AstraZeneca Unveils State-of-the-Art R&D Facility in Cambridge

AstraZeneca has unveiled a new £1 billion (US$1.33 billion) facility in Cambridge, United Kingdom, that has been designed to high environmental standards and with the space to accommodate 2200 research scientists. The formal unveiling took place in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

According to a Nov. 23, 2021 press release, the new facility, The Discovery Centre (DISC) includes advanced robotics, high-throughput screening, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology. Additionally, it was specified that DISC will be used to support AstraZeneca’s focus on precision and specialized medicines while also fostering collaboration for the discovery and development of next generation therapeutics, such as nucleotide-based, gene-editing, and cell therapies.

“Our ambition […] is to not only unveil a building, but to also drive the next wave of scientific innovation,” said Pascal Soriot, CEO, AstraZeneca, in the company press release. “Our new Discovery Centre in Cambridge raises the bar for sustainable R&D and global collaboration across our industry. It will allow us to break new boundaries in the understanding of disease biology, bring life-changing medicines to patients and power the next stage of our company’s growth.”