Labs will be at forefront of medical discoveries
LABORATORIES have opened which the company operating them believes will “drive life-saving medicinal discoveries”.
Charnwood Molecular said the research facility in Loughborough will accelerate its growth in global pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets, addressing a national need.
The laboratory complex on Charnwood Campus Science Innovation and Technology Park will house more than 150 scientists.
The project was supported by a £3.4 million investment from Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council.
Andy Reed, interim chairman of the LLEP board, said: “Through effective use of 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.”
Council deputy leader Tom Barkley 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. It’s also another great example of how the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone is helping to attract global businesses.”
The new lab space has quadrupled Charnwood Molecular’s capacity and allowed its 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. It was bought in 2019 by private equity group, Synova.
Professor Steve Allin, founder and chief executive of Charnwood Molecular, 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.”
Gosia Khrais, commercial and marketing director at Charnwood Campus, said: “This is another milestone in our plan to become the leading science, innovation and technology park in the UK.”
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