Multi-million Investments in biotechnology in Uppsala – New Technology

       

The market for biological drugs is growing rapidly, and it favors GE Healthcare. Biological drugs are proteins that are grown in living cells or bacteria, and proteins must be purified before leaving the pharmaceutical factories. This is GE Healthcare Life Sciences come into the picture. The company’s facility in Uppsala manufactured so-called kromatografiprodukter, which separates and purifies proteins, to customers worldwide.

In order to meet the growing demand, the company invests $ 100 million, corresponding to approximately SEK 870 million, over three years.

– We are the world’s largest chromatography today, and now we will double capacity, says Jan Erneberg, responsible for GE Healthcare Life Sciences global production.

Kromatografimediat is a filter material consisting of very small spheres. They are made of agarose, a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed, and dextran, which is extracted from sugar beets. The material is packed in large columns, where the coveted proteins in the culture solution is separated and purified.

GE Healthcare expects to have to recruit between 30 and 50 engineers to design and build the plant. Several different types of skills will be needed, including in biotechnology, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, software and hardware. Finding the right expertise describes January Erneberg as a challenge.

– There is a big concern. It is particularly difficult to find people with experience in the process industry, and we will look both in Sweden and abroad, he said.

In 2018, the expansion to be completed. Then the company will need to recruit 30 to 50 operators to manage production.

The 870 million will also go to a new decision support system to control the plant. Today, analyzed data from the production process is largely manual. The new system will provide more knowledge about the process and increase yield.

– Biotechnology somewhat reminiscent of baking bread in the kitchen. Even if one does the same, the result is not always the same. The new decision support system gives us better control, says Jan Erneberg.

GE Healthcare’s operations in Uppsala has its roots in the old Pharmacia Biotech, which moved to the city in the early 1950s. After a series of mergers, mergers and acquisitions are included biotechnology business with 1200 employees at GE Healthcare, which is part of the US GE Group.

– We have operations in many countries, but choose to invest in Uppsala. The main reason is the competence of the employees. We believe in this team, said GE Vice Chairman John Rice at a press conference on 3 December.

Although AstraZeneca has presented a major investment in biologics year. The company, announced, in May a new production facility for protein drugs is to be built in Södertälje. The investment of 2.3 billion are estimated to cause between 150 and 250 new, highly skilled jobs. 2019 shall remain in operation.