A pharmaceutical research contractor has unveiled new lab space which will support the work of more than 150 scientists.
Charnwood Molecular has invested millions in the facilities on the Charnwood Campus in Loughborough.
The life-science campus on the outskirts of the town was originally as a vast research site for AstraZeneca. It was sold on a decade ago and is home to a number of companies and part of the recently established Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone.
Charnwood Molecular said its investment in the site addressed a national need for specialist bio-chemistry facilities to drive potentially life-saving research into new drugs.
The project was supported by £3.4 million from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council.
The funding helped recommission 57,000 sq ft of unused medical lab space, quadrupling Charnwood Molecular’s capacity and supporting further expansion.
It has allowed the business to move to a single site from its previous locations in Loughborough and at BioCity in Nottingham.
Charnwood Molecular was founded in 1998 as a chemistry spin-out from Loughborough University, and was acquired in 2019 by private equity group Synova.
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Founder and chief executive Prof Steve Allin said: “The truly world-class facilities at Charnwood Campus provide us with a key piece in our strategic plan to become the provider of choice for integrated drug discovery and development services within the global life sciences sector.”
Charnwood Campus became the 海角视频’s first Life Science Opportunity Zone in 2017, and was designated an Enterprise Zone site in the same year. Both bring in State support and are part of the Government’s wider industrial strategy to support business and local economic growth.
Gosia Khrais, commercial and marketing director at Charnwood Campus, said: “This is another milestone in our ambitious plans to become the leading science, innovation and technology park in the 海角视频.
“Charnwood Molecular is rapidly expanding, employing locally and is an outstanding addition to our family of highly successful contract research and manufacturing organisations.”
Andy Reed OBE, interim chair of the LLEP board, said: “Through effective use of local resources, such as those at Charnwood Campus, we are building a productive and innovative economy at the cutting edge of science, which will support the health of people around the world.
“By investing in projects such as Charnwood Molecular, we are helping to create high-quality jobs to add to the 900 already created on Charnwood Campus since its designation as an Enterprise Zone site.”
Coun Tom Barkley, deputy leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “I welcome this investment, as not only will it create jobs but it also adds to Charnwood’s growing reputation as being at the centre of innovation.
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“It’s also another great example of how the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone is helping to attract global businesses to the region.”
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