Construction Fast-Tracked for Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Oxford

The Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VIMC) is being constructed on an accelerated schedule in Oxford in the United Kingdom. Ground was broken on the £66 million project in April of 2020 and occupancy is expected in 2021, a year earlier than previously planned. Led by the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, the 75,300-sf not-for-profit facility is being created in collaboration with Imperial College, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, GE Healthcare, Merck Sharp and Dohme, and Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.

Located on the Harwell Campus to promote synergies with academic and industry partners, the VMIC will feature sophisticated vaccine research labs and four BSL-2 cleanrooms for GMP production of non-replicating viral vectors and live attenuated viral vaccines. The cleanrooms will initially operate at 10-liter and 50-to-200-liter scales, with the capability of operating at the 1,000-liter scale. Manufacturing processes will be highly efficient and fully scalable to prepare for potential licensure. The completed center will also accommodate symposia and training programs on GMP manufacturing and vaccine production operations. WHP is the engineering consultant for the facility, which will feature complex zoned HVAC systems to maintain segregation, cleanliness, air pressurization, and other environmental controls. The project team includes Derell Consultants, Exterior Architecture, and Glencar Construction. Boulting Environmental Services (BES) is providing design coordination and internal fit-out services.