£1.5m boost to penicillin plant

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today announced £1.5 million funding for pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline towards the extension of their plant in Irvine, creating 55 new jobs.

The company will receive a Scottish Enterprise Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant to extend their Potassium Clavulanate (Clav) Plant, which produces penicillin.

This extension forms part of the company’s total investment of more than £200 million between their sites in Irvine and Montrose since 2013.

The First Minister said:

“GSK is a global leader in the development of medicines and a great example of a highly innovative company that is benefiting from what Scotland has to offer as an attractive location of choice for global life sciences companies.

“Their further investment in Scotland is testament to our thriving life sciences industry and its position as a key growth sector for the Scottish economy. Their continued commitment across their sites in Scotland is proof of the skill and value of the Scottish workforce.

“Last week I launched, A Manufacturing Future for Scotland – an action plan outlining our commitment to delivering new initiatives that stimulate innovation, improve productivity and increase investment in the Scottish manufacturing sector in order that it can better compete globally.

“Scotland has a long established reputation for innovation and research capability and a highly diverse manufacturing sector.

“We are committed to working with industry and with higher and further education institutions to see this develop further.”

Sir Andrew Witty, GSK CEO, said:

“We’re delighted to be opening a new facility in Scotland, where we have a long-standing commitment to manufacturing, which will continue in the near and distant future. The impact of this new facility will be felt here and abroad, with more antibiotics produced for people in countries where this sort of medicine is desperately needed.”

Adrian Gillespie, Scottish Enterprise Managing Director of Operations said:

“Today marks a significant milestone for GSK and Scotland’s life sciences sector. Since 2009 we’ve worked intensively with the company helping deliver its ambitious growth plans. “This latest support of £1.5 million RSA funding helped secure the company’s investment in Scotland and the creation of 55 new jobs. GSK is an important contributor to the Scottish economy and together we will continue to support its growth ambition in Scotland.”