UK Biofoundry Project
Accelerating RNA innovation from lab to clinic – strengthening UK resilience and bringing life-changing medicines to patients faster
Eligibility
United Kingdom
The UK RNA Biofoundry, located within CPI’s RNA Centre of Excellence, is the UK’s flagship contribution to the R3 Global network — and a national asset designed to dramatically accelerate RNA innovation and manufacturing.
Backed by a £29.6 million of UK Government investment from the Office for Life Sciences, and administered by Innovate UK, the Biofoundry will develop a fully integrated, state-of-the-art facility where organisations can move from early research to clinical-grade material faster than ever before. Key capabilities to be developed:
• Clinical-grade capability: Rapid, affordable production of RNA suitable for early-phase clinical trials.
• Scalable, cost-effective platform: Seamlessly move from research to GMP on a single manufacturing platform to eliminate delays and handovers.
• Speed with resilience: Designed to pivot at pace to large scale vaccine production during a public health emergency.
• Innovation acceleration: Helping researchers validate science earlier, de-risk development, secure funding, and progress quickly towards clinical application.
By having this capability in the North East, the Biofoundry fuels regional growth, strengthens the UK life sciences ecosystem, and positions the country as a global leader in rapid, next-generation RNA manufacturing.
The R3 Global programme is an international initiative designed to transform how advanced RNA and biological therapies are designed and manufactured. Its goal is to build a distributed, global network of agile, modular biofoundries that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to design and produce next-generation RNA treatments.
R3 introduces a new approach to biomanufacturing: compact, automated platforms that streamline design – build – test cycles and enable high-quality RNA production in a fraction of the time and cost required by traditional infrastructure. By reducing dependency on large, bespoke facilities, R3 Global empowers innovators everywhere to translate scientific breakthroughs into real-world therapeutics at unprecedented speed.
Ultimately, the programme aims to strengthen global health resilience by ensuring rapid access to the tools needed to develop vaccines, RNA medicines, and other biologics – both in emergencies and in everyday healthcare.
Together, the R3 Global programme and the UK RNA Biofoundry represent a new era for RNA medicines development and manufacturing. They create a world in which cutting-edge RNA medicines can be designed anywhere, manufactured quickly and reliably, and delivered to patients in record time.
This integrated ecosystem accelerates innovation, reduces risk, builds national and global resilience, and supports a future where life-changing RNA medicines are accessible, scalable, and delivered faster than previously possible.
CPI is at the forefront of medicines innovation in the UK. As a leading technology and innovation centre, we empower organisations – from emerging biotechs to global pharmaceutical companies – with the expertise and infrastructure needed to accelerate product development. Our mission is to make advanced medicines manufacturing more accessible, efficient, and scalable.
Within CPI, our RNA Centre of Excellence is driving a step change in the speed at which RNA medicines can be designed, developed, and manufactured. Through advanced automation, integrated process development, and state-of-the-art facilities, we help innovators move from concept to clinical material in dramatically shorter timelines. This capability not only supports routine therapeutic development but also strengthens the UK’s ability to respond rapidly to future health threats.
To find out more about how we can work together, please enter your details below.