A large building with the MSD logo on the front, with steps leading up to it and people visible in the background.
Image: MSD

MSD to create 100 new jobs in major Carlow expansion

23 Aug 2022

The US pharma company said the new highly skilled jobs will be in quality, operations, engineering, supply chain and technical support.

MSD is beginning construction of a new facility at its Carlow site to strengthen its medical manufacturing capabilities.

The new state-of-the-art facility will focus on the production of next-generation oncology biologics. MSD said the expansion is designed to meet increased global demand for its medicines and vaccines.

The support this expansion, the US pharma giant has announced the creation of more than 100 new jobs in Carlow. The new roles will include highly skilled jobs in quality, operations, engineering, supply chain and technical support.

MSD said construction of the new facility and hiring for open positions will commence immediately, with the goal of starting new manufacturing operations in 2025.

The Carlow site opened in 2008 and was MSD’s first vaccines facility outside the US. In 2017, the multinational company announced 120 new jobs for Carlow and 210 for Cork as part of a €280m investment in manufacturing.

“We are very excited to see our Carlow site continue to grow and develop,” said Marie Martin, MSD site lead at Carlow.

“Since we first opened our doors in 2008, our site has become integral to MSD’s global manufacturing operations, continuously punching above our weight to drive innovation to make a positive impact for people and patients.”

MSD employs more than 2,800 staff across six sites in Ireland, with bases in Tipperary, Carlow, Cork, Meath and Dublin. It currently has nearly 530 employees at its Carlow site.

To date, MSD said it has invested more than $4bn into its Irish operations, which manufacture around half of its top 20 products.

Speaking about the latest development, IDA Ireland executive director Mary Buckley said these types of investments strengthen Ireland’s position as a “global destination for manufacturing excellence in vaccines and biopharmaceuticals”.

“This new state-of-the-art facility, an expansion to MSD’s established Carlow site, demonstrates once again that the south-east region is an attractive location for FDI,” Buckley added.

More information about jobs at MSD can be found on its website.

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Leigh Mc Gowran
By Leigh Mc Gowran

Leigh Mc Gowran is a journalist with Silicon Republic since November 2021. He has previously worked as an environmental and breaking news journalist, and a local radio presenter. When he’s not writing articles and stressing about the climate emergency, he enjoys judging the latest film releases and perfecting his renowned cooking skills. He also has a love for video games, coffee and cats.

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