Shire last week hosted its official site dedication event at its new state of-the-art biologics facility in Dunboyne. The event was held to celebrate the significant milestones achieved in the construction of the new facility.

Development of the 120-acre site has been underway since November 2017. Currently there are over 1000 people supporting the construction activities on site, and significant progress has been made in the last 12 months. Shire currently has 60 people employed in Dunboyne and the site is on track to be operational by 2020.

Approximately 400 people will be employed at the facility when it is at full capacity. Today, recruitment is underway across multiple functional areas including manufacturing, quality assurance, quality control, engineering, finance, supply chain, automation, human resources and environmental health and safety.

The $400 million investment into the new biotech manufacturing facility will help Shire to meet the rapidly growing demand for its innovative medicines for people with rare diseases.

Speaking at the event, Local TD and Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee said, "Today’s event is a timely reminder of Shire’s commitment to Dunboyne and to County Meath. Shire’s investment in Meath totalling almost $400 million, and when the site is complete and fully operational it will employ 400 people. This shows that the Action Plan for Jobs is delivering for Meath and the North-East Region as a whole."

Site Lead for Shire Dunboyne, Susan Hynes added, "Today’s site dedication event is a celebration of the critical milestones that we have reached in just 12 months at our new biologics manufacturing facility here in Dunboyne. At Shire, we are championing people with rare diseases every step of the way. Our ambition is a bold but simple one - to help people with rare diseases live better lives."

Source: www.businessworld.ie