US life science company New England Biolabs selects Oxfordshire's Milton Park as first UK manufacturing hub

New England Biolabs, a global leader in the discovery and production of enzymes for molecular biology applications, has announced it is establishing its first overseas product development and manufacturing site at Milton Park in Oxfordshire, one of the UK’s leading life science clusters.

NEB Lyophilization Sciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of NEB and specialises in the design, development and manufacturing of innovative solutions for ambient stored products.

The company’s UK expansion follows NEB’s acquisition of Fluorogenics Limited (FGL) in May 2021. The move will enable it to broaden its offering of lyophilized reagents, which can be stored and shipped at room temperature, thereby reducing logistical burdens.

The new manufacturing space at 178 Brook Drive, which was redeveloped by Milton Park, is now being fitted out to deliver a purpose-built manufacturing, office and laboratory hub.

Once fully operational, the state-of-the-art premises – with completion scheduled for the end of 2023 – will cover 30,000 sq ft of space, enabling the company to facilitate growth, particularly within the molecular diagnostics market.

Additionally, the high-tech R&D space at Milton Park will also allow NEB Lyophilization Sciences to expand its solutions – providing high-quality biological reagents across life science, applied applications, clinical in vitro diagnostics (IVD), research, veterinary and defence sectors.

The redevelopment and fit-out of the building are being made possible through Milton Park’s ten-day Local Development Order (LDO), which rapidly speeds up the delivery of buildings and infrastructure without the need for additional planning permission.

It is a move which has helped occupiers to capitalise on investment opportunities and supports the Park’s 2040 Vision, positioning itself as one of the most flexible locations for companies to establish and grow.

Kiran Gulati, Business Operations Director at New England Biolabs Lyophilization Sciences Ltd, said: “Milton Park offers the space to create bespoke, state-of-the-art facilities in an innovative setting with a range of amenities on its doorstep, making it the ideal setting for our new manufacturing hub.

"We believe the combination of our expertise in enzymology and the lyophilization process uniquely positions us to support customers in the molecular diagnostic space. This new facility will help us to offer this seamless experience to customers through NEB Lyophilization Sciences – from enzyme development and manufacturing through to the design of product format.

“As we’re focused on strengthening alliances to enable new technologies to reach key market sectors, we’re also keen to see how we can benefit from the Park being a centre of excellence when it comes to networking, with a view to potentially collaborating with other like-minded companies.”

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at MEPC Milton Park, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome NEB Lyophilization Sciences to our dynamic and collaborative community at Milton Park.

“Launching the company’s first product development and manufacturing site outside the US signals growing confidence in the UK’s life science industry and with it will make an exciting addition to the many other innovators we have here at the Park.

“We look forward to seeing the company go from strength-to-strength as it continues its investment into the burgeoning Oxfordshire life sciences cluster.”