Ireland is a more competitive location for medtech companies, a new survey has said.

Almost 90 per cent of chief executives of medtech firms said they believed Ireland was more competitive than other countries, according to research carried out by the Irish Medical Devices Association (IMDA).

The sentiment survey found companies are becoming more upbeat, with half saying they were more confident than they were three months ago, and 71 per cent indicating their businesses were performing well. That is spilling over into employment, with almost half of companies expected to hire new staff.

Some 86 per cent described the business environment was either good or very good.

“This sector is not only creating strong growth, but also new jobs across the country with nearly half of companies saying they expect to hire new staff,” said director of the IMDA Sinead Keogh.

The IMDA is holding its annual CEO forum in Dublin, with more than 350 attendees. The theme of this year’s gathering is connected health.