The Minister of State for Health, Mr Frank Fahey, has warmly welcomed news of an expected 1,000 new jobs at the Boston Scientific plant in Galway. Mr Fahey, who is also a local TD, said the expansion would go a long way towards addressing concerns that more new jobs were being created in the east than in the west. "It is well-timed to address that imbalance," he said. "What is significant for Galway is that it proves Galway is the hightech centre as regards medical companies. . ."
He said this would be enhanced by recent developments in the city, in particular the development of a teaching hospital in conjunction with Galway University. This would aid research and development initiatives undertaken by Boston Scientific and other companies involved in healthcare products. A further development was the Government's recent announcement of a £4 million investment in Galway Airport. The investment will help extend the runway and open up the airport to future cross-channel traffic.
Boston previously had to postpone some R&D initiatives planned for Galway because of the lack of adequate local airport facilities. The Government had decided to tackle this problem as a matter of urgency, Mr Fahey said.
The expansion at Boston Scientific is the latest phase in the multinational corporation's dramatic growth in Galway since it arrived in the city in 1994.
Last March, the company announced that 1,000 people would be hired at its Ballybrit plant over the next three years, bringing its workforce there to 1,500 workers. At the time, the £38 million expansion was described as Galway's biggest jobs boost. The success of the company's main product line - tiny medical catheters small enough to fit into blood vessels - was the reason behind the expansion, which included a major research and development centre.
Boston Scientific came to Galway in early 1994, initially employing about 60 people. Its initial target of 505 jobs over five years was achieved significantly ahead of schedule, and it now employs over 1,200 people in Galway.
Its continued growth is, perhaps, the most remarkable employment success story in the west in recent years. The company's investment in Ireland exceeds US$80 million and includes a 200,000 sq ft state-of-the-art manufacturing cleanroom at Ballybrit with another 150,000 sq ft under construction. The company is now one of the largest healthcare employers in the State.
At the end of August, it opened its new product development centre, which will be staffed by up to 60 specialists in cardiology, vascular and non-vascular products. This new centre represents an initial investment of US$5 million and was described by the company at the time as a "significant strategic achievement" for the Galway operation.
At the launch of the product development centre, the company's founder and chairman, Mr John Abele, said: "As part of our continuing investment in the future of less-invasive medical devices, we are presently investing over $150 million per annum.
"As our international business continues to expand, there is a need to capture the specific needs of our international customers in a more direct manner, and to develop our relationships with key European physicians by direct contact with development engineers.
"To address this, and to better leverage the technical opportunities available to us by having our manufacturing operations in Galway, BSC has decided to begin to invest in product development in Ireland," he said.
The company's chief development officer, Mr Art Rosenthal, said the new product development centre would be charged with new product innovation across all the company's business divisions.