AK opens Irish centre of excellence
Centre of Excellence in Ireland, in a move that reaffirms the
healthy position of the Irish pharmaceutical industry. The move is
set to create 220 new jobs over the next three years.
The action, which has the full support of the Irish Development Agency (IDA), is to also have an international dimension, creating 85 jobs.
The centre is expected to utilise its services to support the pharmaceutical sector with the principal aim of establishing the office as the primary centre of excellence in Europe. Key functions, which will be located at the Cork office, include data storage and processing, software development and training facilities.
The specialised facilities are expected to provide the appropriate business and scientific support needed for new companies to survive and grow. It is hoped that, along with increased funding for research in the life sciences, the services will generate new commercial technology in the next decade.
The news comes hot on the heels of AK Pharmaceuticals, which is Aker Kvaerner's European pharmaceuticals business, establishment of a new operational centre at Cork Airport, Ireland.
Ireland continues to be a major focus of investment for the player, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Substantial foreign investment by international companies over a 40-year period has created an international pharmaceutical cluster in Ireland, making the country a hive of activity in the R&D sector on a world scale.
AK Pharmaceuticals provides a range of engineering, construction, validation and maintenance services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, which also has a presence at Cork Airport Business Park, as well as GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, Roche and Bristol-Myers Squibb, all of which have significant operations in Ireland.
