AstraZeneca announced on Tuesday last week that it is to move its new global headquarters and research center to Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), a science park on the southern outskirts of Cambridge, next to Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The site, where 2,000 office and research & development staff will work, is expected to be ready by 2016.
The company previously announced in March this year that it was investing £330 million on a facility in Cambridge as part of its strategy to create global research and development centers in the UK, USA and Sweden, but had not specified the exact location. The announcement was made by new Chief Executive Mr Pascal Soriot as part of its restructuring plans which will see the closure of its current research centre in Alderley Park, with a potential job loss of 700 staff by 2016.
AstraZeneca will occupy approximately 11 acres of the 70 acre science park, which is situated two miles from central Cambridge and its university colleges. In addition to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the CBC is also home to the Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.
The purpose-built site in Cambridge will bring together AstraZeneca’s small molecule and biologics research and development activity, opening up opportunities to exploit the promise of small and large molecule combinations. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus will be the new UK home for biologics research and protein engineering carried out by MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s biologics arm. MedImmune already employs around 500 people at Granta Park, to the south east of the city.
The new site will also become the company’s largest centre for oncology research as well as hosting scientists focused on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune diseases and conditions of the central nervous system. Work carried out in Cambridge will include medicinal chemistry and high-throughput screening and the facility will accommodate a number of AstraZeneca’s pre-clinical research capabilities. Other global functions will join the research and development teams at the new facility and Cambridge will become AstraZeneca’s corporate headquarters.
Mr Soriot is trying to turn around the group’s fortunes and is quoted as saying that “Cambridge competes on the global stage as a respected innovation hub for life sciences and our choice of site puts us at the heart of this important ecosystem, providing valuable collaboration opportunities. Moving to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus means our people will be able to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best scientists and clinicians carrying out some of the world’s leading research – that’s a really exciting prospect. We hope that our move will contribute to the growing success of Cambridge.”
Science Minister David Willetts said AstraZeneca’s move was excellent news and a vote of confidence in British science and the position of Cambridge as a center of academic excellence. It also underscores the growing economic importance of Cambridge, which is home to more than 1,500 high-tech firms.
Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz FRS, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “I am delighted with AstraZeneca’s choice. It is a measure of the world-class environment that Cambridge offers to knowledge-based industries and it reflects AstraZeneca’s commitment to making new discoveries. Over 1,500 companies in the Cambridge cluster of high-tech industries have found that proximity – to the University, to our NHS partners, and to each other – enables productive relationships and stimulates competition. As a global player, AstraZeneca will add tremendously to that environment and we look forward to the creative collaborations that will surely follow.”
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Full press release is found here.