GE HealthCare is investing $138 million to expand its contrast media manufacturing site in Cork, Ireland, aiming to increase production capacity by 25 million patient doses per year by 2027.
The new 3,000-square-meter facility will include solution preparation vessels, a new filling line, and autoclaves, with advanced automation to support production. The expansion is intended to enhance supply chain resilience as global demand for iodine-based contrast media, used in X-ray and CT imaging, is projected to double over the next decade.
Currently, GE HealthCare's fill-and-finish sites in Ireland, China, and Norway produce over 100 million doses annually.
“As an industry leader we have a responsibility to help meet the growing global demand for contrast media from healthcare providers and their patients,” said Kevin O’Neill, president and CEO of GE HealthCare’s pharmaceutical diagnostics segment. “This new facility demonstrates our broader commitment not just to address future demand, but also to increase resiliency and security of industry supply for customers.”
The project will be led by engineering firm IPS-Integrated Project Services, with construction set to begin in February 2025. It is expected to create over 250 construction jobs.
GE HealthCare has operated in Ireland for more than 30 years. The company’s pharmaceutical diagnostics business employs over 4,000 people globally and also develops radiopharmaceuticals for neurology, cardiology, and oncology applications.
