Abbott has marked the official opening of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kilkenny, Ireland with a ceremony attended by Taoiseach Simon Harris and Abbott Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Ford. The site is a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbott's diabetes care business and will employ more than 800 people.
The Kilkenny facility is part of a €440 million investment in Ireland, which includes a significant expansion of the company's Donegal site, where a further 200 jobs are being created. The new 30,000-square metre Kilkenny facility is producing FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors, the world's smallest sensors and latest generation in Abbott's continuous glucose monitoring portfolio for people living with diabetes.
Speaking at the event, Taoiseach Simon Harris TD said: "Abbott, which has been in Ireland since 1946, is one of the longest-established global companies and largest employers in our country. This latest investment is a further vote of confidence in Ireland as a location for world-class advanced manufacturing and healthcare businesses. With the opening of this new site, Ireland is now at the global centre of diabetes care."
"This is our latest commitment to providing innovative care and supporting people with diabetes to live healthier lives," said Robert Ford, Chairman and CEO, Abbott. "The state-of-the-art facility will have the highest production of Libre sensors in the world to help meet the growing global demand for our world-leading FreeStyle Libre portfolio."
Abbott's Kilkenny facility was built with sustainability in mind. The site is fully electric, powered by six air-to-water heat pumps, has nearly 600 solar panels on the roof and features tanks for collecting rainwater to use onsite.
Outside Ireland, Abbott is expanding its manufacturing capacity across Europe with a further £85 million investment in its Witney facility in Oxfordshire, UK.