300 jobs to be created in aviation and pharmaceuticals

At least 300 jobs have been announced across the country by three companies.

Swissport, which provides ground-handling services at Dublin Airport, has said it is recruiting staff for over 200 positions in the areas of customer service agents, ramp- handling agents, flight operations, security and aircraft appearance operatives.

The company said that in 2015, its ground-handling business at Dublin Airport has seen growth of 23%, and is expected to grow by a further 10% this year.

The managing director of Dublin Airport, Vincent Harrison, said the jobs were a sign of the strong growth the airport is having. “The recruitment of a further 200 jobs, on top of the 350 recently announced by Dublin Airport further endorses the economic impact of the airport,” he said.

Also in Dublin, a UCD spinout company has confirmed 100 pharmaceutical jobs after opening a new research facility.

The business, APC Ltd, is a pharmaceutical research company which specialises in helping global clients accelerate the development of their medicines for a wide range of conditions including cancer and HIV.

The new facility, in the Cherrywood Business Park, is part of the company’s programme of expansion as it looks to more than double its workforce to meet client demand. Mark Barrett, chief executive of APC, said the company’s success was down to working with talented and creative engineers and scientists.

“We need people who enjoy the rewards of working in an environment that is driven by cutting-edge technology and science. In return, we will provide them with an opportunity to do something extraordinary: to help change patient outcomes for the better,” he said.

Despite being in business just four years, APC now partners with eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical and five of the top 10 biotech firms in the world. Some 80% of its services are export-driven and the company aims to reach revenues of €50m by 2020.

Tucana Health Ltd, a spin-out from the APC Microbiome Institute in UCC, is to build a research team in Cork and has confirmed this will lead to the creation of a number of hi-tech jobs.