CO Antrim life sciences group Randox has announced plans to invest £36 million in a new facility at its Crumlin headquarters, creating 90 jobs.
The company said the move will modernise the manufacture of antibodies used across its full range of diagnostic tests.
It comes just months after Randox spent around £20m acquiring new industrial sites in Larne and Mallusk.
The £36m investment in Crumlin is being supported by funding under the first tranche of the UK Government’s new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.
Randox is one of four companies that will share a £17m funding pot.
The money was announced on Tuesday by George Freeman, the UK’s Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation.
He said the life sciences sector is being transformed by the pace of change.
“From AI to genomics, bio manufacturing to smart stents and personalised immunotherapies, technologies are converging to create a new era of advanced digital products,” he said.
“That requires new types of advances manufacturing plant which is why we set up the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, which today’s news shows is working: converting £17m grants to four companies into £260m industrial investment.”
The £260m represents the investment being made by the four private sector firms themselves.
Alongside Randox - Ipsen, Pharmaron and Touchlight - have announced significant investment plans.
UK Minister of State for Health Will Quince said: “This is an important step towards strengthening the UK’s long term manufacturing capability, while supporting the development of innovative technologies and ground breaking medicines.
“The life sciences sector is crucial to the UK’s health resilience. Through government and industry investment, we will continue to drive it forward - creating jobs and cementing our position as a global life sciences superpower.”
