Life Sciences: Novartis using innovative science to help a billion people globally
As a leading global medicines company, Novartis uses innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need, and consistently ranks among the world’s top companies investing in research and development.
Novartis products reach nearly 1 billion people globally, with over 125,000 people from more than 140 countries employed at its plants and facilities around the world.
A leading investor in the Irish healthcare sector, Novartis employs more than 1,600 highly skilled people here, operating both at its Cork manufacturing facilities in Ringaskiddy and Model Farm Road, and its local commercial and global shared services operations located in Dublin.
With over 200 medicines in clinical development, Novartis has been recognized as having the best pipeline in the world, and is the number one pharmaceutical company involved in clinical trials in Ireland.
The Novartis Ringaskiddy campus is home to two organisations, with over 600 people employed across both facilities — Novartis Ringaskiddy Ltd (NRL), a Chemical Operations manufacturing facility; and Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd, Branch Ireland (NIPBI), a supply organisation for Novartis Technical Operations.
The company enjoys a unique distinction in having both organisations led by Cork natives, Shane Relihan, Managing Director for NRL, from Cobh, and Eamon O’Sullivan, COO of NIPBI, a native of Mourneabbey.
The Novartis footprint in Ireland began with its manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, originally a Sandoz site, and where many of the original employees remain to this day.
Established as a strong source of employment in the Cork region over the intervening years, many employees have gone on to develop their careers with Novartis in leadership roles both in Ireland and within the Novartis global network.
Operational since 1994, NRL manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients for a range of oncology, respiratory cardiovascular, dermatology, central nervous systems and transplantation medicines.
The multi-million euro facility includes manufacturing operations, quality control laboratories, warehouse, technical, IT and engineering.
“I am in my Managing Director position for just over a year now, and, as a Cobh native, it has been a great honour and privilege to fill this role,” says Shane Relihan.
Indeed, given that I took over the role just as Storm Ophelia hit the area, it certainly provided an early and unexpected challenge in managing and responding to such an event.
While Storm Ophelia was spoken of as ‘a once in a century’ climatic event, it was followed just a few months later with the ‘Beast from the East’ snowstorm.
“Those two events provided a very challenging introduction and fast learning curve in the diversity of the role as Site Head in the company.
"Having been with Novartis for 18 years, those two events did serve to underline the fantastic team we have here on site.”
Milestones of success in 2018
Since 2014, Novartis Ringaskiddy has been on a significant change journey as the company began the long-term process of evolving its productivity, efficiency as well as its product portfolio.
“Reshaping our product portfolio has been a process of continuous learning as we moved away from high volume off patent products to focus on smaller scale launch products.
“We are delighted to say our launch programme at NRL reached a significant milestone in 2018 as we will have successfully launched 11 process steps this year, extending our performance to 28 steps over a period of 28 months.
"This remarkable performance is down to the outstanding efforts of our team locally here on site, and the excellent collaboration with our Novartis colleagues around the world.”
The success has resulted from a focus on delivering efficiency and productivity through process improvements driven by the Technical Life Cycle Management project, commercialising its launch products portfolio.
“Another big success is how we have developed and rolled out a Digital Factory locally, whereby we can access a live pulse of the site performance at any time in any location.”
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2018, Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd, Branch Ireland (NIPBI) is a global centre providing integrated supply services for the company, through a range of professional services including External Supply Operations, International Services Laboratory, Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance and Strategy.
Industry collaboration
Novartis collaborates with a wide range of industry stakeholders, including its partners in the IDA, IBEC, BioPharmaChem Ireland and Cork Chamber.
“At a local level here in Ringaskiddy, all of the Life Sciences companies work together to support one another, share best practice and with a common aim to ensure that the life sciences sector in Cork and in Ireland continues to be a vibrant industry and a unique calling card for the country,” said Shane Relihan.
“This great spirit of collaboration is a key strength for Ireland.
“As part of a global organization, Novartis Ringaskiddy regularly welcomes colleagues from around the world, with each of these visits representing an important opportunity to showcase our site, our people, our industry and our country.
“Here is a practical example where the collaboration with groups such as the IDA and our industry partners in our pharma cluster really helps.
"By working together we are able to put our best foot forward not just for Novartis Ringaskiddy, but for our Pharma Industry and for Cork / Ireland.”
Belief in the power of its people
“At Novartis Ringaskiddy, we are strong believers in the power of our people and place particular emphasis on engaging with our colleagues and providing opportunity for everyone to have a voice and have ownership of our company priorities and objectives,” says Shane Relihan.
“As an example we have begun to roll out an initiative to help everyone manage their energy levels through the right choices around mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery.
As part of this, we are encouraging all of our employees to identify the ‘one simple thing’ that they would change to improve their own health and wellbeing. Making small changes on a personal level will help us create a company culture with wellbeing at its core, and set us on the path to a healthier Ringaskiddy.
“During the summer, Cork was one of 40 locations worldwide to take part in the launch of the ‘Acting on Heart Failure’ campaign for the Irish Heart Foundation when we welcomed Michael Lyster of Sunday Game fame to Ringaskiddy to share his experiences of heart failure with all our employees.
