Maureen Wedderburn appointed as Chair of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre Supervisory Board

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre is a collaboration between CPI, the University of Strathclyde and founding industry partners, GSK and AstraZeneca, with funding provided by Scottish Enterprise and UK Research and Innovation. The Supervisory Board enables the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre to deliver its aims and objectives, namely to translate, at industrial and commercial scale, novel techniques for producing patient-centric medicines. It’s flagship Grand Challenges along with other innovative projects, are set to increase productivity and patient outcomes in the pharmaceutical industry.

Maureen brings with her 35 years of experience – principally at GSK – as a senior digital and technology executive with global responsibility and deep expertise in the management of manufacturing and supply chain operations. This experience spans operational and technology remits, where she has both led and strategically directed global product and transformational programmes across complex multi-national businesses. In addition, Maureen has experience on supervisory boards, serving as an advisory board member for CIONET UK – helping digital leaders achieve their global ambitions and, as a member of the innovation council, identifying future trends and industry responses.

With the addition of four new partners and the official ground-breaking of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in the second half of 2020, this appointment will help ensure the Centre continues on its strong trajectory into 2021. 

Maureen started her role as Chairperson of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre on 2nd November 2020 and will retire from her role at GSK on 31st December 2020.

Maureen Wedderburn, Chair of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre Supervisory Board, said: ​“I am excited to begin this new role and to join this innovative partnership. I look forward to sharing my experience in the pharmaceutical sector to bring together stakeholders to advance medicines manufacturing in the UK and beyond.”

Dave Tudor, Managing Director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre said: ​“We are delighted to announce that Maureen Wedderburn will Chair the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre Supervisory Board. Maureen’s extensive expertise within the pharmaceutical industry will ensure that well-informed and strategic choices are being made, benefitting the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, our partners, industry and ultimately patients.

Notes to the Editor

About the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre

The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre was established by a collaboration between CPI, the University of Strathclyde, UK Research and Innovation, Scottish Enterprise and founding industry partners, AstraZeneca and GSK.

The consortium aims to develop the medicines manufacturing processes of the future, enabling a more agile, responsive medicines supply chain through improved manufacturing processes. It will enable new and disruptive technologies to be proven at scale in a GMP environment. This will allow the rapid adoption of next-generation processes that reduce risk, cut costs and save time, enabling a healthier society and a robust UK economy. 

With a collaborative innovation culture and state-of the art facilities, the Centre will enable industry, academia, healthcare providers and regulators to work collaboratively in order to address challenges and maximise technology opportunities within the medicines supply chain.

The initial focus of the centre will be to deliver two​‘Grand Challenges’, with the first exploring how oral solid dosage medicines can be produced more robustly and efficiently utilising continuous direct compression. The second focuses on how these medicines can then be delivered to patients with minimal waste and maximum speed, using Just in Time manufacture and supply capabilities. 

www​.uk​-cpi​.com/mmic

About CPI

CPI is an independent technology innovation centre and a founding member of the UK Government’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. Founded in 2004, CPI applies its years of experience across a broad range of industries to ensure that every great invention gets the best opportunity to become a successfully marketed product. 

CPI’s integrated approach provides its partners with a unique combination of assets, expertise and skills to drive successful innovation. With a deep understanding of innovation processes and funding, outstanding technical expertise and industry-relevant assets, CPI enables products and processes to be quickly and cost-effectively brought to market. By employing bright minds from both academia and industry, CPI helps create a bespoke team that will provide the right support, helping you to navigate the route to commercialisation while reducing risk along the way.

We form connections throughout the supply chain, bringing together investors, government organisations and academic institutions to facilitate the necessary partnerships for effective innovation. This increases productivity across industries and supports the development of next-generation manufacturing, highly-skilled jobs and economic growth for the UK. 

www​.uk​-cpi​.com/mmic

About the University of Strathclyde

For more than 200 years, the University of Strathclyde has been meeting the needs of students, employers, industry and wider society through world-class research, teaching, innovation and enterprise. Today, as a leading international technological University, Strathclyde works side-by-side with business, industry, government and the public sector, to improve health, safeguard the future of energy supplies, set new standards in manufacturing, and pioneer technologies. Its entrepreneurial environment makes Strathclyde the partner of choice for growing numbers of organisations across the world, and has been recognised through the award of Times Higher Education UK Business School of the Year, Entrepreneurial University of the Year, and University of the Year. 

About Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency. We’re committed to growing the Scottish economy for the benefit of all, helping create more quality jobs and a brighter future for every region.

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UK Research and Innovation

This project has been funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy. The fund is delivered by UK Research and Innovation.

The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund brings together the UK’s world-leading research with business to meet the major industrial and societal challenges of our time. It provides funding and support to UK businesses and researchers, part of the government’s £4.7 billion increase in research and development over the next 4 years. It plays a central role in the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. 

UK Research and Innovation is a new organisation that brings together the UK Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England into a single organisation to create the best environment for research and innovation to flourish. The vision is to ensure the UK maintains its world- leading position in research and innovation. For more information visit www​.ukri​.org