Biotechnology company Genzyme Corp yesterday announced plans to expand its manufacturing and research facilities in Ireland.

The Irish Government has said it will offer confidential assistance to subsidize the planned €130 million expansion of Genzyme's operations in the southeast city of Waterford.

Genzyme of Cambridge, Massachusetts specializes in making drugs for use in fighting rare genetic disorders, kidney disease and cancer and helping organ-transplant recipients.

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The US company set up its first manufacturing facility in Waterford in 2001. It plans build a new production line for soft-gel capsules, expand its existing plant for filling medicine vials, and add lab and office space.

With the expansion, it plans to hire another 170 people, boosting its Irish workforce to more than 600.

Trade, Employment and Enterprise Minister Micheal Martin said that half of all foreign corporate investments to Ireland so far this year have come from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He said they constitute "a crucial component of Ireland's economic landscape."

Last month, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd also announced a multi-million euro plan to expand its Waterford campus and boost its work force from 650 to 815.

(VB/JM)