Kerry schools urged to teach Japanese as Astellas turns sod on Tralee expansion

Japanese ambassador to Ireland Norio Maruyama was in Kerry for a sod-turning ceremony at Kerry Technology Park for the new €330m Astellas pharmaceutical plant

At the sod-turning in Kerry Technology Park were, from left, IDA chief executive Michael Lohan; Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney; and Hideki Shima, chief manufacturing officer at Astellas. Picture: Domnick Walsh

The Japanese ambassador to Ireland has called on primary and secondary schools in Kerry to teach the Japanese language and for Kerry people to speak "a little bit of Japanese" to make even more sustainable the already more than three decades of happy marriage between company and community in the county.

Ambassador Norio Maruyama was speaking at MTU Tralee following a sod-turning ceremony at the adjoining Kerry Technology Park for the largest single foreign direct investment ever in Kerry at one time — the new €330m Astellas pharmaceutical plant.

The project was hailed as a game-changer for the region and an example of commitment to regional balance development — and a commitment by Government to a pro-enterprise competitive economy — regardless of any "personality changes".

Astellas Ireland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc has been in Killorglin, Co Kerry, since 1990. The company specialises in transplant, kidney, bladder, antibody and cancer drugs. This had been a happy marriage between the company and the community, the ambassador said.

Speaking a little Japanese going forward would make the relationship even more sustainable, Mr Maruyama said.

Astellas had decided to expand after more years in Kerry because both sides of the marriage — the company and the community — created the atmosphere.

To make this more sustainable would be "teaching the Japanese language in Kerry". This included primary and secondary schools and at the MTU level.

"If you can speak a little bit of Japanese", this would advance the relationship, he told the gathering.

In terms of learning Japanese in Europe, Ireland was number one, the ambassador said. The language was being taught already in 35 secondary schools.

The new facility, which has been designed with sustainability at its core, will accelerate the expansion of Astellas’ in-house production capabilities and ensure a stable supply of high-quality medicines to patients around the world, the sod-turning heard.

Six hundred construction jobs and 100 highly specialised roles in engineering, science, and technology will be created. The facility is planned to be operational by 2028.

The investment was next door to MTU and it will be a catalyst for other investments in the park, Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said.

It was an important statement of intent too in the context of regional balance development in Ireland, by the IDA, outside of Dublin and its immediate environs, he said.

More than half the 243 IDA-supported projects were outside of Dublin last year.

Astellas Pharma chief manufacturing officer Hideki Shima said: “Today marks a significant achievement for our company and reflects our continued commitment to expansion and innovation in the region. 

"Not only will it further the Astellas vision to be at the forefront of healthcare change by turning innovative science into value for patients, but it will also be a growth opportunity for the many people who will bring this facility to life."

Planning for the facility based on the IDA’s 45 acre site in Kerry Technology Park was granted by Kerry County Council in December. There had not been a single objection, it was noted on Monday.

On an environmental level, the building will incorporate international best practice in energy and environmental design. The project aims to cut water use by about half, reduce operational energy intensity by more than one-third, and produce zero waste to landfill. 

These measures, along with onsite renewable technology including solar PV panels and biomass boiler, underpin Astellas’ efforts in the mitigation of climate change.

Astellas recently announced further investment in Kerry, taking over the lease of the Advanced Technology Building, also at Kerry Technology Park.