Medical-device manufacturer Cook Medical’s new state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) Innovation Centre is now open for business at its plant in Limerick.
A €10m investment by Cook Medical, with support from Ireland’s Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through IDA Ireland, has led to the official opening of the Innovation Centre today.
The investment has been used to increase Cook Medical’s product pipeline, and expand storage, packing, clean rooms, and other facilities.
The company has grown its staff by 100 employees over the past two years and foresees more employment opportunities in the future.
Cook Medical’s Limerick site develops peripheral vascular, gastroenterology and urology devices for global distribution.
The Innovation Centre enables the company to collaborate closely with physicians, and features technology to recreate and simulate clinical conditions, to improve the testing of devices and better product design outcomes.
Barry O’Leary, chief executive, IDA Ireland, said Cook Medical is one of the longest established companies in the medical-devices industry, whose products are sold in 135 countries.
“Cook’s investment will ensure that Ireland remains at the forefront of research and development in new technologies and products in the medical-device sector,” O’Leary said.
Dr Jan-Werner Poley, head of Endoscopy at the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, said that having been involved in the development of several Cook Medical endoscopy devices, he feels confident he has the tools he really needs.
“Cook’s research and development team helps me turn my ideas into reality,” said Poley.
Limerick, Ireland, image via Shutterstock
