Moderna achieves another milestone in its UK government partnership, with the start of construction of its mRNA vaccine manufacturing centre.
Construction has begun on Moderna’s Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire. Built to deliver Moderna’s ten-year strategic partnership with the UK government, announced in March 2023, the MITC will incorporate research, development and a manufacturing facility for mRNA vaccines.
The collaboration between the UK government and Moderna will provide “NHS patients across the country… access to cutting edge mRNA vaccines,” for a wide range of respiratory diseases, commented Health Minister Maria Caulfield.
Increasing the UK’s mRNA vaccine manufacture capacity
Caulfield added that “… up to 250 million vaccines per year” will be produced at the new facility. According to Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, this puts the UK “at the global forefront of health science and innovation.”
Credit: Tom Weller Photography. (L-R) Stuart Grant, Chantal Friebertshaeuser, Moderna’s UK General Manager Darius Hughes, UK Health Security Agency CEO Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Moderna’s Chief Development Officer Dr Mel Ivarsson, Nicolas Chornet and Dr Barbara Ghinelli at the ceremony to mark the start of construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC).
“Partnerships like the one we have with Moderna will help us remain agile in our response to health threats as they emerge,” noted Professor Dame Harries.
Moderna’s investment will create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation.
Once completed, the MITC is expected to become operational in 2025.
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Harwell is the UK’s leading science and innovation campus. Its Health Tech cluster has grown to over 70 life science organisations since its launch in 2016.
The campus combines expertise in the development of vaccines and mRNA technologies, such as Europe’s largest collection of open access, publicly funded scientific facilities. Moderna is the latest company to join Harwell.
Organisations already established at the site include Catalent, Vaccitech and NeoVac.
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