming its educational system.

愛爾蘭也大力投入改造教育體系。

This included opening up new community colleges, even new universities.

這包括設立新的社區學院，甚至是新的大學。

They raised the school-leaving age to 15.

他們將國民的離校年齡提高到 15 歲。

They focused more on technologies overall in their education rather than more traditional education systems.

他們在教育上更著重於整體科技，而不是比較傳統的教育體系。

Access to a talented workforce is critical for any business.

擁有才華橫溢的勞動力，對任何企業來說都至關重要。

Making pharmaceuticals is not an easy thing,

製造藥品並不是一件容易的事，

and you really, really want the right people with the right expertise.

你真的、真的需要對的人才和正確的專業知識。

In the 1980s, the Irish government introduced a 10% preferential tax rate for manufacturing, later extending it to financial services.

在 1980 年代，愛爾蘭政府為製造業推出了 10% 的優惠稅率，後來將其擴展到金融服務業。

It's also around this time that companies like Apple began using tax structures that would later be known as the Double Irish.

也差不多在這個時候，像 Apple 這樣的公司開始使用後來被稱為「雙愛爾蘭」的稅務結構。

Under this arrangement, multinationals could set up two companies: one based in Ireland, handling manufacturing and sales,

在這個安排下，跨國公司可以設立兩家公司：一家設在愛爾蘭，負責製造和銷售，

and another holding valuable intellectual property, often managed from a low-tax jurisdiction.

另一家則持有有價值的智慧財產權，通常由低稅區管理。

The Irish operating company would then pay large royalties to the IP entity, reducing its taxable profits in Ireland and allowing companies to significantly lower their overall tax bills.

接著，愛爾蘭的營運公司會支付高額權利金給智慧財產權實體，減少其在愛爾蘭的應稅利潤，讓公司能大幅降低整體稅負。

Over time, Ireland moved away from EPTR and toward a standard corporate tax rate of 12.5%.

隨著時間推移，愛爾蘭逐漸放棄了 EPTR，轉向標準的 12.5% 企業稅率。

That is largely because they're trying to comply with EU rules and not being seen as a tax haven by other countries.

這很大程度上是因為他們試圖遵守歐盟的規定，並且不被其他國家視為避稅天堂。

Despite that, Ireland remained attractive for tax planning.

儘管如此，愛爾蘭在稅務規劃方面仍然很有吸引力。

In the 2000s and early 2010s, companies used corporate inversions, merging with smaller Irish companies to relocate their headquarters to Ireland, where corporate taxes were still lower than in the U.S.

在 2000 年代和 2010 年代初期，公司利用了企業反向收購，與規模較小的愛爾蘭公司合併，將總部遷往愛爾蘭，因為那裡的企業稅率仍低於美國。

and other major economies, helping reduce their global tax bills.

以及其他主要經濟體，有助於降低他們的全球稅單。

And when Ireland faced out the Double Irish in 2015 for new entrants, that triggered a massive intellectual property transfer.

而當愛爾蘭在 2015 年對新進者放棄了雙愛爾蘭稅制時，這引發了大規模的智慧財產權轉移。

Eli Lilly moved valuable IP into Ireland, benefiting from generous tax deductions on patents, trademarks, and

Eli Lilly 等公司將有價值的智慧財產權轉移到愛爾蘭，從專利、商標和

其他無形資產的慷慨稅收減免中獲益。

This IP transfer led to what is called leprechaun economics.

這次的智慧財產權轉移催生了所謂的「小妖精經濟學」。

And that's a term that was coined by the economist Paul Krugman to describe a very high-end artificial rise in Irish GDP in 2015, when the GDP rose by 26%.

這個詞是由經濟學家保羅·克魯曼（Paul Krugman）所創，用來形容 2015 年愛爾蘭 GDP 出現的非常高端的人為增長，當時 GDP 上升了 26%。

Between 2014 and 2021, the value of intangible assets in Ireland surged from around $386 billion to nearly $1 trillion.

在 2014 年到 2021 年間，愛爾蘭的無形資產價值從約 3860 億美元飆升至近 1 兆美元。

Over a similar period, Ireland's corporate tax receipts more than quadrupled, from €6.9 billion in 2015 to €32.9 billion in 2025.

在差不多相同的時期，愛爾蘭的企業稅收從 2015 年的 69 億歐元翻了四倍多，到 2025 年達到 329 億歐元。

Ireland is quite dependent on the pharmaceutical industry.

Last year, in 2025, over 50% of the country's total exports were medicines and pharmaceutical products.

去年（2025 年），該國總出口額中超過 50% 是藥品和製藥產品。

It's very significant for the government tax revenues because the people who work in the industry tend to be highly skilled and well-paid, so they pay a lot of income tax.

這對政府的稅收收入非常重要，因為在這個產業工作的人們通常技術精湛、薪資豐厚，所以他們會繳納很多所得稅。

And then the companies themselves are highly profitable, so they pay a lot of corporation tax.

然後這些公司本身利潤很高，所以他們會繳納很多企業稅。

One of the potential challenges for Ireland is, like pharmaceutical companies, they need to navigate the so-called patent cliff.

愛爾蘭可能面臨的挑戰之一是，就像製藥公司一樣，他們需要應對所謂的專利懸崖。

Every 10 years or so, there's some big blockbuster drug that loses its exclusivity rights, which means that it faces generic competition by others.

大約每十年，就會有一種重磅藥物失去獨家專賣權，這意味著它將面臨其他公司的仿製藥競爭。

And that typically results in a quite sharp drop in revenue for the original manufacturer.

這通常會導致原製造商的收入急劇下降。

And for Ireland, it actually shows up in their national accounts.

而對愛爾蘭來說，這實際上會反映在他們的國家帳戶中。

And in 2013, which was the time of the last patent cliff, GDP actually dropped quite significantly in one of those years.

而在2013年，也就是上一次專利懸崖發生的時候，GDP在其中一年確實顯著下降。

In 2026, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council warned about Ireland's reliance on tax receipts from just three multinational companies, two in tech and one in pharmaceuticals.

愛爾蘭財政諮詢委員會在2026年警告，愛爾蘭過度依賴來自三家跨國公司的稅收，其中兩家是科技公司，一家是製藥公司。

In 2024, those firms accounted for around 46% of Ireland's corporation tax revenue.

2024年，這些公司貢獻了愛爾蘭約46%的公司稅收。

This beautiful island of its island of 5 million people has got the entire U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

這個擁有五百萬人口的美麗島嶼，卻掌握了整個美國製藥業。

Foreign direct investment has been the engine of growth for the Irish economy since the essentially since the 1950s and 1960s for more than 50 years.

自從1950年代和1960年代以來，外國直接投資一直是愛爾蘭經濟增長的引擎，至今已超過50年。

There's a very different global environment now, and

one that may not be so conducive to global capital flows.

而且可能不太有利於全球資本流動。

The Irish government actually warned that as much as 75,000 jobs could be lost if the U.S.

愛爾蘭政府實際上警告說，如果美國

implemented tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry.

對製藥業實施關稅，可能會損失高達75,000個工作機會。