Accenture acquires Cork life sciences company ESP

ESP currently services 17 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies

Barry Heavey, life sciences practice lead, Accenture Ireland (left); Liam O’Brien, managing director ESP.
Barry Heavey, life sciences practice lead, Accenture Ireland (left); Liam O’Brien, managing director ESP.

Professional services giant Accenture has acquired Cork-headquartered life sciences company Enterprise Systems Partners (ESP) for an undisclosed sum.

ESP provides consulting and support services for manufacturing operations in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical devices. In particular it digitally tracks and documenst the bio-pharmaceutical production process, leading to increased automation in the supply chain.

Founded in 2003, ESP currently services 17 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies. It employs 100 people in Cork, and another 100 in Boston, the Netherlands and Turkey.

"The planned acquisition of ESP underscores our commitment to one of Ireland's most important and growing industries – life sciences," said Accenture country manager Alastair Blair.

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The deal is the latest in a long line of acquisitions made by Accenture, which acquired Irish creative agency Rothco in late 2017.

“As part of Accenture, we will be able to offer enhanced services to transform our clients’ operations by streamlining processes from early-stage research through development to manufacturing and distribution. It will expand our capabilities to new regions and provide our team with new career opportunities in a truly global organisation,” said Liam O’Brien, managing director of ESP.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist