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CONTRACTS have been signed to bring a national facility to the Centre for Process Innovation that will catapult the North to the forefront of biotechnology in the UK.
The deal to construct and commission a “National Industrial Biotechnology Facility” at the world renowned Wilton site is the first step along a brand new biotechnology super highway.
Its work will be vital to the British chemical industry - securing jobs, environmental benefits and international acclaim.
CPI’s Dr Chris Dowle is leading the project to create the new facility which will be every bit as significant as its name suggests.
The signing of the contract with specialist firm Thermal Transfer Ltd marks the first step in a marathon voyage for Dr Dowle and his team. Thermal Transfer will now begin the detailed engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the NIBF, which is due for completion at the end of the year.
It will be a key component for those working to bring advancements in biotechnology to the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
At present the vast majority of chemicals and pharmaceuticals are produced by methods which use synthetic chemicals at several stages – methods which can waste precious time and energy and sometimes cause detriment to the environment.
Instead CPI’s NIBF will allow the sometimes demonised chemical industry a degree of reinvention by employing cleaner, greener methods and manufacturing routes via the use of enzymes - known as nature’s catalysts.
Revolutionary new enzymes produced by one of CPI’s partners the Manchester-based Centre of Excellence in Boicatalysis, Biotransformations and Biocatalytic Manufacturing (CioE BIO3) will be used at the Wilton site to bring biotechnological theory to life.
The Centre for Process Innovation is anything but a talking shop and the aim of the NIBF is to see real progress in biotechnology. There has already been a huge amount of interest in the facility and it is expected it will be self sustaining in just two years.
Among the improvements the facility will deliver will be the development and demonstration of new processes; it will produce trial quantities of new products; enable whole processes to be demonstrated; and allow for the commercial pros and cons to be assessed. It will also be a basis of expertise to allow technology transfer within the industry.
Dr Dowle said: “We were delighted to be told this multi million pound national facility – funded with the help of One NorthEast via the Northern Way - would be based at the Centre for Process Innovation, and, signing the contract is another giant step forward for us.
“This will establish the North of England as the UK centre for demonstration and scale-up of industrial biotechnology. And it will provide us with the capability to embrace industrial biotechnology and create new jobs.
“This technology is much more environmentally friendly than traditional chemical manufacturing and embraces sustainable manufacturing for the future.
“The Tees Valley has a huge stake in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries – and therefore has the most to gain from being at the forefront of innovation, in new processes and biotechnology.”
Signing the agreement on behalf of CPI chief executive Nigel Perry said: “Putting pen to paper to secure this facility for the Centre for Process Innovation was almost as stimulating for us as it will be watching it grow before our very eyes over the coming months.
“OK, everyone might not think biotechnology is as exciting as we do! But they will be enthused about the jobs, opportunities and prosperity success in this field will bring”
The Facility is to be built in collaboration with several partners including CoEBIO3, the three regional development agencies One NorthEast, Yorkshire Forward and Northwest Development Agency via The Northern Way and Thermal Transfer along with support from many other companies and institutions. |
