A new life sciences centre of excellence has officially opened its doors near Glasgow with forecasts that it will generate £200 million in advanced technologies over the first five years and create over 100 high-value jobs.

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a unique collaboration led by technology innovation catalyst CPI with 24 partner organisations from pharma, government, business, and academia.

Funding for the £88 million Centre has come from partner organisations, including the UK Government through UK Research and Innovation, and the Scottish Government through Scottish Enterprise.

The Centre, situated near Glasgow Airport, will bring world-leading science and technology expertise under one roof to accelerate state-of-the-art solutions to some of the biggest challenges in medicines development and manufacturing – not least driving sustainable manufacturing processes to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

Of the over 20 partner groups, the Centre has six founding partners: pharmaceutical giants, AstraZeneca and GSK; technology innovation catalyst, CPI; strategic research partner, the University of Strathclyde; and the two government agencies. Other partners that have invested in the Centre include Pfizer, Novartis and Alnylam from the pharma industry, business partner PwC, and technology leaders Siemens and Applied Materials.

Atos, a leading global digital transformation provider addressing the life science value chain providing pharma manufacturing digitalisation and transformation capabilities and services, is the latest to join the unique consortium, announcing a significant investment in the Centre today.

Managing Director of Medicines Manufacturing, Biologics and Quality at CPI, Dave Tudor says the Centre can play a big part in addressing global manufacturing challenges:

“The facility we have built here in Renfrewshire is the first example of a consistent and concerted effort from the pharma industry to collaborate. This will be crucial to unlocking the challenges we’ve faced so far to translate research into tangible benefits that will help address unmet health needs.

“Our ‘Grand Challenge’ business model aims to bring key players together to accelerate solutions to some of the core issues we’ve seen across the industry. For example, we want to see a reduction in waste and the industry’s carbon footprint through better, more efficient manufacturing processes.”

Dr Tudor says the Centre is aiming to drive research forward in areas from cell and gene therapy to digital solution and advance thinking technology to support increased investment and growth in biological manufacture, adding:

“The next phase is about inviting companies into the new Centre so they can benefit from the existing technologies developed as a result of our Grand Challenges.”

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a fully regulated Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) plant and can take on many of the start-up risks involved in drug development, such as compliance with regulatory requirements for the development of new technologies.

Partners may see benefits to their manufacturing processes including greater productivity, reduced cost of drug development, greater compliance, and a reduction in carbon footprint.

UK government minister for Industry and Investment Security, Nusrat Ghani, says the Centre will show the power of people working in partnership:

“A strong life sciences sector, like ours here in the UK, requires full collaboration from all along the supply and delivery chain – from researchers and manufacturers to government policymakers and business. This was made evident during the pandemic, when the UK’s outstanding medical manufacturing capability gave us a global head start in rolling out timely vaccines.

“CPI’s new Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, opening in the dynamic city of Glasgow, will provide huge benefit for the UK’s pharma sector, helping translate research into new health treatments, and supporting quality jobs in the region. The Centre will support the ambitions of our Life Sciences Vision to accelerate innovation and drive sustainable manufacturing processes, reducing industry’s carbon footprint while continuing to strengthen our position as an Innovation Nation.”

Scottish Government Business Minister, Ivan McKee, says the Centre can play an important role in achieving Scotland’s ambitions for its life sciences sector:

“Through our national economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise, we have provided £16 million for the Centre, which is arriving at a crucial time for Scotland, meeting a need for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, creating jobs in a vitally important sector, and presenting a compelling opportunity for international and domestic manufacturing businesses to locate in Scotland.

 “As a key part of Scotland’s economic recovery, the Centre will produce benefits not only for the economy but for the health of the nation and will put Scotland at the forefront of advanced medicines manufacturing.”

Read more: Adopting innovation can be ‘Once for Scotland’; NHS Scotland forms landmark partnership; Medicines innovation centre a step closer 

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