UK construction company appointed to deliver £150m mRNA manufacturing hub

A UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has announced that it has been appointed by Harwell Campus, to build a new £150m mRNA manufacturing hub in Oxfordshire.

Glencar will begin construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) this year, with the facility expected to become operational in 2025, subject to planning and regulatory approvals.

The investment will create hundreds of jobs across Oxfordshire and the UK and it will cement Harwell Campus as a national health tech hub for the pioneering research and development of mRNA and other nucleic acid therapeutics.

Eddie McGillycuddy, CEO of Glencar, said: “Life science and pharmaceutical projects are complex, controlled environments that require significant design and engineering ability to ensure they are delivered correctly. We have expanded our specialist team to push forward and make these facilities a cornerstone of our continued growth in the coming years.

“We very much look forward to working with the team at Harwell, Moderna and Merit to develop this important new facility and further expand the thriving health tech cluster at Harwell.”

Darius Hughes, UK general manager at Moderna, commented: “We are delighted to reach this important milestone with Harwell and our lab build partners, Merit and building contractors Glencar. We look forward to joining the Harwell Campus health tech cluster and contributing to the UK’s science and innovation community through investments in R&D.”

Stuart Grant, chief executive of Harwell Campus, added: “mRNA technology has the capability to transform how we treat a variety of diseases and enhance UK resilience against future pandemics. I’m delighted to welcome Moderna to Harwell Campus, and our thriving health tech cluster.”