- Company ups manufacturing investment in Limerick by $1 billion; unveils new $800 million Kinsale facility
- New investment will enhance global medicine production, benefiting millions of patients worldwide
This additional investment is part of the most ambitious manufacturing expansion agenda in the company’s history. Since 2020, Lilly has committed more than $20 billion to build, expand and acquire manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Europe.
This project is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Peter Burke TD said: “Today marks two fantastic investments from Eli Lilly and Company - both the announcement of a $1 billion expansion of Lilly’s Limerick site in Raheen and the unveiling of the new $800 million facility expansion in Kinsale. These state-of-the-art facilities will contribute to the treatment of diseases affecting millions of people across the world. They will also create hundreds of new jobs, directly and indirectly, adding to the thousands already employed in Ireland by Lilly. Eli Lilly and Company has made a huge commitment to Ireland for almost half a century and these announcements today further solidify their confidence in Ireland as a global leader in the Biopharma sector. Thanks to the Lilly team for their continued investment in Ireland, which is greatly valued by the Irish Government, and I look forward to future collaboration over the next half a century, alongside our IDA colleagues.”
“These investments will boost the production of some of our medicines, helping millions of people with diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's disease live the healthiest lives possible,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “We won’t stop there – these state-of-the-art facilities will also be equipped to support our promising pipeline molecules of the future.”
Limerick, Ireland
Once complete, Limerick will join Lilly’s global manufacturing network producing the biologic active ingredients for the company’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio and other biologic medicines.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating diagnosis for both the patient and for their loved ones, along with having a huge burden on society,” said Anne E. White, executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience. “The treatments we plan to make here in Limerick offer the potential to be able to slow the progression of early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease and make life better for millions of people around the world.”
Today’s announcement brings Lilly’s total Limerick investment to $2 billion, doubling the investment the company announced in March of 2023. Advanced technologies such as machine learning, AI and automated robotics and systems at the site will enable right-first-time execution, all in support of the safe and reliable supply of medicines. As a part of this expansion, Lilly will create another 150 jobs for highly skilled workers in Limerick such as engineers, scientists, quality assurance professionals and operations personnel, for a total of 450 employees. Lilly initially announced the Limerick site in 2022 and broke ground in March 2023. Production of biologic active ingredients for Lilly medicines is on track to start in 2026.
The Limerick investment project is subject to planning approval, and the company will submit a planning application to the Limerick City and County Council in due course.
IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: “Today’s announcement in Limerick effectively doubles down on Eli Lilly and Company’s 2022 announcement to build a new manufacturing facility in Raheen. Meanwhile the official opening of the $800 million expansion of its manufacturing site in Kinsale enhances the campus’ capabilities to create complex peptides. Since establishing in Ireland in 1978, Lilly’s operations here have been producing key healthcare products that have supported the fight against several of the world’s most serious illness. I wish to assure Lilly of IDA Ireland’s continued partnership and wish them every success with the far-reaching outcomes of the investments unveiled today.”
Kinsale, Ireland
Lilly remains dedicated to addressing major global health issues, and the Kinsale facility is pivotal to maintaining the safe and reliable supply of Lilly’s diabetes and obesity medications. The official opening of Lilly’s Kinsale manufacturing site expansion marks the completion of the state-of-the-art project to help meet the demand for current and future treatments. The site employs a digital-first process that integrates continuous manufacturing technology to create a new manufacturing platform for creating complex peptides. This facility was recently recognised as the winner of the Innovation category in the prestigious “Facility of the Year” awards program run by the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers.
Ireland’s skilled workforce, regulatory environment and pro-innovation government policies have contributed to Lilly’s nearly fifty-year presence in the country. In parallel with our manufacturing growth, Lilly’s Global Business Solutions center in Cork has quadrupled employment levels since 2019, with more than 2,000 employees expected by the end of 2024, over half of whom are working in clinical research and development.
Sustainability
Lilly has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and respecting the local environment, establishing environmental programs across all sites in Ireland. Once completed, the Limerick site will operate with 35% lower energy intensity, use 40% less water, and generate 15% less waste than traditional biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. In Kinsale, Lilly has the single largest privately owned solar farm – 26 acres – in the Republic of Ireland, which powers a significant portion of the facility.
About Lilly
Lilly is a medicine company turning science into therapies to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are advancing new discoveries to address some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes and obesity care; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing options for debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the management of difficult-to-treat cancers. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit lilly.com/ie or Eli Lilly and Company UK & Ireland: Overview | LinkedIn
About Lilly in Ireland
Lilly has been operating in Ireland for four decades, and today the company employs over 3,500 people across three sites and a commercial team that is based around the country.
Lilly’s history in Ireland began with the purchase of a site near Kinsale in 1978. Today the vast Kinsale manufacturing campus makes active ingredients for use in the worldwide supply of Lilly medicines, using three distinct high-technology manufacturing platforms – chemical synthesis, biotechnology and peptide synthesis – which makes it a rare and exceptional facility in the global pharmaceutical landscape. Lilly Global Business Solutions (GBS) in Little Island, Cork, was established in 2010, and has evolved from shared service provider to a global business partner. It is now central to the end-to-end delivery of life-saving medicines for patients worldwide, from clinical development to patient support. A new greenfield manufacturing investment in Raheen, Limerick was announced by Lilly in 2022. The state-of-the-art campus is under construction and on track to begin manufacturing in 2026. The Lilly Ireland commercial team works across the country with healthcare stakeholders to help identify the needs of patients and healthcare professionals and to deliver pharmaceutical-based healthcare solutions.