Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre

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The Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) is a vaccine research and manufacturing facility under construction in Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, England. Announced in December 2018 [1] and originally planned to be opened in 2022, [2] its planned opening date has been brought forward to 2021 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]

Organizations collaborating in the centre's development include Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Oxford University. [2] The UK government provided funding of £93 million for the construction of the centre in 2020, [4] and by March 2021 total funding reached £215m. [5]

Construction of the 7,000 square metre facility at Harwell was begun by main contractor Glencar in April 2020. [6]

In 2020, the centre's personnel contributed to development of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222, and from October began medium-scale production. [7]

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References

  1. "New vaccines centre to protect UK from pandemic threats". University of Oxford. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, Oxfordshire, UK". www.pharmaceutical-technology.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  3. "Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre to open 12 months ahead of schedule". GOV.UK. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  4. "Government invests £93 million in new vaccine-manufacturing facility". ITV News. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  5. "Extra £47.6 million for Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre". GOV.UK. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. Weinfass, Ian (21 April 2020). "Vaccine-production facility build fast-tracked". Construction News. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  7. "2020 Review". VMIC. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

Coordinates: 51°42′59″N1°12′58″W / 51.7163889°N 1.2161111°W / 51.7163889; -1.2161111