"A similar event earlier in 2018 for all Novartis employees, families and friends on campus themed ‘Energize for Life’ was a chance for us to say ‘thank you’ to all our team for their ongoing efforts and to spend some quality time together with our families with an emphasis on health, wellbeing and of course fun!”
In 2018, over 23,900 Novartis associates across six continents and 58 countries supported non-profit and local organizations, representing more than 191,200 hours of combined community service.
Over 80 colleagues took part in five community projects in Cork in its Community Partnership Day.
Novartis places a strong emphasis on education, and engages with schools, third level institutions and industry groups to offer children and students a view of life within the pharmaceutical sector.
“We also have a strong track record in providing ongoing educational opportunities and support for our employees with many examples of colleagues progressing through their careers supported by ongoing education.”
Novartis Ringaskiddy is proud of its commitment to protecting the environment, and has, for over 20 years, volunteered to take part in the European Community’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme to promote continual improvements in the environmental performance of organisations.
- €250 million — value of Novartis economic activity in Ireland;
- #1 Clinical Trials Ranking in Ireland;
- 1,600 people directly employed;
- 1,600 jobs indirectly supported;
- Approx. 33 trials and over 1,300 patients;
- €7m & 200 staff — Annual Investment in R&D (including clinical trials);
- €232m — direct spend in Ireland (wages, goods and services).
Come to work, to go home safely
When Gary Cox was appointed Head of Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) for Novartis Ringaskiddy in October 2017, it marked the latest milestone in a career with Novartis which began in 1997 as Assistant Fire Officer, and the culmination of a twenty year journey which has seen the Cobh native progress through the API manufacturing facility in a variety of roles including spending time with a sister site in India.
Now as Head of HSE with the company, Gary leads a team of professionals whose role is to ensure the health and safety of the 600+ employees and contractors at the Novartis Ringaskiddy campus as well as ensuring Novartis delivers on its commitments to protect the environment and the local communities.
“We have a simple motto here, ‘Come to work, to go home safely’ and this applies to every person at Novartis Ringaskiddy, every day.
"Our responsibility is to have the processes and structures in place to protect our people and to continue to grow our positive safety culture at our site."
Gary’s career at Novartis Ringaskiddy is not unusual, as a Company, Novartis invests in its people, providing opportunities for training and development, identifying talent and creating structures to allow people to progress in the company.
Each year the company invests in colleagues participating in further educational opportunities with a variety of third level institutions.
Gary explains: “Novartis has a strong reputation for rewarding those willing to take on opportunities with further education and my career path is a testament to this support.
"During my time with Novartis, I was given the opportunity to study; Fire safety, Project management and Health & Safety management.
"After spending four years in the Fire Department, I joined our production team to learn more about the core operations of our business, which was a great foundation for my next steps in the company.
“I always kept my safety interest in the roles within the production environment and this passion for safety eventually led me back to the role of Site Fire Officer.
"Soon after I returned to further education in UCC and I then took up the role of Occupational Safety Lead, a great role due to the diversity of areas that you learn about and support both at site level and at a global level implementing global standards.
“After three years in the role, I was offered the opportunity to take up the role of Head of HSE, this was a big step to lead our department and to have the chance to grow our safety culture while maintaining our compliance to HSE standards and becoming a member of our senior leadership team here at Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited.”
Novartis places great importance in the role of mentoring and actively encourages this across the business, providing employees with additional guidance and in many cases access to ‘the voice of experience’ as they develop in their careers.
For Gary, this is also true: “I have been fortunate to work with many great people over the years, including Don Aherne, he was the initial Head of HSE when manufacturing started in 1994.
"Don was a strong leader and although he has since retired, I meet up with him from time to time and he still has the same passion and never short of advice.
"Don knew the importance of collaborating with people to ensure we took on board all views in any initiative.”
Novartis also provides people with the opportunity to travel and to expand their horizons beyond Ringaskiddy into the global network of sites.
Many Irish people who first began their careers in Ireland are now located throughout the world.
For Gary one such opportunity proved too good to turn down, and in 2017 he spent six months in India with a sister site in Mahad.
“This was a truly wonderful experience, it was a completely different culture and stretched me personally to adapt, learn and enjoy the people, history and life in India.
From a professional perspective, it also thought me that what you learn in an Irish manufacturing environment is very transferable to other countries and my confidence grew as a result.
"It also gave me a strong lesson in perspective in how fortunate we are in Ireland to be able to realize opportunities.”
Now over a year in the role, Gary looks forward to what 2019 will bring as the company continues to develop its sustainability ethos, both globally and locally here at Ringaskiddy.
He can reflect a positive year in 2018 where Novartis Ringaskiddy grew its outstanding reputation for safety and environment with a number of positive regulatory reviews, whilst also successfully overcoming challenges such as the ‘Beast from the East’.
“Every morning I can honestly say I look forward to coming to work, we have a great team of people, we all work towards the same goal, making medicine for our patients, powered by the great people of Novartis Ringaskiddy and together providing for our future. Long may it continue.”
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