James Forrestal

Hi. My name is James and I’m a Principal Research and Development Engineer with the Combination Products and Devices group, I work for the global organisation while still being based in the R&D site in Waterford.

We're helping deliver the next generation of digital healthcare... During my time at Teva, I've worked on the design, development, and lifecycle management of Teva’s digital products.

I've been involved in the whole development journey... In my role, I’ve been responsible for a range of activities including design and characterisation of prototype parts, risk management and change control, right through to design verification testing using finished product and contributing to the submissions we make to regulatory authorities in order to get approvals for our products.

The future possibilities are really exciting... We’re excited about the possibility of using technology in other parts of Teva’s products as part of a natural progression. It’s something we’re actively working on at the moment and looking at the challenges surrounding that.

My relationship with Teva goes back to my studies... In 2013, I was studying for a master’s degree in Innovative Technology Engineering at the Waterford Institute of Technology. As part of the research element of that, I was introduced to the Device Engineering Team at Teva Waterford and worked on a project on metered dose inhalers. After my master’s, I did a five-month placement with the Quality Assurance group at Teva, before joining the Device Engineering Team in 2015.

I now work for the Combination Products and Devices R&D group which is located in Runcorn in the UK, while still being based in the R&D site in Waterford. I have moved from working on respiratory devices to sterile injectable products, which has been a steep learning curve but also a great learning experience for me.

This new role has allowed me to broaden my horizons within the Teva organisation, encountering new people and technologies. The role has also allowed me to share learnings and ideas between the R&D groups in Ireland and the UK, in order to encourage collaboration and leveraging the specialist skills of both teams of engineers.

A strong reputation was a real attraction for me... I was aware that Teva was a well-regarded company in the area and that it was a good employer. And, having had that contact through my studies and already having met the people who worked there, I knew it was a great place to work.

It’s the people that make the place... The people at Teva are really friendly and there's a real spirit of cooperation. If I go to somebody with a question or a problem there’s always a real effort to help or steer me in the right direction. That really helps with my day-to-day work because it allows me to make progress, and to make progress in a big company, you need to work with people. So, that’s very important.

My rural upbringing developed my engineering interests... I grew up on a farm which is full of all sorts of mechanical equipment. Often things would break down and be in need of repair, or there would be things I wanted to change in order to improve it. I also enjoyed playing with practical toys such as Lego so I guess I got a lot of early experience with mechanical things. This really was the stepping stone for me eventually pursuing a career in mechanical engineering and then onto working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Prepare for your future today... When you’re at university, it's a good time to think about what employers are out there, what industry you'd like to work in and to tailor the topics you study towards those opportunities.