Work has started on a new manufacturing plant for diabetes-monitoring devices which is expected to eventually result in 800 new jobs.
The project is being undertaken in Kilkenny by Abbott, the medical device multinational which already has a number of operations in Ireland.
The official groundbreaking ceremony took place today at the site in Danville Business Park in the city, with Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris present.
Construction of the facility is expected to take less than two years, and eventually the plant will be used to make Abbott's FreeStyle Libre product, which allows people with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels, using a sensor worn on the upper arm, and without the need for finger-prick tests.
The system is already used by 4.5 million people with diabetes around the world and will be manufactured within about two years in Kilkenny, on a 30,000 sq/m facility which represents a €440 million investment by Abbott.
The new roles will be in engineering, quality control, medical device manufacturing and other science-based areas, according to Abbott. Some production of the device is already carried out at the company's operation in Donegal, but the Kilkenny project represents a major ramping-up of manufacturing in Ireland.
Speaking at the event, Simon Harris said the new investment in Kilkenny will add to the high value STEM jobs already created in the southeast region by Abbott, at its vascular manufacturing facility in Clonmel.
Senior vice-president of the company’s diabetes care division, Jared Watkin, said the device has "changed the lives" of 4.5 million people across more than 60 countries by "providing breakthrough technology that is accessible and affordable".
The building of Abbott’s new facility in Kilkenny is supported by the Government through IDA Ireland, whose interim CEO Mary Buckley said the investment is "further testament to the deep roots the company has in Ireland".
