A €70m expansion of the Limerick facility will include a new state-of-the-art laboratory and workspaces for new recruits.
US medtech company BD is expanding its Limerick R&D centre with a €70m investment that will see the creation of more than 130 new jobs over the next five years.
BD, which has operated in Ireland since the 1960s, is a medical device manufacturer with around 70,000 employees around the world.
Its Limerick facility was set up in 2017 to focus on product and software development, clinical research instrumentation and prototype development for two units in its life sciences segment.
Almost five years on, the research centre is getting an upgrade with a new state-of-the-art laboratory and workspaces to support the development of smart health and infection monitoring technologies for clinical and non-clinical settings.
New roles will be in areas such as engineering, software, hardware, electronics and immunology. The investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
“BD innovation is focused on integrated, digital solutions to empower the smart hospital, enable new care settings and improve chronic disease outcomes,” said BD executive VP and CTO Beth McCombs.
“Continuing to attract the best and brightest minds in Limerick and across Ireland will be critical to help BD deliver on our purpose of advancing the world of health,” she added.
The move comes just a week after BD officially opened a new production facility in Drogheda, where it has operated for more than 60 years. A $70m investment created 100 new jobs at the 52,000 sq ft syringe production site.
Acknowledging the significant investments made by BD in Ireland recently, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, TD, said the new jobs announcements are “a testament to the talent and dedication” of existing staff in both locations.
“I had the pleasure of visiting BD’s facility in Drogheda last week to officially open the expanded site there, and I’m really pleased today to see this further good news,” he said.
The Limerick R&D facility currently employs around 350 people, of which 125 jobs were created since March 2020. Overall, BD employs nearly 1,300 people in Ireland. Information on jobs available at the company can be found on its careers website.
“The expansion of BD’s Research Centre Ireland facility, first established in Limerick five years ago, is welcome news and further strengthens the mid-west region’s established R&D cluster,” said IDA CEO Martin Shanahan.
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