PEPSI in Cork has announced 40 new jobs as part of a new multi-million euro research and development centre in Little Island.

The company officially launched its new R&D Nutrition Centre at Little Island yesterday, describing it as a strong statement of its commitment to Cork.

Speaking at Pepsi in Little Island, Dr Jan Weststrate, a senior vice president at PepsiCo, said: “R&D is at the heart of PepsiCo and we are proud of our achievements here in Cork. The expansion means we can continue to drive growth in our premium everyday nutrition brands. The R&D Nutrition Centre in Cork specialises in product development, processing technology and analytical science. The availability of educated talent and access to an innovation ecosystem, which enables cross-fertilisation of ideas and acceleration of innovation, were factors in deciding to locate here. The new centre in Cork is an important strategic hub for PepsiCo, offering great potential for cross-platform synergies and talent development.

“Our goal is for the sales growth rate of our nutrition products to outpace the sales growth rate of the balance of our portfolio.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the new centre was proof that Ireland is a world leader in attracting high-quality jobs.

“PepsiCo has grown significantly since it opened its first facility here in Cork in 1974. The establishment of this R&D Nutrition Centre is a testament to the skilled talent base and innovative systems and approaches available here in Cork.”

Separately, a new custom-built €7m Clonakilty Food Company factory officially opened in the West Cork town, the culmination of more than a year’s construction work and the realisation of a dream for the Twomey family behind the world-famous Clonakilty black pudding brand.