WuXi Biologics – Dundalk Facility
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Campus – Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland
Project Stats
WuXi Biologics
Client: WuXi Biologics
Dundalk
Located at Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland
Industrial
Industrial Sector
€325m+
€325m+ Project Value in investment
The Challenge
The WuXi Biologics Dundalk facility represents a major investment in Ireland’s life sciences infrastructure – creating one of the largest biologics drug substance manufacturing campuses in Europe to support global partners in biologics development and commercial production.
The project needed a comprehensive, robust and future-ready building services design capable of supporting highly specialised manufacturing processes across multiple production suites. Key challenges included:
- designing services to support stringent Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environments
- coordinating high-purity HVAC and utility systems
- accommodating complex process flows across multiple building types
- meeting international lifecycle and quality standards for pharmaceutical production
- supporting future operational scalability and flexibility
Lawler Consulting’s role was to deliver detailed Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) design services that met both the regulatory demands of life sciences manufacturing and the operational needs of a global contract development and manufacturing organisation.
Our Approach
We provided full Mechanical & Electrical design services, working collaboratively with the project delivery team and specialist process engineers to align building services with the facility’s stringent technical requirements.
Our approach included:
- integrated design development for HVAC, utilities, clean services and process support
- coordination of complex services risers, plantrooms and distribution systems
- performance optimisation for manufacturing environments with critical cleanliness and environmental control needs
- early coordination with process and architectural teams to manage sequence and spatial interfaces
- BIM-led services coordination to ensure clash-free delivery
This rigorous, disciplined approach helped ensure services were not only compliant but also engineered for long-term reliability and manufacturability at scale.
Project Outcomes
State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Support
The M&E design supports flexible biologics drug substance production with high environmental control standards, enabling the facility to meet international pharma client needs.
Global Scale Industrial Capability
As part of the broader Dundalk site – spanning approximately 26 hectares and multiple production suites – the facility has become a key European hub for biologics manufacturing, supporting workflows from early development through commercial supply.
Operational Readiness & Compliance
Systems were engineered to meet rigorous GMP expectations, with robust HVAC, clean utilities and energy distribution designed for long-term stability and uptime.
Manufacturing & Workforce Growth
The facility has catalysed significant regional employment and economic activity, with hundreds of jobs created and continued operational expansion.
Integration with Campus Infrastructure
Building services were coordinated across adjacent production buildings, support labs and administrative zones, enabling a cohesive and efficient campus environment.
Following completion, the Dundalk manufacturing facility originally delivered for WuXi Biologics has since been acquired by MSD, reflecting the strategic importance and long-term value of the asset within Ireland’s life sciences manufacturing landscape.
Key Building Services
- HVAC design tailored for GMP and critical cleanliness environments
- Electrical distribution and power resilience for heavy process loads
- Utility systems coordination (compressed air, chilled water, steam, etc.)
- Lighting, controls and communications infrastructure
- BIM-enabled services modelling and coordination
Services Provided
- Mechanical & Electrical Design
- BIM Coordination & Services Integration
- Life-Sciences-Oriented Building Services Specification
- Commissioning Support
- Design-Stage Clash Management
How can we help?
Engineering the built environments that power innovation in life sciences and industrial research.
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