Parker Bioscience Filtration to play wider role in supporting UK’s pharma sector

Parker Bioscience Filtration has strengthened its presence in the UK pharma sector, with the announcement of a major joint event with the North East Of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC).

Parker Bioscience Filtration’s Birtley, UK site will host NEPIC’s first Pharma Connect event of 2020. The event, on March 12, will focus on developing the pharmaceutical and supply chain community through engagement, introductions, best practice sharing and networking.

Parker Bioscience Filtration is part of Parker Hannifin, the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems. It designs, supplies and delivers whole systems for both upstream and downstream pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The event marks the start of a deeper partnership between Parker Bioscience Filtration and NEPIC, which was launched in 2004 and was the first UK cluster to receive the Gold standard ESCA accreditation for cluster excellence.

NEPIC Pharma Connect will provide NEPIC members, who hail from across North East England’s biopharma, biotech and process sectors, with the opportunity to view Parker Bioscience Filtration’s brand new, expanded facilities at the Birtley site.

The event will feature presentations by Kris Holmes, general manager of Parker Bioscience Filtration and Christopher Geary, operations excellence manager at Parker Bioscience Filtration, who will focus on the implementation and use of Kaizen events to drive process improvement.

In addition, Dr Jason Jones, commercial manager, Faculty of Life Sciences at Bradford University and Dr Richard Telford, director of the Centre for Chemical and Biological Analysis at Bradford University, will be presenting on the pharmaceutical applications of NMR, and Stephen Conway, director of MSD – which has a major manufacturing facility in Cramlington, North East England – will be presenting on the transition to continuous manufacturing of drug products.

Parker Bioscience Filtration, which has sites in Birtley and Oxnard, California, supports companies both locally and globally in improving process control, efficiency and supply chain security throughout their production and packaging processes.

It provides integrated bioprocessing solutions that speed up development times, increase efficiency and safety to enable reproducible quality. Incorporating the expertise within SciLog® and domnick hunter, Parker Bioscience Filtration combines filtration, single-use fluid-handling systems and sensors into automated single-use solutions.

The result of a major, phased investment programme, the Birtley site’s enhanced facilities include state-of-the-art office and conferencing spaces, extended laboratories and new clean room, manufacturing and testing facilities. The investment programme has also seen the launch of The SciLog® Suite, a facility which will provide Parker Bioscience Filtration’s customers with the opportunity to test and optimise key unit operations within their production process, supporting process development.

Kris Holmes, general manager of Parker Bioscience Filtration, said: “NEPIC has played a vital role in supporting North East England’s pharma community and helping it to thrive. We’re therefore delighted to be welcoming NEPIC members to the first NEPIC Pharma Connect event of 2020 at our Birtley site and look forward to building a stronger partnership with the cluster as we move into a new decade.

“The investment in advanced new facilities in Birtley demonstrated Parker Hannifin’s commitment to our European operations and customers, and this includes supporting biopharmaceutical manufacturers on our doorstep in North East England.”

Philip Aldridge, chief executive of NEPIC, said: “We are home to the largest single cluster of process, chemical and energy companies anywhere in the UK. Together the multinational companies that call the North East their home manufacture 50 per cent of UK foundation chemicals and a third of UK pharmaceuticals – bringing more than £2.1 billion of value to the region each year.

“Through our work we support the needs and interests of the sector to ensure industry in this region continues to thrive. By developing a strong business community and facilitating engagement and networking through key events such as Pharma Connect, we are able to promote the investment, innovation, best practice and opportunities that help our member companies grow and prosper.”

Privately-owned and led by industry, NEPIC covers a broad sweep of chemistry focussed industries including petrochemicals, polymers & materials, fine & speciality chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and renewables.

Parker Bioscience Filtration – in addition to supporting the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry – has five decades of experience in working with the international food and beverage sector. It has specialist expertise in the dairy, brewing, bottled water and wine industries.