BioGrad has announced plans for a new Centre of Bio-Manufacturing Excellence in the Liverpool City Region, a state-of-the-art GMP-compliant facility designed to accelerate research into advanced cell and gene therapies, including CAR T-cell treatments. The centre is set to position Liverpool and the North of England as a national hub for bio-manufacturing, creating high-value jobs, attracting international investment, and bringing potentially life-saving treatments closer to patients. Work on the facility is scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

The new centre will strengthen the North of England’s role in advanced therapies by supporting translational research, fostering innovation clusters, and building skills pipelines to meet the growing demand for specialised bio-manufacturing talent. By reducing the need for patients to travel to the South or overseas for cutting-edge therapies, the centre aligns with NHS priorities and helps expand access to next-generation treatments across the region. Historically, the North has received less than half the life sciences investment compared with the South, and BioGrad’s initiative aims to redress this imbalance while catalysing regional economic growth.

On 23 September 2025, BioGrad hosted a high-level workshop at Dale House, Wavertree Technology Park, bringing together scientists, clinicians, business leaders, policymakers, and investors to discuss the future of the centre. The panel included Dr Natalie Kenny, CEO of BioGrad, Professor Janet Hemmingway, founding director of iiCON, Dr Damian Kelly, vice president of innovation and technology development at Croda, and Dr Muhammad Saif, director of the BMT Programme at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. Participants voiced strong support for Liverpool to become a bio-manufacturing superpower and agreed to collaborate on delivering the project, shaping both the strategic direction and operational priorities of the facility.

Dr Natalie Kenny, CEO of BioGrad, said: “The Centre of Bio-Manufacturing Excellence development is underway now and is a landmark opportunity for Liverpool and the North of England. It will create high-value jobs, attract new investment and ensure people here have access to advanced therapies. Our workshop brought together leading scientists, clinicians, business leaders, and policymakers to set the priorities that will shape the centre’s future and help establish Liverpool as a true bio-manufacturing superpower.”

The centre builds on the success of BRITE, a cross-sector partnership funded by Research England’s University Commercialisation Ecosystem fund, expanding facilities, investment opportunities, and skills to cement Liverpool’s place at the heart of the UK’s advanced cell therapy sector. Developed in collaboration with the Sameer Group, represented in the UK by EGP UK, the facility will support the Liverpool City Region’s health and life sciences Growth Plan, which aims to create 8,000 new jobs over the next decade and attract new bio-manufacturing companies and investors, ultimately driving the growth of the North of England’s bioeconomy.