Croom Medical has broken ground on a new 38,000-square-foot R&D and industrialisation centre of excellence that will feature multi-material additive manufacturing equipment.
In recent years, the orthopaedic manufacturer has established itself as a leading user of additive manufacturing in its field, dedicating a significant portion of a €12m investment in advanced manufacturing equipment to the technology, and launching its TALOS platform for tantalum-based implants.
The new facility, which will be based in Croom, Co. Limerick, marks the largest single investment in the company’s 42-year history and will further enhance its focus on advanced manufacturing and R&D. It will be known as ACOT – Advanced Centre of Orthopaedic Technologies – and will integrate a full spectrum of orthopaedic manufacturing under one roof. The multi-material additive manufacturing capacity will be supplemented by precision CNC machining, lights-out machining and grinding, palletised loading, vacuum furnace heat treatment, electropolishing, anodising, automated polishing and finishing, digital inspection, and clean-and-pack operations.
Croom says the facility will enable deeper integration across the full product lifecycle, from early-stage design and prototyping through to validated serial production, across shoulder, hip, knee, spine, trauma, and sports medicine devices. It will also ensure fewer handoffs and faster time to market, according to a company press release.
The company has been motivated to develop the new facility in line with the orthopaedic industry’s move towards 'cementless fixation, robotic-assisted surgery, and additive manufacturing at scale'. These trends, Croom says, demand advanced technology, sophisticated surface finishing, and vertically integrated supply chains.
Construction of the Advanced Centre of Orthopaedic Technologies is now underway, with completion expected by the end of 2026. It is being developed with the support of Enterprise Ireland.
“ACOT is a strategic investment designed around where this industry is going next,” said Patrick Byrnes, CEO of Croom Medical. “For our OEM partners, it means deeper integration, advanced capability, and a facility built around their roadmaps. At the same time, it creates high-value roles and long-term career opportunities here in Croom, strengthening the local economy and the community that has supported us for over four decades. This facility was built on the trust our partners place in our team, and we’re proud that our growth benefits both our global customers and the town of Croom.”
