A major financial investment in medical company Merit Medical Systems’ facility in Galway is a strong vote of confidence in the local workforce, according to local Fianna Fáil TD Frank Fahey.
The company which develops medical devices for use in hospitals worldwide, is to invest €20 million at its Galway facility for the research and development of a new product. Six highly-skilled jobs are to be created as a result. The investment is supported by the Government through IDA Ireland.
“This is a significant investment by Merit Medical Systems in its Galway facility which was established in 1994,” says Deputy Fahey. “It is a further indication of Galway’s continuing attractiveness as a location for the development of high level R&D and new core products.
“The company employs 260 people in Galway already and this investment will create six new highly skilled positions to help in the development of a new product and to extend the range of existing products.”
He says the fact that the company is expanding its operation here is a “notable vote of confidence” in the local workforce and in the city itself.
“The CEO of Merit Medical Systems, Fred P Lampropoulos, said that he is confident that Galway’s R&D expertise will deliver success for the company. The Government is continuing to invest in job creation methods in the area of R&D in the development of the ‘Smart Economy’ and it is encouraging to see tangible, real results of that investment such as this good news story for Galway today.
“A capital investment of €474 million was included in Budget 2010 for the productive sector and ‘Smart Economy’, with a commitment to the enterprise, job creation, and science, technology and innovation mandate of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and its agencies, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Shannon Development, Science Foundation Ireland and the County and City Enterprise Boards.”
Deputy Fahey says investment must continue to be focused in these areas in order to continue positioning Ireland at the forefront of R&D development in Europe.
