£2million For Innovation Into New Food Ingredient Production

Business & Invest | Published on: 1st July 2022

A new £2million investment by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority has been confirmed today (1 July) which will see a new food grade manufacturing facility developed in the region, creating and safeguarding dozens of jobs for local workers.

The funding will support the UK National Food Strategy, helping to create alternative proteins and nutrients as part of the drive for new and improved food ingredients.

Research and product development organisation CPI, based at the Wilton Centre in Redcar, will establish the cutting-edge food grade bio-manufacturing laboratories.

These will support research into global demands for food and sustainability as well as environmental and animal welfare concerns which are currently driving emerging trends in food, feed and associated markets.

The new facilities are expected to bring an additional £4.2million from industry over the next five years by attracting new businesses to the region, boosting the economy by £12million and supporting and creating 50 jobs and apprenticeships.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I’m delighted to have been able to provide funding for such an innovative and game-changing programme that once again firmly puts our region on the world map in biomanufacturing. Investment in the cleaner, safer and healthier technologies of the future is of paramount importance as our region leads the UK’s ambition of being Net Zero by 2050.

“Funding of our research centres, labs and manufacturing space will help create high-quality, highly-skilled and well-paid jobs for people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool for years to come.”

Kris Wadrop, General Manager at CPI, said: “This is another significant step forward for CPI and the Tees Valley to position the region as the centre of biomanufacturing in the UK. Using these new facilities CPI will support several companies from within the UK and overseas, helping to introduce real changes to our food system that will reduce its environmental footprint. It is our objective that some of these companies relocate to the Tees Valley, creating new jobs and prosperity for the local community.”

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