Dublin, December 8, 2023 –The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) launched its newest facility – CONCEPT, dedicated to the early stages of advanced therapy development.

The birth of CONCEPT is the result of the collaborative spirit and financial commitment of the Irish government and the local academic scientific community. Funded by the SFI-infrastructure programme with a generous €4.2 million, supplemented by a further €2.4 million from IDA Ireland, CONCEPT stands as an example of what targeted investment in science can achieve.

The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Ruth Freeman, director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland. Dr. Freeman highlighted Ireland’s remarkable journey in the biopharmaceutical field over the past two decades, largely attributed to the nation’s higher education system constantly delivering highly skilled scientists, and at the same time remaining open to collaborate with industry leaders. CONCEPT, as Dr. Freeman noted, is a direct result of this synergy, designed to create new possibilities in the field of advanced therapies.

Led by Dr. Jonathan Bones, CONCEPT aims to support researchers by providing cutting-edge sequence synthesis technologies for producing a wide array of biologics such as cell & gene and RNA therapy. This state-of-the-art innovation hub will facilitate researchers in their therapy-oriented studies, streamlining the transformation of initial concepts into novel therapies.

“The opening of CONCEPT is a culmination of tireless effort, dedication, and a shared vision for the future of research in advanced therapies. Our mission at CONCEPT is to create an environment that fosters interdisciplinary research and empowers researchers to address complex biotherapy development challenges.

^{Dr Jonathan Bones, Director of CONCEPT}

CONCEPT will further enhance the collaboration between academia and the biopharma industry, by uniting different perspectives to confront the challenges in biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing. The facility will also serve as a base for a cooperative network and strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating research in biotherapies.