National Biomanufacturing Centre

The National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC), based at Speke, near Liverpool, is set to become Europe's leading biopharmaceutical design centre, consolidating the Northwest's position at the leading edge of this fast-growing industry.

The £34million NBC is a world-class facility which will facilitate the development and manufacture of an unrivalled variety of new biopharmaceutical medicines for early phase clinical trials. It enables businesses, academic researchers and medical charities to benefit from advanced expertise, practical support and cutting-edge facilities, helping them to bring new medicines to market more quickly.

Three GMP (good manufacturing practice) suites for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals from mammalian, microbial and viral sources are housed at the NBC. They are fully equipped for both the production and purification of biopharmaceutical medicines. Additional process development, analytical development and quality control suites are furnished with state-of-the-art equipment, allowing the production of pre-clinical material, and can perform most of the techniques required for biopharmaceutical batch release and in-process testing. The centre also houses ambient, cold and cryostorage facilities.

Operational since 2006, the NBC builds on the region's already impressive concentration of knowledge, skills and experience in the field. By helping organisations to progress from the initial manufacture of biopharmaceuticals to conducting early-stage trials, it bridges that crucial gap from advanced research to the manufacture of commercial products.

Run by commercial operators Eden Biodesign, the NBC is owned is funded by the NWDA, the European Regional Development Fund and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The Centre works closely with Bioprocess UK, a government-funded, industry-led body dedicated to the advancement of the bioprocessing sector in the UK.