Biopharmeceutical industry urged to maintain cluster of excellence

A top scientist has warned the north-west could be putting its reputation as a leader in the biopharmaceutical industry at risk if it does not continue to invest in staff.

Head of the School of Biology, Chemistry and Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, Professor Bill Gilmore, is urging biopharmaceutical and biomedical companies to maintain the region's reputation as a cluster of excellence by continuing to invest in training, despite the current economic climate.

The north-west is one of the UK's top locations for the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. With more than 200 biomedical companies and more than 20,000 staff, the region exports £3.4 billion of pharmaceutical products every year.

Former NHS healthcare scientist, Professor Bill Gilmore, said: "The pharmaceutical and biomedical industries are constantly adapting to new developments and changes in the industry and it is essential that companies in the region continue to update and invest in their staff.

"The north-west is known as the leading area in the UK for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, housing world-class companies like AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly as well as many smaller companies - both of which need to continue to invest in training to stay ahead of the game and maintain the reputation they have developed.

"The north-west relies largely on a knowledge driven economy. We have a rich history of innovation and industrial outputs - in many ways, biotech is the area's heritage, as well as its future."

Partnership for Learning (PfL), which works alongside the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), is supporting the drive by tailoring e-learning courses to suit the training needs of smaller companies.

The bespoke courses are the first of their kind in the north-west and have been specifically developed to be more flexible so north-west businesses don't have to compromise their commitment to upskilling because of the turbulent economy.

Ed O'Brien, Chief Executive of PfL, said: "The north-west is a big player for biopharmaceutical activity and research. We have been working alongside the industry to tailor some courses which are flexible enough to meet the needs of the smaller companies, and will help to maintain the region's position as a leader in the industry."

Topics on the programme, which is called Bio-med online, can take learners through batch records, GMP principles, IT validation, packaging, production, quality assurance, quality control and warehousing, and is fully compliant with Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.

For more information on PfL and the courses available please go to www.pfl.org.uk or contact Linda King on 0151 288 2100 or linda.king@pfl.org.uk.