DIT to showcase Liverpool city region’s life sciences expertise which will also include manufacturing
Growth Platform – Liverpool city region’s growth company – and the Department for International Trade (DIT) have launched a new vaccines discovery, development and manufacturing ‘high potential opportunity’ (HPO) in recognition of the city’s expertise.
The HPO programme aims to help accelerate the growth of business and industry, boost local job creation and prosperity, and strengthen the UK’s sectorial advantage. The region’s vaccines capabilities will also be promoted to targeted DIT teams located in British Embassies and Consulates across the world, highlighting the reasons why overseas vaccines companies should choose Liverpool as they expand their international activities.
Furthermore, DIT and Growth Platform will jointly promote the city’s vaccine discovery, development and manufacture projects at the World Vaccine Congress in Barcelona over the next two days.
The Liverpool City Region is already one of the world’s fastest-growing centres of excellence in infectious diseases research and development, with expertise from vaccine discovery and clinical trials to manufacturing and logistics. As one of Europe’s largest and longest established concentrations of bio-manufacturing, it boasts the long-term presence of global life sciences leaders including AstraZeneca, Seqirus, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pharmaron, TriRx and Teva.
This private sector activity is complemented by academic and research institutions including the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Liverpool, which together constitute the UK’s largest concentration of expertise in translational-focused R&D in infectious diseases.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, reflected: “I’m incredibly proud of our area’s contribution to global health – few places can claim to have made a bigger impact on infection control as we can. But as we look to the future, I want to go even further, putting our region at the vanguard of UK – and global – innovation.”
“We start that journey at a significant advantage: our existing, world-leading industry strengths in infectious disease control to materials chemistry innovation, and artificial intelligence,” he added.
Anika Neill, sector lead for health & life sciences at Growth Platform, concluded: “This recognition really puts the Liverpool City Region on the map as an area with huge potential for investment in the discovery, development and manufacture of vaccines. An example being the recent £500,000 investment from the Pandemic Institute to help Liverpool researchers tackle the growing threat of monkeypox.”
