Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, celebrated its 20th anniversary in Galway this week.
The Galway plant, which employs approximately 300 people, manufacturers some 50 per cent of the Puritan Bennett™ hospital ventilators used in the world today.
European Union commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, who attended the plant’s official opening 20 years ago as a TD, was among the visitors on Monday, saying the plant was a “key player in this medical technology cluster in Galway and an important local employer”.
Roland Pfleger, vice president and general manager of respiratory and monitoring solutions, EMEA, Covidien said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating our anniversary here, and we would like to thank Galway for all the support over the last two decades.
“Innovation is at the centre of the commissioner’s strategy for the European Union and Covidien is proud to be at the forefront of innovation in healthcare in Ireland. Ireland’s economic growth is paced by the engineering excellence and commitment to medical technology in facilities such as ours in Galway.”
Covidien recently announced the investment of €900,000 in medical technologies research and development projects with NUI Galway, while it also invested €11 million in a state-of-the-art European services centre in Cherrywood Dublin. The centre employs approximately 200 people who manage sales and marketing, customer services, credit control, contracts and pricing, and import and export functions for 16 European countries.
