Irish construction firm, Sisk has won the contract for Moderna's new UK drug substance and manufacturing facility at the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) in Oxfordshire.

The MITC development on the Harwell Science Campus will include a research, development and manufacturing facility, providing the UK public with access to mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and potentially other emerging respiratory health threats. When complete the facility will have capacity to produce up to 250 million vaccines per year in the event of a pandemic, bolstering the UK’s future pandemic resilience strategy.

Construction is currently underway with the facility expected to become operational in 2025, subject to planning and regulatory approvals. This win cements Sisk's Life Sciences & Technology team in the heart of the UK's biopharma-rich 'golden triangle' between London, Oxford and Cambridge.

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Donal McCarthy, COO, Life Sciences, Data & Tech, Sisk said: "Sisk is pleased to announce that we have won our first major life sciences project in the UK. We have a demonstrable track record of working with key US blue chip clients in Ireland and across Europe. After some key appointments internally, we now have the capability to bring this skillset to the UK. We look forward to delivering a world class facility for Moderna and growing our Life Sciences offering across the UK."

Nicolas Chornet, Senior Vice President for Resilience Operations and MITC Site Head at Moderna, said: "Construction of the MITC is well underway and we are delighted to collaborate with Sisk on this vital phase of the project. Upon completion, the facility will leverage cutting-edge mRNA technology to develop innovative vaccines for the UK public and we look forward to contributing to the UK’s dynamic life science sector through the onshoring of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics."

Harwell is the UK's top science and innovation hub, bringing together government, academia, and industry to tackle urgent global issues. With £3 billion in national facilities and 6,000 colleagues, it's a centre for scientific exploration.