BioGrad has unveiled plans for a new Centre of Bio-Manufacturing Excellence in the Liverpool City Region.
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Work on the centre will begin by the end of the year and is set to position the North of England as a leader in advanced cell and gene therapies and biomanufacturing.
With the North of England historically receiving less than half the life science investment made in the South, the new Centre of Bio-Manufacturing Excellence will channel new investment into the North, strengthening the region’s position as a leading national innovator for advanced therapies.
BioGrad hosted a workshop on Tuesday 23rd September at Dale House, Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool, where scientists, clinicians, business leaders, politicians and policymakers discussed growth priorities for the centre. The panel included Dr Natalie Kenny, CEO of BioGrad, Professor Janet Hemmingway, Founding Director, iiCON, Dr Damian Kelly Vice President of Innovation & Technology Development, Croda, and Dr Muhammad Saif Director of the BMT Programme, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
“The Centre of Bio-Manufacturing Excellence development is underway now and is a landmark opportunity for Liverpool and the North of England,” said Dr Natalie Kenny, CEO of BioGrad Group. “It will create high value jobs, attract new investment and ensure people here have access to advanced therapies. Our workshop brought together leading scientists, clinicians, business leaders, and policymakers to set the priorities that will shape the centre’s future and help establish Liverpool as a true bio-manufacturing superpower.”
The centre builds on the success of BRITE, the cross-sector partnership funded by Research England’s University Commercialisation Ecosystem fund, expanding facilities, investment opportunities and skills to secure the Liverpool City Region’s place at the heart of the UK’s advanced cell therapy sector.
Work on the new centre, in collaboration with the Sameer Group who are represented in the UK by EGP UK, will be underway by the end of the year. Jobs created directly and indirectly through this centre will contribute towards the Liverpool city region's health and life sciences Growth Plan which aims to create 8,000 jobs over the next 10 years, while attracting new bio-manufacturing businesses and investors to the region, ultimately driving the growth of the North of England’s bioeconomy.