Athlone-based pharmaceutical firm Elan Corporation has invested $3 million (€3.5 million) in Irish technology firm Enterprise Process Consulting (EPC).

This is Elan's first pure technology investment. It follows a three-year partnership with EPC, which has implemented SAP products across Elan's businesses.

President of Elan's pharmaceutical operations, Mr William C. Clarke, said the firm would use EPC to help make SAP a company platform across its European and US operations.

"They [EPC] supplement our internal resources and keep us abreast of new developments in the area," he said.

Mr Clarke said Elan had no plans to invest in other technology firms but would examine other options if the EPC investment proved successful.

The investment will enable EPC to increase staff numbers and grow its core systems integration business with the SAP product suite.

EPC was founded in 1998 by four former IBM employees - Mr Colm Kennedy, Mr Shane Hayes, Mr Eamonn O'Neill and Mr Graham Collins - who remain majority shareholders of EPC.

EPC has offices in Dublin, London and Silicon Valley in California. It is finalising the establishment of its operations in Cork. The firm's clients include Guinness, Siemens, Sonopress (a division of Bertelsmann) and Schwarz Pharma.

Mr Colm Kennedy, EPC chief executive, said the investment would enable the firm to grow rapidly to support its customer base.

"We aim to have 100 consultants servicing our Irish customers by the end of the year."

The firm currently employs 65 consultants.

Elan is believed to have taken an equity stake worth up to 20 per cent of the firm. Other investors include Mr Bob Jull, who has operated as an angel investor in Irish technology since 1997.

He has been a director of EPC since its foundation and is currently its chairman.