Science and technology company Merck will invest €440m to increase membrane manufacturing capacity at its site in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork and build a new manufacturing facility at nearby Blarney business park.
It is expected that 370 permanent jobs will be created by the end of 2027 as part of the investment, which is the largest ever made in a single site by the company's life sciences division.
The outlay will be split between the construction of a €150m filtration manufacturing facility that will produce traditional and novel treatments and therapeutics, and the €290m expansion of the Carrigtwohill site with a manufacturing facility for the immersion casting of membranes.
Merck said the membranes support novel and gene therapies, as well as applications like virus sterilisation, and they also serve its lucrative process solutions business, which markets products and services for the entire pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain.
"Ireland is central to our strategy to drive long-term growth and expand our global leadership position in Life Science,” said Matthias Heinzel, CEO of Merck Life Science. “The investment in Cork is the biggest site investment in the history of our Life Science business and will accelerate the delivery of the critical products, technologies and services our customers need to fight the world’s toughest health challenges, including Covid-19.”
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As a result of the investment, Merck aims to increase its group sales to approximately €25bn by 2025, and the announcement comes after the company invested €36m in a second lateral flow membrane manufacturing product line at the Carrigtwohill site last year.
Speaking at the site’s official announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I welcome today’s very significant announcement from Merck, which underlines the company’s commitment to doing business in Ireland.
"This investment, the largest in the history of Merck Life Science, speaks volumes about our capacity to provide the right conditions for multinational organisations to grow their operations.
"Ireland’s development of a strong life sciences ecosystem has been one of our greatest economic successes. I am delighted that Merck has chosen Cork for its latest investment. I wish the team continued success, as they work towards improving lives around the world.”
IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said the announcement demonstrates the continued growth and success of Ireland’s Life Sciences sector and the agency's commitment to winning jobs for regional locations.
"Merck’s decision to increase its footprint is tangible evidence of the company’s confidence in Ireland’s ability to provide access to world-class talent," he added.
Beyond Ireland, Merck has announced expansion projects in its Life Science business sector in Wuxi, China; Darmstadt, Germany; Buchs, Switzerland; Molsheim, France, Carlsbad, California, USA; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Jaffrey, New Hampshire, USA; and Danvers, Massachusetts, USA.
Photo (l-r) IDA executive Michael Lohan, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and Merck executives Matthias Heinzel and Martin McAuliffe. (Pic: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM)
