BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc’s manufacturing Cork-based operation has been awarded the much sought after CPD Accredited Employer Standard by Engineers Ireland in recognition of its continuing professional development (CPD) strategy.

Founded in California in 1997, BioMarin is a pioneer in the treatment of rare diseases. BioMarin is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics that provide meaningful advances to patients who live with serious and life-threatening rare genetic diseases.

Many of these conditions affect children and some are so uncommon that the entire patient population numbers as few as 1,000 people worldwide.

Ireland is home to BioMarin’s EUMEA headquarters for operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with locations in both Dublin and Cork employing close to 500 people. 

Only manufacturing base outside the US

The facility at Shanbally, Co Cork, is BioMarin’s only manufacturing base outside the US, and work on a €38 million Drug Product expansion at the site is currently in progress.

Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, said: “I wish to congratulate BioMarin for their dedication to professional development and achieving CPD Accredited Employer status. 

"The CPD Accredited Employer Standard recognises organisations which implement specific continuing professional development policies to support their engineers and technical staff. Professional development has become the keystone for companies to stay ahead of their competitors and at the forefront of their customers’ minds.”

Michael O’Donnell, site leader and VP of operations at BioMarin headquarters in Cork, said: “We are delighted with the Engineers Ireland CPD accreditation as it is essential for our  teams to continuously improve and enhance their skills to innovate in the biopharmaceutical industry.

"The CPD framework will help to provide a structured process to develop the capabilities of the engineering community in BioMarin which will ultimately benefit the patients we serve.”

Caption: Kevin Kilbride accepted the CPD Accredited Employer parchment from Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, on behalf of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc’s Cork-based operation. (This photograph was taken in February before the pandemic lockdown measures came into force.)

The Engineers Ireland CPD Accredited Employer Standard is a strategic framework which enables engineers and engineering employers raise competency levels and deliver tangible business benefits by investing in engineers through continuing professional development. For more information on the Engineers Ireland CPD Accredited Standard, visit: http://www.engineersireland.ie/cpd-training/cpd-accredited-employer-scheme.aspx