Today, Astellas Ireland Co. Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., held a ceremony to mark the start of construction for its new EUR €330 million facility at Kerry Technology Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
The ceremony, held at the site and Munster Technological University, was attended by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney — Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, IDA CEO Michael Lohan, representatives of Kerry County Council, project partners and senior Astellas executives.
The new facility, which has been designed with sustainability in mind, will accelerate the expansion of Astellas’ in-house production capabilities and ensure a stable supply of medicines to patients around the world.
The project is set to create significant employment opportunities in the area, including 600 construction jobs and 100 highly specialised roles in engineering, science and technology. The facility is planned to be operational by 2028.
Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment, Simon Coveney TD, said: “As our Enterprise Policy has a key regional dimension, once again, I wish to celebrate the company’s decision to build its new cutting-edge facility in Tralee which represents a major note of confidence in the southwest region. Astellas’ commitment to a facility that will incorporate the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design is also aligned with the quality of development that my Department and the IDA are looking to deliver for our citizens, fully in keeping with the Government’s commitment to a decarbonised economy and society.”
On an environmental level, the building will fall in line with Astellas’ sustainability values and targets, incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design.
As a result, this project aims to cut water use by approximately half, reduce operational energy intensity by more than one-third and produce zero waste to landfill (compared with LEED baseline).
These measures, along with onsite renewable technology including solar PV panels and biomass boiler, underpin Astellas’ efforts in the mitigation of climate change.
Astellas recently announced further investment in Kerry, taking over the lease of the Advanced Technology Building, also at Kerry Technology Park.