Assessing Manchester’s COVID-19 antibody manufacturing surge capacity

In June 2020, Innovate UK announced plans to invite applications from locations across the UK to bid for funding to deliver COVID-19 antibody manufacturing surge capacity. Innovate’s plans came forward as part of the Government’s response to the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic.

Against this background, Steer Economic Development was approached noncompetitively by Health Innovation Manchester to undertake a fast-paced assessment of Greater Manchester’s capacity to deliver such manufacturing surge capacity, and to advise on whether a formal bid to government funding was sensible.

Involving a tightly organised programme of consultations with Health Innovation Manchester, The University of Manchester, the University NHS Trust, and sector specialists in Bionow and Innovate UK itself, Steer Economic Development’s assessment was that whilst being able to meet all technical requirements Greater Manchester could not bring forward the surge capacity in the production window specified.

Notwithstanding this outcome, Steer Economic Development’s work played a helpful role in clarifying the longer-term role that antibody manufacturing might play in wider plans to develop a Southern Manufacturing Zone in Greater Manchester.