Sisk has been selected by Moderna as its preferred bidder for the fit-out of its new UK drug substance and manufacturing facility at the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC), located on the Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire.
The MITC development will encompass a research, development and manufacturing facility, providing the UK public with access to mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and potentially other emerging respiratory health threats. When complete the facility will have capacity to produce up to 250 million vaccines per year in the event of a pandemic, bolstering the UK’s future pandemic resilience strategy.
Construction on site has already begun with the facility expected to become operational in 2025, subject to planning and regulatory approvals. This win cements Sisk’s Life Sciences & Technology team in the heart of the UK’s biopharma-rich ‘golden triangle’ between London, Oxford and Cambridge.
Harwell is the UK’s leading science and innovation campus, where government, academia and industry work together to solve the critical problems facing our planet. The campus is home to £3bn national facilities and 6,000 colleagues committed to scientific discovery and understanding.
Donal McCarthy, COO, Life Sciences, Data & Tech, Sisk said: “Sisk is pleased to announce that we have won our first major life sciences project in the UK. We have a demonstrable track record of working with key US blue chip clients in Ireland and across Europe. After some key appointments internally, we now have the capability to bring this skillset to the UK. We look forward to delivering a world class facility for Moderna and growing our Life Sciences offering across the UK.”
Nicolas Chornet, Senior Vice President for Resilience Operations and MITC Site Head at Moderna, said: “Construction of the MITC is well underway and we are delighted to collaborate with Sisk on this vital phase of the project. Upon completion, the facility will leverage cutting-edge mRNA technology to develop innovative vaccines for the UK public and we look forward to contributing to the UK’s dynamic life science sector through the onshoring of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.”
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