In Ireland the Switzerland headquartered dairy processor Nestlé will cease operations in its Irish infant formula factory by 2026. The co-located R&D centre will close by 2025. The factory currently employs 491 people and the R&D facility employs 51 people which probably all will lose their jobs. Operating as Wyeth Nutritionals Ireland Ltd (WNIL), the factory manufactures infant formula products exclusively for export to markets in Greater China and Asia. According to Nestle external trends have significantly impacted demand for infant nutrition products in the Greater China region. The number of new-born babies in China has declined sharply from some 18 million per year in 2016 to fewer than 9 million projected in 2023. The market, which had previously been reliant on imported infant formula products, is also seeing rapid growth in locally-produced products. To adapt to those changes Nestlé will transfer the production to two existing factories in China and Switzerland.