Ireland’s valuable affinity with drugs

The IDA has been on something of a roll since the turn of the year, with Westport, Dundalk, Galway, Blanchardstown and now Kinsale all benefiting from a significant jobs boost.

The Eli Lilly complex is to receive its second bio- pharma investment in barely five years, with a further 200 direct permanent jobs promised by 2016, and with 300 construction jobs on the way beginning next month.

According to Eli Lilly, Kinsale will now be considered for the production of almost all of the 60-plus new medicines in what the company claims is a very strong pipeline of new drugs. The plant is currently well advanced in its shift from chemical-based manufacture to production based on biological processes.