Pharmaceutical company Merck has announced the creation of 70 new jobs in Cork at two new facilities. The company expects the roles to be filled within the next 18 months. The jobs created will be in general manufacturing, R&D, engineering, chemistry, microbiology and quality assurance.
Merck's Cork operation is undergoing expansion. It will include a new, state-of-the-art speciality membrane facility as well as a chromatography media facility.
“To get another investment in that area is very important to us, because it builds on what we already have here, and the second investment, then, which is chromatography media facility — that’s a new area for Cork,” said Martin McAuliffe, MD of the Cork operation.
“That’s important, because it’s a new departure for us and it gets us into a new area of the business that we can grow over time,” said McAuliffe.
Merck to invest €55m
The new facilities represent a €55m investment in Merck’s Cork operations. This will position Cork at the centre of the pharmaceutical giant’s global operations. Furthermore, it ensures its strategic importance to the company. One important development is that Merck's Cork-based R&D team is set to expand significantly. A small number of R&D staff are already employed in Cork. This is set to grow substantially in the coming years.
Merck already employs 700 people in Cork. The announcement is also good news for the construction sector. Around 400 construction workers will be employed to build the two new centres.