The investment will see Eli Lilly’s total capital expenditure on the site rise to $1bn (€921m), which will result in the construction of a 500,000-square-foot facility located at IDA Ireland’s business park.
Construction of the site is already underway, after being announced at the beginning of last year. The facility will produce biologic active ingredients, which Lilly plans to use in the production of its existing portfolio, and also in the clinical developments of its pipeline.
At the time, the company stated that the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) produced would be used in developing and manufacturing treatments for diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.
Once completed, the new facility will create 300 jobs for the region, including positions in engineering, scientists, and operations. While the facility is being constructed, 500 positions will be required to carry out the work.
Lilly has had a presence in Ireland since 1978 and employs approximately 2,500 people in the country.
IDA Ireland Interim CEO, Mary Buckley, said, ‘’Eli Lilly has had a presence in Ireland for over 40 years and this significant investment, adding further biologics drug substance manufacturing to its already substantial Irish operations and jobs, underscores the strategic importance of Ireland in Eli Lilly’s global operations. It is proof of the company’s future commitment to Ireland and testament to Ireland’s continued attractiveness as a location for investment.’’
The facility will operate out of the IDA’s business park in Raheen, at a greenfield site. The company states that the drug substance facility will be Lilly’s most technically advanced manufacturing site to date, through the use of advanced data collection and analysis systems.
Due to the technology, Lilly outlined that the site would deliver improvements in safety and quality, along with increased productively and process performance.
At the time of the announcement of the Limerick facility, the company also stated that it planned to build a new $1bn manufacturing plant in North Carolina, US. In five years prior to the announcement, Lilly noted that it had invested over $4bn to the expansion of its global manufacturing capacity, with half of this figure being focused on its US network.
