The Irish-led contract lab and quality management specialist will begin hiring immediately.
Indigenous Irish medtech Complete Laboratory Solutions (CLS) has today (30 September) announced plans to create 140 new STEM jobs at its Galway city facility over the next three years.
Recruitment will begin immediately, CLS said, for positions in science, QA, regulatory affairs, engineering and business analytics across all experience levels.
CLS is a contract laboratory, licenced by the HPRA and FDA, and also provides quality assurance, lean transformations, specialised training and managed talent resourcing for partners across the medical device, pharma, environmental, and food and beverage industries.
In May, the company announced a €9.9m training programme, supported by IDA Ireland, to upskill its staff over the next two years as it embarks on its next phase of growth. The plan is to expand into new markets including semiconductors, engineering and the green and coastal economy.
CLS was founded by Clifden native Evelyn O’Toole when she was just 25 in 1994. A biologist by education, O’Toole told SiliconRepublic.com that she set up her own company to be able to stay and work in the west of Ireland.
“Many people told me that I was mad – wrong location, not enough experience, no investment or capital or contacts – but, with help from Údarás na Gaeltachta and my redundancy money, I started my own company.”
The company has now grown to a workforce of more than 200, with the new jobs to bring the total to 400 in the coming years, and the plan is to grow from a medium-sized enterprise into a fully Irish led multinational.
In 2019, it announced 100 new jobs at its Galway facility and at client sites around Ireland.
In 2022, CLS became part of the UK-based Phenna Group platform, with the latter becoming a majority shareholder. Phenna Group specialises in investing in and partnering with niche, independent testing, inspection, certification and compliance companies.
O’Toole said that today’s announcement “marks one of the most exciting phases in CLS’s journey”.
“This strategic expansion reflects both the evolving needs of industry and our ambition for sustainable growth. With new capabilities, accelerators and a highly skilled workforce in place, CLS is well-positioned to drive innovation and resilience across dynamic, fast-moving sectors.”
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD, said that CLS’s growth highlights the strength of Ireland’s innovation ecosystem.
“This strategic expansion, supported by IDA Ireland, demonstrates how Irish-led enterprises can scale while continuing to invest locally.”
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