New medicines manufacturing facility to open in Scotland

A new research, development and manufacturing facility for medicines is to be built in Scotland thanks to a partnership between the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and multiple partners.

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) will be based in Renfrewshire, Scotland and will be designed by engineering company BakerHicks. The engineering firm will work closely with the CPI team and stakeholders to develop the design to the point where it can be tendered for build.

The MMIC will support the UK’s pharmaceutical research and fine chemicals industries in accelerating a new generation of manufacturing processes. The MMIC is being supported by a £13 million investment from UK Research and Innovation through the Industrial Strategy Fund. More so, a £15 million investment from Scottish Enterprise and £7 million from both GSK and AstraZeneca will help develop the centre.

At the centre, academics, research scientists and manufacturing partners will be able to access cutting-edge technical equipment and support. It’s hope that collaboration will be encouraged helping to develop new technologies and processes that can increase productivity in medicines manufacturing.

Laura James, head of Scotland at BakerHicks, added: “The pharmaceutical industry is a huge contributor to Scotland’s economy and it’s a real growth sector for our business within the region. I’m excited to be involved in this innovation centre, which will help create local jobs and attract research and development investment that will be a real boost to Scotland.”

Jerry Cooper, project director at CPI, says: “The MMIC is expected to deliver a substantial benefit to the pharmaceutical sector and we are looking forward to progressing the facility design, taking another significant step towards making the MMIC a reality.”