® David Dear / istockphoto.com

A "knowledge economy" starts with policy and continues with engagement. This section highlights the decisions that laid the foundation for Ireland's life science growth and the key players such as Charles Feeney , Barry O'Leary , and Patrick Cunningham who made them; the return of Irish science émigrés with their wealth of experience, and connections ; and expert commentaries from one of the architects of government policy, Helena Acheson , the man charged with building a biotech sector, Paul Roben , and from one of Ireland's leading science communicators, Brian Trench .