THERE WILL ARE 400 new jobs coming to Dundalk over the next few years, with Chinese biomanufacturing company WuXi Biologics announcing a €325 million investment.

A further 700 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with the new state-of-the-art facility to be set on a 26-hectare campus.

Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick said the facility will “be of substantial benefit to the region”.

He said: “The people of Dundalk, Louth and Ireland deserve this after their hard work and support over the last number of years in helping Ireland back on the road to recovery.”

Fitzpatrick also said the decision from WuXi Biologics was a sign of confidence in the area’s “excellent work force” and the “talent pool we have in our area and its surrounds”.

The facility will be the company’s first outside China, with the 400 jobs set to be created over the next five years. The company is involved in the discovery, development and manufacturing of biologics – next-generation medicines derived from biological sources.

Labour Senator Ged Nash called the announcement a “massive vote of confidence in Louth” while Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd said that there is a “clear trend” for global pharmaceutical companies setting up their European bases along the Dundalk-Drogheda corridor.

The project was delivered in conjunction with the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Louth County Council and the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce.