Astellas to invest more than €330 million in a new facility in Ireland
Astellas Pharma has announced its intention to submit a planning application to build a new state-of-the-art facility, at an approximate cost of €330 million in Tralee, County Kerry. This investment by Astellas in Ireland will expand its capacity and capabilities for aseptic drug products, reinforce stable production for global supply and accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative antibody drugs and other new products.
The new facility in Tralee will be built in line with Astellas’ ambitious sustainability targets and values incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design. The project aims to cut water use by about half, reduce operational energy intensity by more than one-third and produce zero waste to landfill (compared with LEED® baseline). These measures along with onsite renewable technology including solar PV panels and biomass boiler underpin Astellas’ efforts in the mitigation of climate change.
Hideki Shima, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Astellas, commented: “Astellas is developing innovative drugs and technologies based on our Focus Area research and development approach, placing patients at the forefront of everything we do. With the new facility, Astellas will aim to strengthen our in-house production capacity and capabilities and ensure a stable supply of high-quality Astellas medicines to patients around the world.”
Speaking of the announcement, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: “I very much welcome Astellas’ decision to build a new cutting-edge facility in Tralee. The substantial investment it will bring, coupled with the promise of highly specialised engineering, science and technology jobs, is of great importance for the southwest region. Astellas’ commitment to aligning the new facility with their ambitious sustainability targets and values, incorporating the highest national and international best practice in energy and environmental design, is commendable. It is also fully in keeping with the Government’s commitment to decarbonise our economy and society, as outlined in our White Paper on Enterprise 2022-30. I wish Astellas every success as they embark on this transformative project.”
The planned manufacturing facility will incorporate a 3-story building with a total floor area of 17,000 square metres. Subject to planning permission, construction will commence in 2024, with the site expected to be operational by 2028.
