UCL Biochemical Engineering and AstraZeneca have been awarded a £5 million EPSRC Prosperity Partnership grant for their ‘Next-Gen Biopharma Manufacturing 5.0’ project, jointly funded by EPSRC and AstraZeneca. This initiative aims to transform how complex biological medicines are developed and manufactured.
This Prosperity Partnership will drive a new era of AI-powered biopharma manufacture by harnessing AI, automation, digital twins and advanced analytics to improve the development and production of next-generation antibody therapies for diseases such as cancer, obesity and autoimmune conditions. By streamlining processes and cutting waste and carbon emissions, the partnership aims to deliver faster, more affordable access to potentially life-changing treatments.
The Prosperity Partnership is directed by Professor Suzanne (Suzy) Farid at UCL, with Dr Stephen Goldrick as Co-Director and Dr James Savery of AstraZeneca as Industrial Director. The multidisciplinary team includes Professors Dan Bracewell and Paul Dalby and Drs Brenda Parker and Stefanie Frank at UCL, working alongside key industrial leads across AstraZeneca.
This new phase builds on the success of the UCL–AstraZeneca Centre of Excellence, which over the past decade has trained 24 doctoral and early-career researchers, completed 25 knowledge transfer projects, and produced over 95 joint publications.
This is one of five active EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships within UCL Biochemical Engineering, from next-gen biopharma manufacturing 5.0 with AstraZeneca, to smart genomic medicine manufacture with Cytiva, and circular economy for polymers and consumer products with Mitsubishi and Unilever. It also includes a newly awarded £2 million partnership with Lonza, led by Professor Nicolas Szita, on self-optimising biologic formulations.
We’re thrilled to take this collaboration with AstraZeneca to the next level. By uniting UCL’s leadership in bioprocess innovation and decisional tools with AstraZeneca’s expertise in medicine development, we’re tackling some of the biggest challenges in healthcare manufacturing. This partnership not only drives innovation to help accelerate patient access but also supports training the next generation of biopharma leaders.
We’re excited to deepen our collaboration with UCL to advance the next wave of biologics development. By combining AstraZeneca’s scientific and manufacturing expertise with UCL’s world-class digital bioprocessing research, we aim to accelerate the delivery of complex new medicines to patients around the world.
These partnerships show the range of real-world challenges the UK’s world-class research base is helping to tackle, from cutting carbon emissions in heavy transport to improving access to life-saving medicines. By backing scientists to work hand-in-hand with industry, we’re combining cutting-edge research with business expertise to turn science into practical solutions that can make a difference in people’s daily lives.
Our flagship Prosperity Partnerships scheme brings together world-class expertise from businesses and academia to solve big challenges and support the growth of industry and advance UK research. These 23 ambitious projects present a significant investment in the UK’s future. From speeding up drug manufacturing to longer-lasting batteries, these projects have the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives and help boost the economy.
