Top Moments of 2020
2020 has brought new challenges, but our remarkable network of partners and team members rose to the challenge to bring bright ideas into the marketplace.
![Matthew Herbert Matthew Herbert](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Matthew-Herbert-Headshot.png?w=800&h=800&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1690813423&s=1c8af270c7341395d22dafaaaa171c33)
Director of Marketing Communications
(he/him)
2020 has undoubtedly been a year to remember. While COVID-19 forced us to adapt to new challenges and new ways of working quickly, our remarkable network of partners and team members rose to the challenge. As a result, it has been another year of bringing bright ideas and innovations into the marketplace.
While this year has been challenging, it has also been a powerful reminder of the innovations that can come out of challenges. Necessity is the mother of invention, and CPI has been proudly supporting efforts to create vaccines and therapies in the fight against COVID-19.
In April, we joined the National Taskforce to support the development of a COVID-19 vaccine through the development and scale-up of Imperial College London’s saRNA vaccine. Large-scale manufacturing of saRNA and mRNA vaccines occupies new territory. We are excited to be at the forefront of this industry, which has the potential to transform the future of vaccines, beyond just COVID-19. The hard work, dedication and collaboration of the wider team has been something to behold, and the dots have certainly been connected for both future pandemics and the industry as a whole.
In addition, in October, we joined the UK BIA Taskforce, a leading UK consortium developing antibodies for treating COVID-19. Specifically, we will be supporting the manufacture of antibodies used for the development of an antibody ‘cocktail’ – a combination of antibodies that can be used to protect against COVID-19.
Our work on vaccines this past year has not been strictly limited to COVID-19. In July, we announced a partnership with Excivion Ltd, to optimise the manufacture of their novel Zika vaccine antigen candidate. This flavivirus vaccine platform has the potential to produce safe and effective vaccines for viruses that represent some of the world’s most significant pandemic risks.
Looking beyond COVID-19 and vaccine development, it has been another strong year for innovation in healthcare. The Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre officially broke ground, with the construction of its state-of-the-art facility in Renfrewshire, UK beginning in October. This first-of-its-kind facility will enable partners across industry, academia and government to work together in a GMP environment to revolutionise the future of medicines manufacturing.
In 2019, the Centre announced the launch of Grand Challenge 1 and Grand Challenge 2, two industrial hurdles currently limiting pharmaceutical manufacturing. To help fulfil these Grand Challenges, we introduced three new digital technology companies to the Centre in August as well as a leading software company to the Centre in September.
We have also been working hard to support the development of complex medicines. In July, we joined a collaboration with MicrofluidX and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to develop bioprocessing technology for the rapid scale-up of cell and gene therapies. This past year we also joined a collaborative project to strengthen our nanotherapeutics capabilities, evaluating a new microfluidic-based platform to help improve the scale-up, process development and manufacture of nanotherapeutic delivery systems.
![Gene Biology Gene Biology](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=46cf7dfa186bcb17650d47c9263f846b 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=ba45969069a39eb318bbc04d73bc9565 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=ee8721480ee43719001a9f8dbc0cf542 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=d6011d16fa80af0c1839a08fc44934d5 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=3c92c5bef7af239921449bd405cc095a 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/gene-therapy.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608294954&s=da646442d7dc99ef2f9a13cdf7b48410 960w)
Moving beyond healthcare, we supported many sustainability-related projects and ventures this past year, beginning in January when CPI joined the judging panel for the National Geographic Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge. In June, we completed a sustainable aquaculture project, funded by the UK Seafood Innovation Fund, to help create a more sustainable and efficient future for UK aquaculture.
![aquaculture aquaculture](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=7f69e01a729f29ded587ce18212847b7 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=f63c1bc428eaadf6b1eb149d465e203b 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=6c8f1038a9d10393da0eb9c8f0633f9f 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=75ac069f61afc09192a4dc3a13873ad8 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=3c6f7a1bd1ed38d8522edb5f62584e85 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/aquaculture-farm.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1608295035&s=5fda126b9fa3d9773f70ca3dab83fcb7 960w)
Sustainability is also a major trend that is shifting the future of the global fashion and textiles market. In January, Worn Again Technologies, a pioneering polymer recycling technology firm, launched a pilot plant facility – a significant step forward in its development process – at our scale-up facilities in Wilton, Redcar.
