Decarbonisation of the Pharmaceutical Industry Project
Helping the Indian pharma industry implement greener, more affordable manufacturing processes
Eligibility
United Kingdom
Supported by the UK Government, this novel Centre is driven by a unique coalition of UK and Indian innovation policymakers, R&D companies, start-ups, investors, research groups and Catapults. The aim is to harness the UK-India science and tech superpower partnership to accelerate the path to net zero.
As an integral part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, CPI is leading the programme strand that looks at the decarbonisation of industrial manufacturing processes. Our main goal for this activity is to develop and strengthen a strategic relationship between the UK and the Indian pharmaceutical industry by working together to identify advanced manufacturing solutions and revolutionary process technologies for a sustainable future.
The challenge faced today by the pharmaceutical industry in reducing its carbon footprint is a pressing issue that cannot be ignored. With the sector responsible for 4.4% of net global greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need for sustainable practices to be implemented.
The landmark Paris Agreement of 2015 set ambitious targets to combat climate change, meaning it’s imperative to reduce emissions from all sources to as close to zero as possible. This requires a concerted and sustained effort across industries, governments, and individuals to implement sustainable practices and technologies that minimise our carbon footprint.
In the UK, the NHS has set a commendable target of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. However, with the global nature of pharmaceutical supply chains and that 25% of medicines in the UK are sourced from India, addressing this challenge requires collaborative efforts on a worldwide scale.
The UK-India Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre, supported by the UK Government, is driven by a unique coalition of UK and Indian innovation policymakers, R&D companies, start-ups, investors, research groups and Catapults. The aim is to harness the UK-India science and tech superpower partnership to accelerate the path to net zero.
As an integral part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, CPI is leading the programme strand that looks at the decarbonisation of industrial manufacturing processes. Our main goal for this activity is to develop and strengthen a strategic relationship between the UK and the Indian pharmaceutical industry by working together to identify advanced manufacturing solutions and revolutionary process technologies for a sustainable future.
Through collaboration between industry experts in the UK and India, this project envisions a cleaner, more sustainable pharmaceutical industry that is closer to reaching the goal of a net zero economy. This project will help the Indian pharma industry redesign its current manufacturing processes to increase productivity and significantly reduce the industry’s environmental impact.
We aim to bring together UK and Indian organisations to work collaboratively on innovative solutions to tackle the challenges mentioned above, such as investing in low-carbon advanced technologies and educating the workforce about digital tools that can boost productivity and drive sustainability.
This collaboration is essential in today’s interconnected world for several reasons. Shared research initiatives bring out diverse talents, expertise and resources from multiple nations, enabling a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of complex global issues. By combining intellectual and technological strengths, collaborative efforts can yield innovative solutions that might not be achievable in isolation.
Solving climate change is essential to preserve our planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity, safeguard human health, and ensure a greener, more sustainable future for all generations.
Since the start of this project in 2022, we have completed the initial scoping and needs assessment phase. In February 2023, we visited Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and conducted research to determine where these organisations are on their decarbonisation journey. This was followed by an agreement between the UK and Indian Governments in April 2023 to collaborate on research and innovation, which also saw an announcement for the creation of a virtual UK-India Net Zero Innovation Centre.
In July 2023, we signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with India’s CSIR National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) – an Indian Government laboratory based in Pune, Western India – to support the decarbonisation of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. A collaboration agreement for this project has now been signed between CPI and NCL, focusing specifically on decarbonising current manufacturing processes in the Indian pharmaceutical sector. This collaboration aims to integrate innovative technologies into Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthen UK-India relationships and expand efforts to other industries. Planned initiatives encompass a sensitisation program, stakeholder consultations and the establishment of a living laboratory in India to trial low-carbon technologies.
We have also completed a webinar series in collaboration with UK SMEs and RTOs summarising critical manufacturing solutions and process technologies for decarbonisation to create a centralised content hub around sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The living lab is an interactive testbed environment based at NCL. This state-of-the-art lab will enable companies to test and de-risk their technologies, generating the data needed to replicate the technology and undergo decarbonisation in-house.
The lab will demonstrate continuous flow technology as an alternative to current traditional batch manufacturing processes, which rely on larger volumes of raw materials.
This demo lab will also work on developing solvent-free technologies, which are becoming increasingly popular due to their environmental benefits in both the fine chemicals and the pharma manufacturing industries.
Solvent-based chemicals threaten the environment due to their toxicity, mobility in natural surroundings and the generation of long-lasting chemical pollution detrimental to human, animal and plant health. Currently, 60% of the carbon footprint of specific pharmaceuticals comes from solvents. Companies can create the same products more sustainably and cost-effectively by developing new solvent-free manufacturing.
The UK government has already committed to sustainability by implementing a net zero target for 2050. Alongside this, the NHS is following a similar strategy: they plan to reach net zero by 2040 for direct emissions and 2045 for indirect emissions. Decarbonising India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing processes will not only help the NHS to hit these targets but will contribute significantly to both national and global efforts to combat climate change.
By effectively de-risking the adoption of advanced technologies, we are paving the way for a more sustainable production of pharmaceuticals. The creation of the living lab provides this opportunity to companies, assisting in creating a business case for a move towards decarbonisation.
Alongside other new research collaborations between the UK and Indian governments, such as research surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), earthquakes and farm animal biosecurity, this project deepens the strategic relationship between both countries to solve global challenges together.
To find out more about how we can work together, please enter your details below.