Abbott has unveiled its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kilkenny, Ireland with a ceremony attended by An Taoiseach, Simon Harris, TD, and Abbott Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Ford.

The site is a global manufacturing center of excellence for Abbott’s diabetes care business and will employ more than 800 people.

The Kilkenny facility is part of a EUR 440 million investment in Ireland, which includes a significant expansion of the company’s Donegal site, where a further 200 jobs are being created. The new 30,000-square meter Kilkenny facility is producing FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors, the world’s smallest1 sensors and latest generation in Abbott’s world-leading2 continuous glucose monitoring portfolio for people living with diabetes.

Speaking at the event, An Taoiseach, Simon Harris, TD, said, "Abbott, which has been in Ireland since 1946, is one of the longest-established global companies and largest employers in our country. This latest investment is a further vote of confidence in Ireland as a location for world-class advanced manufacturing and healthcare businesses. With the opening of this new site, Ireland is now at the global centre of diabetes care."

"This is our latest commitment to providing innovative care and supporting people with diabetes to live healthier lives. The state-of-the-art Kilkenny facility will have the highest production of Libre sensors in the world to help meet the growing global demand for our world-leading FreeStyle Libre portfolio," said Robert Ford, Chairman and CEO, Abbott.

Abbott’s Kilkenny facility was built with sustainability in mind. The site is fully electric, powered by six air-to-water heat pumps, has nearly 600 solar panels on the roof and features tanks for collecting rainwater to use onsite.

Demonstrating its further commitment to Ireland, Abbott is announcing a new USD 100,000 grant to The Ireland Funds. The grant, which will be run by The Fund’s scholarship wing, No Mind Left Behind, will fund three 2024 Leaving Certificate graduates, enabling them to take up third-level education.

The scholarship recipients are all from local DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools including Coláiste Mhuire, Grennan College and Castlecomer Community School. All students are pursuing their education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, which aligns with Abbott’s drive to support more young people into STEM careers.

Outside Ireland, Abbott is expanding its manufacturing capacity across Europe with a further EUR 85 million investment in its Witney facility in Oxfordshire, UK.

Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre portfolio is the continuous glucose monitoring system, now helping more than 6 million people across over 60 countries.