£4 million CPI investment to create new centre of excellence for bio-manufacturing

A new centre of excellence in bio-manufacturing will now be developed following a £4 million investment from Tees Valley Combined Authority.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) has been granted the cash to help it refurbish and extend its capabilities at the Wilton Centre in Redcar.

This will allow CPI to support businesses in developing new and improved food products, including those with increased health benefits, driving the region forward as a leader in bio-manufacturing and securing the future of companies working in the sector.

CPI will also use the money to upgrade its laboratories and technical development areas with new equipment.

When complete, the project will create and safeguard 41 jobs in the North East.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “CPI is a massive asset in the ever-growing field of biotechnology and life sciences and works with a host of cutting-edge businesses to develop exciting and innovative products.

“Supporting and growing our amazing biosciences and healthcare sectors is an important part of my plan for jobs and this funding will help CPI to stay at the forefront of the industry, boost what they do and make even more new ideas a reality, helping to improve food production and, ultimately, the health and wellbeing of people across the UK.”

Kris Wadrop, general manager for biotechnology at CPI said: “With this investment from the Tees Valley Combined Authority, in conjunction with CPI’s own investment programme and commitment from industrial leaders in the novel food and protein sector, we will create a unique capability on Teesside that will draw companies from all of the UK, EU and world to Wilton.

“The impact our food systems have on carbon emissions is profound, and this investment will enable businesses to demonstrate technologies and make samples for application tests of products that could transform our food systems.”