A look through our impact in 2022/23 should leave you in no doubt that CPI is delivering on its mission to catalyse advanced technologies and manufacturing solutions that benefit people, places, and our planet.
Frank Millar, our CEO, recently wrote about how a few years ago, he stood on an empty patch of land next to Glasgow Airport, gazing out at what was to become our Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre. We recently welcomed Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation to that facility, where exciting pharma projects are underway. The Centre is on its way to generating 100 high-value jobs and attracting £200 million of inward investment to the region.
CPI continues to evolve. In 2022, we expanded our operations to Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle to transform industrial landscapes and high-potential places into hubs of innovation. We now consist of ten national innovation centres and regional offices, each connecting the dots of the UK’s innovation ecosystem to provide access to our incredible capabilities spanning future food systems, HealthTech, sustainable materials, and pharma.
We are continuing to build on our strong roots in the North East, and expand the scope of our work and investment in healthcare and HealthTech. In the past year, we’ve opened the doors to our new RNA Centre of Excellence and RNA Training Academy in Darlington to address the RNA skills gap. Meanwhile, CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) has also funded us to lead a consortium to scale up and manufacture Caltech’s new all-in-one coronavirus vaccine.
In 2022, we became part of The North East Battery Alliance to support and stimulate growth in the sector with a strong regional ecosystem. We also launched the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre in Ayrshire, which aims to future-proof process manufacturing in Scotland and will reduce its carbon footprint with emerging Industry 4.0 technologies.
We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, strengthening our alliance to help researchers and entrepreneurs commercialise deep tech and sustainable manufacturing solutions.
These are just some of the breakthroughs and successes that we’ve achieved at a strategic level, in addition to which our collaborative projects have been delivering advancements in fields such as digital pharmaceutical production, biopesticides, flexible electronics for sports and medical applications, and synthetic DNA manufacturing, to name just a few.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank every one of our people for the central role they play in CPI’s success and in improving manufacturing productivity and sustainability across the UK and beyond.
In just the past year, there are numerous shining examples of how CPI has helped accelerate the innovation, development, and commercialisation of many disruptive and market-creating innovations across future food systems, HealthTech, sustainable materials, and pharmaceuticals.
Through our market innovations, you’ve seen how CPI, as a leading UK-based deep tech innovation organisation, is tackling urgent global issues such as food security, helping to deliver the next generation of vaccines and therapies for devastating diseases, and identifying solutions to overcome reliance on unsustainable packaging, chemicals, and materials.
With nearly 20 years of contributing to and shaping the UK innovation ecosystem, we’ve established a solid foundation that will support our ambitious goals. By continuing to drive collaborative approaches to innovation development and commercialisation, we’ll address global societal and industrial challenges and create opportunities for the UK economy. Achieving this vision will require a highly multi-disciplinary approach. CPI’s vital role in convening stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem — industry, academia, government, and investors — is crucial. We’ll build and strengthen our national and global RD&I partnerships over the coming decade by supporting our global customer base and attracting inward investment into the UK for RD&I by playing our part as an anchor organisation.
We’ll also further enhance our presence in the North West of England and Scotland, building on our strengths in the North East. Together with partners, we’ll invest in innovation to contribute to regional economic growth. Our role in supporting workforce development and skills agendas in new areas of growth for the UK will become ever more important. Together with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we’ll support skills foresighting activities and industry-relevant training programmes in niche areas to create the workforce of the future.
A key focus for the next decade is to leverage and unlock further private investment into the UK RD&I ecosystem through inward investment, and angel and venture capital investment.
We’ll continue to exemplify how new models of engagement and innovation can deliver benefits to people, places, and our planet, fostering new relationships and projects using the same collaborative spirit we’ve employed with our existing clients and partners.
