Deborah McElhone, head of sustainability pharma at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), discusses the partnership between India and the UK.
CPI
CPI Living Lab
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is targeting net zero with its Scope1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2045. Given the global nature of pharmaceutical supply chains and the fact that 25% of medicines dispensed in the UK are sourced from India, addressing this target requires collaborative efforts on a worldwide scale.
Although India has set ambitious sustainability targets, including commitments to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, these targets do not fully align with NHS ambitions, potentially leading to gaps in the supply chain. The NHS has set stringent sustainability criteria for its suppliers. From April 2027, all suppliers must publicly report their targets and emissions, and publish a Carbon Reduction Plan aligned with the NHS net zero target. By 2030, only suppliers demonstrating progress will qualify for NHS contracts, essentially driving commitment from suppliers to reduce their environmental impact.
The UK-India Net Zero Innovation Partnership, supported by the UK Government, aims to accelerate the transition to net zero by leveraging the expertise of both nations. At CPI – a technology innovation centre and member of the Innovate UK Catapult Network – we’re leading one of the first flagship projects under this partnership in collaboration with India’s CSIR–National Chemical Laboratory (NCL).
Together, we have established the Living Lab in Pune to tackle some of the pharmaceutical industry’s toughest decarbonisation challenges. This Living Lab builds on a memorandum of understanding between CPI and NCL and is an interactive, real world testing environment that encourages innovation by facilitating the development, testing, and scaling of new technologies.
This facility officially opened in February 2025 and will unite researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to collaboratively address sustainable manufacturing challenges, focussing on continuous flow chemistry and solvent free technologies, accelerating their adoption and contribution to a more sustainable future.
Aligning manufacturing practices with global sustainability goals is crucial for long term growth and competitiveness.
Ambitions of the Living Lab
The greatest potential for pharmaceutical decarbonisation lies in intensifying and optimising manufacturing processes. By integrating these advanced technologies alongside digitalisation and automation, companies can further streamline operations to reduce variability and enhance overall process control.
A key objective of the Living Lab is to drive industrial decarbonisation, although the vision extends beyond technology demonstration. The ambition is to become a centre of excellence that directs long term change across industries. By equipping industry leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to embrace sustainable practices, the Living Lab seeks to shape the future of manufacturing and establish best practices that can be replicated on a global scale.
Together we strive to advance sustainability in global manufacturing practices.
What are the expected technology outcomes?
Two innovative key areas driving change are continuous-flow chemistry and solvent free manufacturing. The pharmaceutical industry has reported that manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) has the biggest influence on scope 3 emissions, and most of these emissions are from solvent use. Solvents cause toxic emissions and have a high carbon footprint. Addressing these within the Scope 3 supply chain is crucial for the pharmaceutical industry to meet sustainability goals.
Mechanochemistry is emerging as a key driver of solvent free innovation and presents a promising solution by initiating chemical reactions through mechanical force alone i.e. milling. This eliminates the need for hazardous solvents, not only minimising environmental impact but also enhancing worker safety and lowering the costs associated with solvent recovery and disposal.
Continuous flow chemistry enables reactions that are otherwise challenging due to large heat transfer requirements. This is particularly important to produce APIs where precise temperature control and efficient heat transfer are crucial for high-quality and scalable manufacturing. Additionally, continuous flow chemistry supports sustainability by reducing waste, energy consumption, and emissions, making it a greener alternative to traditional batch processes.
As part of this effort, the team has identified 20 different reactions that would be suitable for flow chemistry. Initially, the focus is on Grignard reagents, a widely used class of reactive organometallic compounds, to develop practical solutions for industry adoption. This work will involve digital modelling alongside the development of a financial business plan, justifying the adoption of these innovative technologies by demonstrating the return on investment and associated benefits.
The Living Lab aims to provide industry stakeholders with data-driven insights that support decision making and facilitate the transition towards more sustainable and technologically advanced manufacturing approaches.
Industry leaders must prioritise the adoption of solvent free technologies, invest in green chemistry practices, and collaborate with suppliers to reduce emissions throughout the end-to-end supply chain.
Benefits to India and the UK
The Living Lab is backed by a diverse network of industry members and strategic partners dedicated to promoting sustainable manufacturing and industrial decarbonisation. Members are encouraged to engage with the Living Lab through pre-competitive collaboration, technology demonstrations, and knowledge exchange, as well as to test and scale innovations within their own facilities. The membership offering includes training support and access to a connected network of technical specialists.
Through strategic partnerships, the Living Lab showcases alternative API manufacturing processes. Indian pharmaceutical companies are eager to collaborate with UK SMEs, tapping into the broader European and UK innovation ecosystem. This initiative strengthens the UK's leadership in pharmaceutical sustainability, attracting Indian companies for UK partnerships, technology transfer, and potential investment. Aligning the Indian pharmaceutical industry with the UK's net zero targets accelerates the achievement of global sustainability goals.
To tackle pharmaceutical sustainability, we must adopt a global approach.
What’s next?
Building on this momentum, the next phase will expand activities, strengthening UK-India partnerships and deepening engagement. Future efforts will focus on increasing UK SME exposure to Indian pharma and fine chemicals sectors, attracting investment in UK innovation and manufacturing, and expanding technical collaborations between UK and Indian organisations. These initiatives will ensure the continued development and adoption of cutting-edge sustainable manufacturing practices.
The UK is well placed to drive change within global pharmaceutical decarbonisation efforts. The success of NHS net zero goals is crucial for driving broader changes within the pharmaceutical sector and beyond.