This past year we have also supported several projects to help reduce our reliance and production of fossil fuels. Partnering with LiNa Energy, we helped to demonstrate proof-of-concept of their novel sodium-nickel-chloride battery. As a radical alternative to the lithium-cobalt ion battery, this technology could help facilitate the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. We also collaborated with 3D Bio-Tissues Ltd to develop an improved growth media for culturing meat cells in a lab. This sustainable and economical way of culturing meat will help meet the nutritional needs of our growing global population.
![electric car electric car](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=38d3bb58b290d707ff9bef9436ccea1a 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=9fa84fb0708b022694ee91e8ab4b17b4 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=da59076d216841281f23d2004c33f5fe 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=0b1cd0a96cc8661b82f71448e080731c 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=110faf3b852143e874b593a8fdbde87d 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/GettyImages-1231510646.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1607602002&s=e18f4158b03ecbcd8bcc291cd9638ee2 960w)
This year has also brought some new faces to our management team. Nigel Perry, who led CPI from its inception over 17 years ago, stepped down as CEO and we welcomed our new CEO, Frank Millar, in April, stepping up from his previous role as Chief Operating Officer. Steve Bagshaw was appointed as CPI’s Non-Executive Director in September, bringing with him a wealth of experience from leadership roles in pharmaceutical manufacturing and industrial biotechnology and Maureen Wedderburn was appointed as Chair of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre Supervisory Board.
![Nigel and Frank Nigel and Frank](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=61c6738f858a630b87002bb111da2a4f 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=bdf3c37d0c86602600305b58c59f08b1 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=fe1ff0cfceff0cb2a80d0f188db3ae27 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=bd075d16a5c761553541d6ac2b5636e5 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=95ed758e32e74be6f3e2cd13fefa5783 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/nigel-frank.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1581343712&s=631907bdab7093a656dc12646ed5f663 960w)
In October we launched our new investor engagement and ventures arm which is designed to fuel the development of fast-growing, high-potential companies in the deep-tech space. Our aim is to connect investors and entrepreneurs across the UK to stimulate impactful investment into innovative technology companies. This connection creates mutually beneficial efficiencies of capital and time on both sides. Investors will benefit from bespoke investment opportunities, and obtain direct access to next-generation, proven technology, while companies can access investment to accelerate their next stage of development
Finally, none of these outputs would be possible without our fantastic team. We are pleased to have received several awards this year, recognising our team members and highlighting what makes us stand out.
In January, we racked up three awards at the annual North East Process Industry Cluster award ceremony, including the Young Achiever Award, the Apprentice of the Year Award and the Apprenticeship Employer Award. Our strength in apprenticeships was also recognised by the National Apprenticeship Service, where we were named one of the Top 100 apprenticeship employers in the UK in 2020.
![award winners award winners](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=d25d12eeb598ac4fa73d7b2fde4f1a45 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=6ab44d700ae9366c825aa490751ea29a 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=6ebbab4e27715929e08904930d5edf02 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=a60935949a7537ed8fc8305ace369134 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=5730cd24de14562e39ad429ea68fa4ee 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/Award-winners-and-organisers-NEPIC-2020.jpeg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1579529967&s=8fafcd5a50d4c4de9d0bf939d3641c0e 960w)
In November, our Process Development team was awarded the IChemE Team Award at the prestigious IChemE Global Awards 2020. This award recognises the team’s hard work on complex scale-up projects, accomplished through their exceptional teamwork. To get a glimpse of how well the team works together, you can watch their video here.
This is just a snapshot of what we have been up to in 2020. For a closer look at our activity over the past year, check out our news, blogs and case studies.
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