Boston Scientific Corporation officially announced on April 17, 2026, a €75 million investment to expand its research and development (R&D) operations at its Galway, Ireland, campus. This strategic expansion is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation cardiovascular therapies, specifically focusing on heart valve technologies and minimally invasive devices. The investment is supported by the Irish government through IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment.
The new funding will facilitate the construction of a specialized 40,000-square-foot R&D center within the company’s existing Ballybrit site. This facility will house advanced laboratories dedicated to materials science, electronic engineering, and data analytics applied to medical devices. According to the company’s technical briefing, the expansion aims to shorten the development cycle for complex cardiovascular solutions, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) systems and electrophysiology catheters used to treat cardiac arrhythmias.
As part of the expansion, Boston Scientific expects to create approximately 200 new high-skilled positions over the next three years. These roles will include research scientists, design engineers, and regulatory affairs specialists. This addition will bring the company’s total workforce in Ireland to over 6,700 employees across its sites in Galway, Cork, and Clonmel. James Lyons, Vice President of Operations at Boston Scientific Galway, stated that the investment reinforces the site's role as a global center of excellence for the company’s cardiovascular portfolio.
Michael Lohan, CEO of IDA Ireland, attended the announcement ceremony and noted that the €75 million commitment underscores Ireland's position as a leading global hub for the medtech sector. He highlighted that Boston Scientific’s continued investment in high-value R&D activities contributes significantly to the national economy and the local ecosystem in the West of Ireland. The Galway facility, which opened in 1994, is already one of the company’s largest manufacturing and R&D locations worldwide, exporting millions of medical devices annually.
The announcement follows Boston Scientific's broader global strategy to increase its R&D spending, which totaled approximately $1.4 billion in the previous fiscal year. By centering this specific investment in Galway, the company aims to leverage the regional cluster of academic institutions and existing medtech expertise. The project is scheduled to begin construction in the third quarter of 2026, with the new R&D labs expected to be fully operational by early 2028.