Oliver Healthcare Packaging, a leading provider of sterile barrier flexible packaging for the global healthcare industry, will today hold the opening celebration of its first Technology Centre at Westlink Commercial Park, Oranmore. The choice of location is an indication of the global reputation that Galway has developed as a centre of excellence for the medical device sector.
With an established history over 120 years and facilities in the United States, The Netherlands and China, Oliver see this new Technology Centre in Ireland as an important hub to serve its Irish and European customer base.
Capabilities at the centre will include rapid prototyping of sterile barrier packaging, such as mounting cards, pouches, and die-cut lids. It will also have initial testing capabilities, including peel testing, bubble leak, dye penetration and burst testing.
“The aim of the Centre is to offer our customers a space to develop their packaging free from interruptions and constraints in their normal working environment. Customers will be able to arrive with their device and prototype various packaging configurations and mounting cards designs.
“They will have the opportunity to modify their designs and leave at the end of the day with their completed prototype, test and seal data. This will result in a significant time savings for customers when it comes to commercializing their devices,’ said Kevin Zacharias, Technical Director at Oliver.
The Oranmore centre has been set up and will be run by Clare native Christopher Hartnett, who now lives with his wife and family in Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. Hartnett has a wealth of healthcare knowledge, with over 20 years of commercial, technical and manufacturing experience. He has also worked with both multinational and privately owned medical device companies.
Mr Hartnett has been a part of Oliver since August 2016 as the Regional Manager for Ireland.
“I see the Technology Centre as a huge opportunity for medical device manufacturers to work on projects in a clean space where they will have access to all the appropriate materials and expertise for their projects. We think there is the potential to reduce a project timeline by up to three months, which is an enormous benefit to those who are tasked with getting a product to market with incredibly tight deadlines. In a world where projects are shared globally, this Centre could also prove extremely valuable,” says Mr Hartnett.
