French food group Danone has announced plans to create 40 jobs at its manufacturing plant in Macroom, Co Cork.
The €50 million investment will see the plant become the most technologically advanced and largest in Danone's worldwide network.
The investment, supported by the Government through Enterprise Ireland, will fund an expansion and redevelopment of the existing plant.
The jobs will be created in the areas of food science, engineering and supply chain management.
Building is expected to begin in February with commercial operations planned to begin by the end of Quarter 1 2012.
Once complete, the expansion will treble the Macroom plant's capacity to 100,000 tonnes annually. Ninety eight per cent of the output will be exported to more than 60 countries worldwide.