With USD 9.9 billion investment in new biopharmaceutical production facilities in Ireland over the previous ten years for new biotech manufacturing facilities, Ireland has recently become a place of choice for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. There are manufacturing facilities here for nine of the top ten pharmaceutical firms in the world, including Novartis, AbbVie, Janssen, Pfizer, Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, MSD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Takeda.

For instance, AstraZeneca invested USD 64 million on Irish manufacturing and R&D growth in June 2022; this will increase Alexion's capacity to produce drug substances in Ireland. The manufacturing facility for Johnson & Johnson in Ringaskiddy, Ireland finished a USD 354 million expansion, and now it has plans to increase the site's capacity even further. At its facility in Cork, Merck kGaA will invest more than USD 421 million in May 2022 to increase its production capabilities for membrane and filtering. Additionally, Takeda is establishing a single-use facility for the company's rare disease portfolio, MSD is building a facility to manufacture Keytruda, and BMS will manufacture its immuno-oncology drugs at a new USD 900 million plant in Dublin.

There are no indicators that investment in Ireland's biomanufacturing industry will decrease. The country's existing businesses are expanding their facilities, and new businesses are trying to establish themselves on the Emerald Isle. One such company is WuXi Biologics from China, which intends to construct the largest single-use manufacturing facility in the world in Dundalk, Ireland, as a new vaccine manufacturing facility.

Ireland’s strength in the bio manufacturing sector is down to a number of factors, and, whilst tax incentives are important, they are not the ultimate factor. The pharma industry is a prime example of what Moran refers to as the "knowledge-based sector," which was the focus of government expenditure and initiatives. Consider the Irish government's funding of the University College Dublin-based National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT). It is currently one of the top institutions in the world for training courses to support sophisticated biomanufacturing procedures.

IDA Ireland anticipates ongoing investment in 2021 despite the epidemic. The organization is starting a new "Strategy 2021-2024" with a focus on five pillars: growth, transformation, regions, sustainability, and impact. This strategy aims to attract 800 investments and create 50,000 new employment. The Irish government is devoted to keeping up its investments in research and education to make sure that Ireland continues to be a popular choice for new biotechnology manufacturing enterprises.

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