“World-class” three-storey lab space officially opens following £3.4m investment

Charnwood Molecular and Charnwood Campus have unveiled lab space which will accelerate the clinical research organisation’s growth in global pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets.

Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE, officially opened the “world-class facilities” during a recent visit. Charnwood Molecular had previously moved into the three-storey laboratory facility on Charnwood Campus Science Innovation and Technology Park. It will house more than 150 scientists.

It addresses a national need for highly specialised bio-chemistry facilities that will drive life-saving medicinal discoveries of the future. The project was supported by a £3.4m investment from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council (CBC).

Funding was used towards recommissioning 57,000 sq ft of unused medicinal chemistry laboratory space on the campus, which forms part of the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone.

Andy Reed OBE, Interim Chair of the LLEP Board, said: “Through effective use of local resources, such as those at Charnwood Campus, we are building a productive and innovative economy at the cutting edge of science, which will support the health of people around the world.

“By investing in projects such as Charnwood Molecular, we are helping to create high-quality jobs to add to the 900 already created on Charnwood Campus since its designation as an Enterprise Zone site.”

Councillor Tom Barkley, deputy leader of Charnwood Borough Council, added: “I welcome this investment, as not only will it create jobs but it also adds to Charnwood’s growing reputation as being at the centre of innovation.

“It’s also another great example of how the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone is helping to attract global businesses to the region.”

The new lab space provides a fully-integrated drug discovery solution for clients, with teams across all disciplines working together on one site. Its “market-leading” laboratories have quadrupled Charnwood Molecular’s capacity and will support further expansion of the company’s services.