Over 50 news jobs for Cork and Belfast

More than 50 new jobs are to be created by two companies in Cork and Belfast, it was announced today.

Global generic pharmaceutical firm Actavis, which this morning launched its new cancer treatment drug Gemcitabine on the Irish market, is to create 25 new jobs at its facility in Little Island Industrial Estate, Cork.

Actavis has operations in over 40 countries around the world and employs 10,500 people. It has annual revenues of €1.6 billion, and manufactures and sells generic drugs in a broad range of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS) and oncology. The new roles it will create are in addition to 11 employees currently based in Cork.

Separately, Philips Healthcare Informatics is to create 30 new graduate level jobs at its Northern Ireland facility. The company, which acquired Belfast-based Tomcat Clinical Systems in April 2008

Invest Northern Ireland has offered £420,000 to support the company's expansion in Belfast.

Philips Healthcare Informatics’ core product is its Cardiovascular Information System (CVIS), a computerised system that manages a hospital’s clinical and administrative records for heart patients. It is used by a number of large hospitals, including St Thomas’ Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London.

“This expansion project demonstrates the confidence that this blue-chip multinational group has in its Belfast operation and in the local skills base. ICT is a key growth sector for Northern Ireland and the availability of highly skilled IT professionals here has attracted many high profile companies that continue to reinvest,"said Northern Ireland trade minister Arlene Foster.

“The creation of these high value specialist jobs shows that, even in an economic downturn, businesses that are focused on innovation and niche product development can continue to grow.”