Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Grifols, a global leader in plasma-derived medicines, has inaugurated a new albumin purification and filling plant at its global manufacturing and supply hub in Grange Castle, Dublin, which will help address the growing demand for this vital plasma-derived medicine. The newly built plant, which adds more than 17,000 sq m (183,000 sq ft) to Grifols’ cutting-edge facilities in Dublin, is part of the company’s continued global growth strategy and investment in critical plasma infrastructure.

This expansion brings Grifols’ total investment in Irish operations to over €300 million since first establishing a presence in the country in 2012.

Dublin is the Group’s fifth manufacturing site for essential plasma medicines alongside Barcelona; Clayton, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California, and Dreieich, Germany. Additional Grifols manufacturing sites under construction will become operational in Montreal, Canada, in 2024, and El Cairo, Egypt, in 2025.

Ireland has continued to prove an attractive location for Grifols given its highly educated and skilled workforce, in addition to its strategic position between North America and continental Europe and its pro-business environment. The expansion will provide considerable employment opportunities in the Dublin region across entry-level and specialist roles in manufacturing, logistics and packaging. Grifols expects the number of employees, currently more than 300, to increase to over 500 between 2022 and 2024.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: “Having steadily grown its presence in Ireland over the last decade, Grifols further expansion reinforces Dublin as an important center of the company’s global operations. It’s further proof of Ireland’s role as a major biopharmaceutical and international trade hub, with a highly talented workforce available.”

Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “This significant investment by Grifols marks a 10-year milestone in its commitment to Ireland. The Irish site plays an important role in in providing vital plasma-derived medicine to treat disease around the world. We welcome the company’s plans to create new employment opportunities across several activities and look forward to continued success for Grifols in Ireland.”

“The new plant, displaying Grifols’ industry-leading technological excellence, is part of our broader expansion in Dublin that includes the growth of the supply chain and logistical operations of our Biopharma business unit, all of which brings additional professional development opportunities to the Irish workforce,” said Shane O’Brien, vice president of Grifols Worldwide Operations.

Specifically, the new plant will help Grifols meet growing demand for albumin, which is expected to increase by a compound annual growth rate of around 5% over the next five years. The most abundant protein found in plasma, albumin is used to replace lost fluids, restore vital blood volume and to treat prevalent diseases such as cirrhosis. Grifols is also advancing its potential use to treat neurological degenerative disorders.

“This new magnificent Dublin manufacturing facility, which incorporates Grifols industry-leading engineering, is indicative of this company’s commitment to investing in essential plasma-medicine infrastructure globally to treat more patients around the world. The significant investment underlines our long-term commitment to Ireland and reinforces Dublin’s role as a critical nerve center for Grifols’ global operations,” said Víctor Grifols Deu and Raimon Grifols, Grifols co-CEOs.