Liverpool is said to be Europe's leading location for biomanufacturing and one of the world's foremost locations for vaccine development and production
John McQuillian, Merseyside life sciences director and director of MerseyBio said: "The first half of 2003 has been an amazing period for the life sciences cluster on Merseyside.
In total we have announced almost £200m of investment, which is to be pumped into the life sciences sector over the next few years raising the profile of Merseyside as the UK's biomanufacturing HQ." Life Sciences, one of the nine key growth sectors on Merseyside identified by the Mersey Partnership last year as vital to the future prosperity of the Liverpool city region, has got off to a flying start this year with three major investments.
Liverpool's groundbreaking tradition in modern biotechnology is reflected by its cluster of biomanufacturing companies which includes Eli Lilly, MedImmune and PowderJect.
PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, a vaccine company, has just announced a major £85 million investment programme at its facilities in Liverpool.
The programme will greatly enhance and expand the company's vaccine development and manufacturing capabilities.
This significant investment, which is one of the largest of its type in the region, supports the growing biotechnology skills base in Merseyside and the North West, securing strategically important Manufacturing and development capabilities in the UK.
The NWDA is contributing approximately £20 million to PowderJect's investment programme.
As part of the facility development PowderJect will enter a lease agreement with the developer, InterCity, which will also invest approximately £20 million bringing the total investment to over £85 million by 2008.
Almost £70 million investment for two other internationally important projects including: Britain's first National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC) to be built in Speke at a cost of £30 million.
Announced by UK trade and industry minister Patricia Hewitt at the launch of the Merseyside Economic Review in March 2003.
The NBC will serve the whole country, providing advice, services and trained personnel.
The scheme will support university start-ups and make a major contribution to the region's science strategy.
In Halton, the scientific future of Daresbury has been given a major boost, thanks to two significant investment announcements made at the beginning of April.
The NWDA announced that funding of £25.7 million had been granted to develop Daresbury's Science Park, securing its future as a centre of excellence for scientific research and development.
At the same time the DTI announced that it had given the go-ahead for the research, development and design phases of the world-leading 4GLS (fourth generation light source) project at the Daresbury Laboratory with a £11.5 million investment in the exploratory phase of the project.
Liverpool's bid to become a national biotech manufacturing centre was given an early £45m shot-in-the-arm on 22 May by a US-based pharmaceutical giant.
Directors of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly say the massive investment at its south Liverpool factory will create 75 new jobs.
The Speke Operations site, which has a 460-strong workforce, is Lilly's worldwide supplier of Humatrope, a biotech product used to treat growth hormone deficiency.
News of the extra cash boost, which came 24 hours after the firm initially revealed plans to invest £28m in Speke, will enable Lilly to significantly increase production of Humantrope for the world market.
