Lilly $1.8 billion investment to bolster Irish manufacturing

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Eli Lilly and Company is planning to invest a total of $1.8 billion in two manufacturing sites in Ireland, boosting its medicine production worldwide.

Edgardo Hernandez, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly Manufacturing Operations, explained that the company’s new investments will enhance production of medicines for diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer’s. The “state-of-the-art facilities will also be equipped to support our promising pipeline molecules of the future”.

Eli Lilly’s Limerick site

Expansion of its manufacturing site in Limerick, financed by $1 billion, is set to increase production of biologic active ingredients. The facility will increase production of those including for the company’s recently approved early Alzheimer’s treatments.

This new investment brings Lilly’s total Limerick financing to $2 billion.

The expansion will include implementation of advanced technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and automated robotics and systems.

An additional 150 jobs will be created from the site expansion. Lilly noted that these include engineers, scientists, quality assurance professionals and operations personnel, totalling 450 employees at the facility.

Production is expected to begin in 2026.

Kinsale site

Additionally, expansion of Lilly’ Kinsale facility will be funded by an $800 million investment. The company highlighted that to meet consumer demand, in 2023 the site commenced production of its latest diabetes and obesity medicines.

This manufacturing site expansion will utilise “a digital-first process that integrates continuous manufacturing technology to create a new manufacturing platform for creating complex peptides” according to Lilly.

Sustainability

At 26 acres, Lilly’s Kinsale site has the single largest privately owned solar farm in the Republic of Ireland, Lilly stated. This energy powers a “significant portion” of the facility.

On the other hand, the Limerick site is set to operate with “35 percent lower energy intensity, use 40 percent less water, and generate 15 percent less waste than traditional biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes”.

Lilly confirmed that its investment at the Limerick site is subject to planning approval.