Medtech group Abbott has opened a new diabetes technology manufacturing plant in Kilkenny as part of a €440 million investment the company is making in two of its Irish facilities.
More than 800 people will be employed at the plant which will be the biggest production centre worldwide for the group’s Freestyle Libre sensors.
The company says around six million people across 60 countries now use its Freestyle Libre glucose monitors which avoid the need for diabetes patients to do finger-prick tests several times a day to check glucose levels. The sensor which is the size of two five-cent coins is attached to the back of the arm and allows patients to keep track of their glucose levels.
After an initial scan, the sensor sends a glucose reading every minute to a smartphone app. The app shows the current glucose level, a trend arrow showing how your glucose level is changing and a graph of your last six hours of glucose readings. The app can also issue alarms if glucose levels are too low or too high.
Each sensor lasts for 14 days.
Speaking at the opening, Taoiseach Simon Harris said the investment was “a further vote of confidence in Ireland as a location for world-class advanced manufacturing and healthcare businesses”.
Noting that Abbott was one of the longest-established multinationals in Ireland, and among its biggest employers, he said: “With the opening of this new site, Ireland is now at the global centre of diabetes care.”
Abbott global chief executive and chairman Robert Ford said Ireland plays a crucial role in Abbott’s network, with 10 sites across the State working in diagnostics, medical devices and nutrition.
“This is our latest commitment to providing innovative care and supporting people with diabetes to live healthier lives,” said Mr Ford. “This state-of-the-art Kilkenny 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.”
IDA Ireland chief executive Michael Lohan said Abbott had brought substantial economic and employment benefits to Ireland.
“The decision by Abbott to establish in Kilkenny exemplifies IDA Ireland’s continued commitment to winning jobs and investments in regional locations. I congratulate the Irish and global teams at Abbott on this investment and wish them every continued success in their operations here,” he said.
Abbott is also expanding its Donegal site, where a further 200 jobs are being created. The company is also investing in expanding manufacturing capacity elsewhere in Europe with a €101 million investment in its diabetes operation in Witney, Oxfordshire also under way.
The new 30,000 square metre site in Kilkenny, first announced back in 2022, will be a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbott’s diabetes care business. It has been built with a focus on sustainability, powered by six air-to-water heat pumps, with nearly 600 solar panels on the roof and tanks for collecting rainwater to use on-site.
The company currently employs about 6,000 people across two sites in Dublin, two in Sligo and also in Clonmel, Cootehill, Galway, Longford, Donegal and now Kilkenny.
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