Two research councils will invest £9m in funding in the Bioprocessing Research Industry Club (BRIC).
bioProcessUK has worked with the bio pharmaceutical industry since 2005 to ensure strong engagement in the BRIC.
The first phase of BRIC was wholeheartedly endorsed by the Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team (BIGT) Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015, and received an overwhelmingly positive response from the BBSRC’s review panel.
Both reviews said that BRIC has created an effective bioprocessing network, re-energised the bioprocessing research sector by encouraging deeper, more relevant and more enthusiastic engagement between industry and academics and benefitted from its partnership with bioProcessUK.
Mark Bustard, Head of bioProcessUK, said: “bioProcessUK is delighted that the BBSRC and EPSRC will continue to fund much-needed industrially focused research and training in bioprocessing with £9m for the second phase of BRIC.
“We have continued to highlight the benefits that membership of BRIC can bring to industry and expect many of the members of the first BRIC will continue to be committed and that there will be a number of new industry partners joining the club.
“The BRIC programme not only provides funds for projects that are relevant for all companies developing and manufacturing biological medicines, but also has produced a stream of researchers with the skills that are much needed by the UK bioprocessing sector.
“This is a unique activity within the UK that we aim to build on to increase competitiveness and innovation in the development of biological medicines.”
