PBC BioMed, an Ireland-based medical technology company, has opened its first U.S. office in Downtown Memphis, the company announced Friday.

Chief Scientific Officer Gerard Insley said the company partners with other medical technology companies around the world to get medical innovations from the idea stage to the operating room faster.

"Our why is really about enhancing patient wellness. And that might sound a bit cliched in this day and age, but we really do believe that," he said. "We're always striving to bring new, innovative products to patients in a very fast and efficient way."

Insley said the company's existing relationships with tech companies in Memphis was a prime reason for choosing the Bluff City. The medical device industry has a large presence in Memphis.

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A study from the Greater Memphis Medical Device Council showed more than 18,000 jobs in the Memphis area are directly or indirectly supported by the industry and the total wages paid to those workers are about $1.5 billion annually. The projected yearly economic impact of the industry on the region is more than $4 billion.

"It is no surprise that we were attractive to PBC BioMed because of the legacy that we have in that industry sector here and the intentionality that we continue to invest in from the very startup to medium-sized businesses to some of the largest in the world," Greater Memphis Chamber President Ted Townsend said.

The PBC Biomed announcement is one of several recent examples of foreign companies investing in Memphis, Townsend said. He added about a third of the projects in the chamber's pipeline were also foreign direct investment.

The offices will be at Epicenter, 150 Peabody Place. Besides the Ireland headquarters, the company has a location in France and works with partners in Germany, Sweden and Japan, Insley said.

Britt Martinez, vice president of business development and marketing, said she had long been the lone U.S. employee and was excited for PBC BioMed to have a permanent American home and be able to grow.

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"We have a lot of clients and partners already based here in the US many in Memphis, the greater Memphis area, actually so it'll be nice to have a home and an office space that we can gather at and we can continue to drive our partners' innovations," she said.

The company is currently recruiting for two positions in Memphis and could support up to six at this time, Insley said. He added the company started in the same way in Ireland, and has grown to employ about 50 people.

Thomas Russell, PBC BioMed's chief medical officer and an Oak Ridge, Tennessee, native, said Memphis is known for the innovations happening at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and other large institutions.

"You hear about it, but it's really important to me to see this kind of innovation happen so it's just a pleasure to be here," he said.

Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development, real estate and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: PBC BioMed opens first US office in Memphis: What we know