A “well-established” record of fostering successful innovation was a key factor in Covidien’s decision to locate a number of advanced research and development projects in Ireland, with Galway and Athlone to benefit.
It was officially announced yesterday that Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, will be making an investment of more than €25 million into six research and development projects which will be undertaken in partnership with the company’s facilities in Mervue in Galway and Cornamaddy, Athlone. A number of independent facilites - including NUI Galway - were also chosen to undertake projects on behalf of Covidien. According to a statement released by the IDA the projects “will create an as-yet undetermined number of research positions”.
President and chief executive officer of Covidien, José E Almeida, attributed the decision to locate the projects in Ireland to the country’s reputation in the area of R&D. “These advanced research and development projects represent a significant future pipeline of innovative products for Covidien. They also may produce important data to further patient health and safety. Innovation is and will remain a critical contributor to our company’s strong competitive advantage in the medical devices market, to Ireland’s business growth and high-technology job creation, and to the world’s economic recovery.”
