Medical diagnostics company Randox is to build a manufacturing and R&D facility in the UK in an investment of £161m.
The company is redeveloping the former Massereene army base in Antrim, Northern Ireland and will create 540 jobs over the next four years.
The site, bought by Randox in 2013, will be renamed Randox Science Park and become the company’s main manufacturing site, complementing its operations in Manchester, Republic of Ireland, India and the US.
Randox, which develops medical tests and makes diagnostic equipment used in labs in more than 145 countries, says the new centre will accelerate the development of products for cancer, stroke, heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
The company offers more than 2,000 products, including advanced diagnostic tests, quality control sera, analysers and its BioChip Array Technology, many of which will be produced at the new facility.
Randox Managing Director Peter FitzGerald said: 'The creation of Randox Science Park is fundamental to Randox meeting the health challenges facing populations across the world.'
'We must continue innovating, through our people, through our knowledge and through our technology; Randox Science Park gives us the platform we need to do this.'
Invest Northern Ireland, a regional development agency, is providing a grant of £4.7m towards £29m allocated to redevelop the site.
