UCB global pharma firm £500m move from Slough to Surrey

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The Science Minister celebrated the work of a global pharmaceutical company, which is currently based in Slough, ahead of its £500 million move to Surrey.

UCB, currently has a base on the Bath Road, but will be moving over the border to Windlesham.

The buildings the firm currently occupies are set to be demolished and replaced with data centres.

The company makes medicines for conditions such as autoimmune diseases, making immunotherapy treatments using tools such as antibodies.

Science Minister Patrick Vallance visit to UCB operation in Slough (Image: Stewart Turkington/DSIT)

Minister, Lord Patrick Vallance, has heralded the work of the scientists at the Slough site.

He said: "I've been seeing their process of making new medicines and particularly antibody medicines, which is a class of medicine which has made such a major impact across diseases in the last 20 years or so.

"It's been great to see right from the beginning the ambition, which is to try and not just treat disease, but actually to reset disease, so that it goes away properly, through to ways of designing the antibodies."

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The Minister added that it was great to see the talent at the site, including that of a Dere Omar, a degree apprentice at the company.

Science Minister Patrick Vallance's visit to UCB operation in Slough (Image: Stewart Turkington/DSIT)

A scientist himself, Lord Vallance was impressed by her technical competence two and a half years out of school.

He said: "Those sorts of people are going to be the workforce of the future and will really make all these things possible."

The government is investing £50 million into the new facility.

The Minister stated: "It's very important for things like this to be taking place in a facility that's fit for the future and that's what that really brings."

Science Minister Patrick Vallance visit to UCB operation in Slough (Image: Stewart Turkington/DSIT)

Work has begun on the new Surrey site, and the company's 180 highly skilled jobs are set to be safeguarded, but at the new site.

There will 60 more jobs created at the new facility.

Lord Vallance stated that this did not mean that highly skilled jobs would be lost in Slough, calling the town a leading area for AI in the UK

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He stated: "I think lots of jobs will come from that.

"It's going to be a foundational part of how we get AI going in the country.

"I think just today, looking at how here at UCB people are thinking about where AI fits into what they do.

"I was hearing a story a little while ago about how AlphaFold, which is a programme that came from DeepMind, the company in Kings Cross, has completely revolutionised how they're doing the work here.

"There's going to be much more of that.

"So it's great that we're getting data centres growing here in Slough."

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