Covidien has invested more than $40m to inaugurate its four research and development (R&D) centers.

The new R&D facilities are located in Boulder, Colorado; Hyderabad, India; Irvine, California, and Trevoux, France.

Covidien president and chief executive officer Jose Almeida said the company investments in these new R&D centers represent a commitment to deliver healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes.

"We expect to launch more than 50 new products over the next two years," Almeida added.

Covidien surgical solutions chief technology officer Paul Hermes said by expanding the company’s R&D infrastructure and capabilities, it will be able to enhance its collaborative efforts, improve the product development time to market and create valued innovation.

Covidien now has 24 R&D centers which are focusing on new growth platforms in its endomechanical and energy devices, soft tissue repair, vascular therapies, respiratory, monitoring, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies product lines.