J&J's DePuy Synthes arm commits more than $36M to ramp up Irish R&D facility

Johnson & Johnson's ($JNJ) DePuy Synthes arm plans to spend more than $36 million to build up a research-and-development operation in Ireland.

The operation should create 38 research level positions at the company's plant in Ringaskiddy, and will focus on development work across the division, the state's economic development agency IDA Ireland announced Dec. 9.

The expansion reflects a rare bit of good news these days for J&J, which recently forwarded a $2.5 billion-plus proposal to settle 8,000 lawsuits alleging the company sold defective metal hips that harmed legions of patients. J&J is also among the device companies dealing with thousands of lawsuits alleging the sale of vaginal mesh that harmed women and left them disabled.

This, at least, is a straightforward economic development story. Construction will take place at a plant that DePuy has maintained since 1997 and makes various orthopedic products for global sale. IDA Ireland explained that a number of J&J divisions operate facilities in Ireland and already employ 1,900 people.

For the R&D operation, the project will ramp up over five years and is supported by Ireland's Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, via IDA Ireland. It will be dubbed the Operations Technology Development Centre.

- read the release