Government announces funding for vaccine site in Darlington

The government's Vaccine Taskforce has announced £10.65 million in funding to support the launch of an RNA vaccine innovation centre in Darlington.

The funding has been granted for CPI's RNA Centre of Excellence, which produces RNA material for clinical trials for vaccine development.

The centre is the only one in the UK able to develop and manufacture RNA vaccines and therapies.

Equipment and expertise will be provided to support the testing, scale-up and clinical production of RNA technologies.

Minister for Science and Investment Security Nusrat Ghani said: "The UK’s exceptional capabilities in Life Sciences were showcased on the world stage when we became the first nation globally to approve a working COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic.

"We are now committed to boosting these capabilities even further, ensuring we are thoroughly prepared for future health emergencies and remaining at the forefront of the development of new therapies. This is why we are making this significant investment in CPI’s brilliant RNA facility in Darlington, a site with the potential to make enormous homegrown breakthroughs in the fight against disease."

The centre will also play a role in future pandemic preparedness, with the government retaining priority access to the facility for up to 10 years.

The CPI has also established an RNA Training Academy at the centre, which provides interactive courses in RNA technology.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: "CPI is a fantastic example of a local organisation at the cutting-edge of biosciences and its new Centre of Excellence will be another string to the bow of the growing cluster on Darlington’s Central Park and our world-leading life sciences sector.

"This latest boost comes on the back of the amazing work of the sector in the fight against coronavirus. This funding will help our scientists make even more leaps forward and breakthroughs, having a huge impact on lives across the UK and beyond. Funding of our research centres, labs and manufacturing space will help create high-quality, highly-skilled and well-paid jobs in the innovative industries of the future for local people.

"While we’re seeing difficulties across the globe which are making times tough for many, our region continues to move forward and make huge progress thanks to investments like these - meaning the long-term future of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool is bright."

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