US medical device manufacturer Guidant Corporation has announced an expansion of its Irish manufacturing facility in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, with the creation of 1,000 new jobs.
Guidant expects to create 500 new jobs over the next three years with another 500 to be added as the operation develops. Recruitment for the IDA Ireland-supported expansion will begin in 2005.
Announcing the investment, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said, "The investment represents an important endorsement of Ireland's ongoing ability to attract large-scale, technology-driven projects."
Guidant produces devices that are inserted in the body to treat cardiovascular disease. The new facility will manufacture stents coated with a drug that is released in a controlled manner into the body to prevent the reblocking of arteries.
The Clonmel facility will develop the products based on research done in the United States and bring them to volume production for the first time.
The new jobs will require qualifications in engineering, chemistry, biology and material sciences such as metals and polymer technology, although there will also be openings that require a Leaving Certificate qualification.
Guidant employs over 1,000 people in Clonmel, primarily in the manufacture of pacemakers and defibrillators.