GLOBAL MEDICAL devices group Covidien formally opened a customer services centre yesterday in Dublin that will ultimately employ 200 people.

The €11 million centre in Cherrywood, south of the city, replaces 17 separate operations the company ran in different European countries.

Covidien chief executive Rich Meelia also announced plans for a €1.8 million investment in medical technologies research with UCD, Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway. The firm will announce further details in September.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who officially opened the new centre, said it was “fully in keeping with the Government’s policy to build a smart economy and to position Ireland as a global innovation hub”.

“We want to make Ireland the best place in Europe to turn research and knowledge into products and services, the best place in Europe to start and grow an innovative company, the best place in Europe to relocate or expand and scale an SME, and the best place in Europe for research-intensive multinationals to collaborate with each other and with clusters of small companies,” he said.

“We do not take this investment for granted. We know that we need to be competitive, provide the best facilities and infrastructure and continue to produce a well-educated workforce to retain and increase our community of multinational companies.”

Covidien, formerly Tyco Healthcare, employs nearly 2,000 people in Ireland, making this the company’s third-largest location worldwide and the biggest in Europe.

Mr Meelia said Covidien was comfortable in Ireland. “Our excellent experience here, coupled with the Government’s long-standing policies supporting business and innovation, clearly makes Ireland an ideal base.”

The $10 billion business last year moved its formal place of incorporation to Dublin from Bermuda. Mr Meelia said Covidien was committed to Ireland and creating more jobs here.

Apart from customer service, the Cherrywood site will house the company’s European credit control function as well as import/export, contracts and pricing functions. The Irish sales and marketing team is also based there.

Enda D’Arcy, director of the Cherrywood plant, said the company had recruited 145 staff across 21 different nationalities for the plant and was actively recruiting.

Minister for Enterprise Batt O’Keeffe said this investment confirmed Covidien’s commitment to Ireland