National Bio-Manufacturing Centre, Speke
Work has started on a £30m world class bio-sciences centre on the Estuary Commerce Park in Speke. The 30,000 sq ft National Bio-Manufacturing Centre, which has been designed and developed by the Northwest Development Agency and Liverpool Land Development Company, will consist of three laboratories and a production plant.

The Centre will create 100 construction jobs and will have a workforce of 74 directly employed staff. JET South Liverpool's temporary staff agency is already supplying staff to AMEC, the construction company that is building the new facility.

The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) has estimated that a further 850 jobs will be created by companies investing in Merseyside as a result of the Centre opening.

Trade and Industry secretary Patricia Hewitt has said "This is a huge boost not only for Merseyside but for the whole of Britain. The bio-manufacturing sector has enormous growth potential and this centre will help British companies and research organisations seize important opportunities.

The facility will cement Merseyside's position as the national hub of biomanufacturing with over 25 companies involved in the £2bn sector in the region.

It will also attract important new investment, adding to the area's biotech cluster and will help create a thriving, sustainable local economy," she added.