DePuy (Ireland) has announced plans to invest in excess of $36 million in a research and development (R&D) programme, which it anticipates will support 38 new positions, primarily at Masters and PhD level, at its Ringaskiddy plant in Co Cork. The five-year project is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, through IDA Ireland. DePuy (Ireland), one of the DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, established a manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, Cork in 1997 and manufactures orthopaedic products for global markets. There are several Johnson & Johnson companies operating in Ireland, employing a total of 1,900 people. The new programme is designed to build core competencies in the areas of advanced processing technology, new materials development and advanced process implementation for the DePuy Synthes Companies organisation. Recruitment for the new positions has already begun and details of the positions can be found on www.careers.jnj.com. Making the announcement, Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock, TD said that the DePuy Synthes Companies' investment plan was further proof that Ireland continued to be a key location for life science/medical devices companies. Joe Sendra, vice president of manufacturing engineering & technology within the supply-chain organisation, said the company’s investment decision was driven by diverse and highly skilled engineers. “It’s anticipated that the Operations Technology Development Centre will provide platform technology development across critical process areas for the DePuy Synthes Companies,” he said. “IDA Ireland is a key partner for us and has enabled us to advance the pace of both technology and process development.” Commenting on the announcement, Dermot Clohessy, executive director of IDA Ireland, said the investment news further endorsed Ireland’s established reputation for R&D activities in the international marketplace.