Abbott invests in biotech manufacturing facility

Abbott Laboratories has started construction of a major £39m (€56m) biotechnology facility at its Murex manufacturing plant in Dartford, Kent.

The expansion of the plant will create 125 new jobs, increasing Abbott's Dartford-based workforce by over 40% to 410 employees. The investment expands the Dartford site's role as a key international manufacturing site for the company.

Murex already plays a leading role in Abbott's global operations, manufacturing a range of diagnostic products for testing blood for infectious diseases, in particular tests for HIV and hepatitis. The expanded facility will be responsible for the initial stage of manufacture of 63 additional products used in testing for medical conditions such as cancer, thyroid, hepatitis/retrovirus, cardiovascular, fertility/pregnancy, transplant and metabolic diseases.

The Dartford site is equipped with some of the world's leading diagnostics technologies and automated biotechnology manufacturing processes, including remote system monitoring by employees. Part of the current facility has already been redeveloped to enable some additional manufacture to occur ahead of the completion of the new buildings, towards the end of 2004.

The cash injection forms part of a five-year diagnostics expansion plan in Europe, with investment totalling £230m (€331m) and the creation of 1,200 new jobs over the period, taking Abbott's total workforce in Europe to over 14,000, of which over 3,000 will be based in the UK. The employment build-up at each site is already underway, and Abbott Laboratories anticipates recruiting more than half the personnel by the end of 2004.

'The investment in the Dartford plant is a major vote of confidence in the capabilities of the Murex workforce, particularly in biotechnology-based manufacturing,' said Pete Silveston, site director of Murex Biotech. 'The facility will be a major boost to regional investment in biotechnology and in addition to the £39m capital injection, Dartford will benefit from the significant economic impact of this new wealth-creating export activity. The South East is already one of the most successful regional economies in England, and Abbott's investment forms part of an ongoing trend of hi-tech economic development in the area.'

Abbott decided to further increase investment in the Murex facility at Dartford to take advantage of its established and proven skill base,' said Luis Iglesias, general manager of Abbott Diagnostics Division, UK Ltd. 'This expansion will help to ensure that our long-term production capacity will meet the growing worldwide need for accurate, reliable diagnostic testing. It will also make Abbott one of Dartford's largest employers and will reinforce the site's position as a key component of the UK healthcare industry.'