18 January 2007

Principal welcomes Cellartis AB investment

Sir Alan Langlands, Principal of the University of Dundee, has welcomed today’s announcement by Cellartis AB that they are to establish a R&D and manufacturing facility in Dundee which will create up to 75 highly skilled jobs.

Sir Alan said, "This is good news for Scotland and a real vote of confidence in our life sciences base. Dundee has built an international reputation over recent years for leading edge life sciences with the most significant biotechnology cluster outside Cambridge and the Thames Valley."

"The University of Dundee has research collaborations or licensing deals with all of the major pharmaceutical companies worldwide including a longstanding £23 million consortium with six of the world’s leaders, the attraction to Dundee of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals bringing with it £50 million and 50 jobs and Upstate Inc (recently acquired by Millipore)."

"The University has also played a key role in developing a number of spin out companies including Axis Shield, Cyclacel and CXR Biosciences. The addition of Cellartis AB will continue to build on that critical mass ensuring the city’s future in this vital and growing area. We look forward to working closely with Cellartis and continuing to develop the life sciences programme in Dundee with the support of the ITI Life Sciences."

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk