Key Summary
- £54 million investment to modernise and decarbonise medicines manufacturing
- CPI & AstraZeneca lead projects using automation, AI, and sustainable materials
- VPAG remains disputed, with companies able to exit by 16 December before moving to the Statutory Scheme in 2026
Innovate UK’s Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme (SMMIP) is planning to invest £54 million in eight projects to make medicines manufacturing more efficient, smarter and sustainable.
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) would support five projects focusing on sustainable materials, digital manufacturing, automation, and circular economy innovation, altogether worth £44.9 million, from both government and industry funding.
CPI CEO Frank Millar said, “Sustainability in medicines manufacturing is vital to maintain leadership in the UK life sciences sector, enabling it to decarbonise and utilise more sustainable technologies.”
“These collaborations bring together the expertise, scale-up capability and cross-sector partnerships needed to reduce waste and emissions while supporting UK exports and economic growth,” he added.
AstraZeneca UK is leading an initiative to future-proof medicines manufacturing by using robotics, automation, AI, and data-driven technology to make it more sustainable.
The programme is part of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) to make the country’s life sciences sector more competitive.
As per Innovate UK, the SMMIP programme will bring together organisations across the medicines manufacturing supply chain to drive sustainability innovation, supported by regulation and better measurements, standards, and data.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) director Joe Edwards said, “The pharmaceutical industry’s investment into this programme shows our commitment to modern and sustainable manufacturing practices.”
“We are backing the innovative ideas needed to build a resilient manufacturing base for the UK and improve how medicines are made,” he said.
However, the VPAG scheme has remained a contentious issue with the government and the companies at loggerhead over industry debates.
The companies have been provided time till 16 December if they want to leave the scheme.
Once they leave, they will come under the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines in 2026.
