Pharmaceutical and healthcare group Abbott has officially opened its mature products division in Dublin today.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen peformed the official opening of Abbott Mature Products Management Ltd in Santry. The division will support the growth of Abbott’s mature pharmaceutical brands in key markets.
Fifty jobs are being created at the new operation.
Olivier Bohuon, senior vice president of International Pharmaceuticals, said this was a strategically important investment.
“We chose Ireland because of our existing presence here, the availability of a highly experienced workforce, proximity to our European affiliates and manufacturing locations for many of our mature products.”
The 50 high-level jobs will include director roles in a number of support areas as well as a range of positions across quality control, supply-chain management, marketing and finance.
Mr Cowen said: “Abbott Ireland is one of Ireland's most important FDI investors in the life sciences sector and as a high energy, dynamic company, driven by scientific endeavour, innovation and commercialisation it is exactly the kind of company that we want in Ireland as we build our smart economy.”
He said it was also “a model of the kind of company that we would like to grow in Ireland for ourselves”.
Abbott currently employs more than 3,800 people in Ireland in commercial and manufacturing operations in Sligo, Donegal, Longford, Dublin, Tipperary, Cavan and Mayo. About half those worker are third-level graduates.