Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Advanced Granulation Technology Media Manufacturing Site Expands in Scotland

Essential products needed for the production of biotherapeutics and vaccines for diseases such as influenza and dengue fever will be produced in Scotland, following the launch of the new state-of-the-art facility near Glasgow.

Thermo Fisher Scientific  has expanded its campus in Inchinnan, Scotland, with the addition of a cutting-edge facility that will manufacture a novel and proprietary dry media powder known as Gibco Advanced Granulation Technology (AGT). AGT products are animal-origin free, single-component, particulate-free powders for chemically defined cell culture. The AGT dry media format reduces the number of components necessary in cell culture manufacturing processes. Used to manufacture biologics, including vaccines, anti-cancer therapeutics and other life-saving drugs, AGT offers customers the benefits of traditional liquid media without the associated cost, storage, and transportation challenges.

The £14 million investment increases the assurance of supply for customers and complements another Thermo Fisher facility in Grand Island, New York, where AGT is also manufactured. The new facility will add to the Inchinnan site’s existing manufacturing operations, which produce liquid media for a range of research and production applications.

“This is a strategically important facility that will secure supplies for our target markets all over the world,” said Mark Smedley, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Life Sciences Solutions, for Thermo Fisher. “It’s important to choose the right location for a factory of this significance, and we felt the depth of experience, skills and expertise at Inchinnan made it the perfect place to make this investment.”

This investment is linked to on-going support from Scottish Enterprise to assist Thermo Fisher in expanding the company’s global manufacturing network.

"Congratulations to Thermo Fisher on the opening of their impressive new facility at Inchinnan,” said Paul Lewis, Managing Director, Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise International Operations. "Scotland is already home to a thriving life sciences cluster which is recognised worldwide as one of the most accessible, well-connected and collaborative in Europe. It is major investments like this that allow us to continue to attract ambitious, international companies such as Thermo Fisher to not only locate in Scotland but to strengthen their business base here and to invest in long-term growth."