Arrival of Asymchem at Discovery Park confirms growing attraction of Kent for life science sector

Asymchem Laboratories launched its new European development and pilot manufacturing site at Discovery Park in Sandwich this month adding to a growing momentum for the life science sector in Kent.

The global pharma manufacturing giant cited Kent’s appeal to European markets as the reason for choosing Dover district as the location for its first R&D and manufacturing facility outside China and the United States. It is now one of just eight sites in operation around the world.

The former Pfizer small molecule facilities now employ 70 team members on-site in both the R&D labs and the API pilot plant, many of whom are legacy Pfizer employees. Additional hires are planned through to the end of the year as the pilot plant ramps up operations. They will be part of a global workforce of nearly 10,000 people.

Building on a foundation of utilising innovative technologies to enable smarter, greener, and cost-effective solutions to support manufacture, Asymchem will add additional capabilities on-site. Advanced equipment for the manufacture of peptides and oligonucleotides, as well as sustainability capabilities for continuous flow and biocatalysis, will be added by 2025.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Dr. Hao Hong, Chairman, Founder, and CEO of Asymchem, said: “This is an exciting milestone for Asymchem to meet growing demand for pharma services and supply. We are continuing a long legacy of manufacturing excellence at Discovery Park, with the location in Kent being ideal for reaching our target markets in Europe.”

Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park, added: “We are thrilled to see Asymchem join our thriving community at Discovery Park. We believe Kent is the ideal location for a European HQ, providing fast connections to both Europe and the capital, along with all important space to grow. Many of the team members at Asymchem have been working at Discovery Park for decades, and we’re delighted to continue to support and champion the talent here.”

Their arrival builds on continued investment and interest in the life sciences cluster across Kent and Medway, with the region increasingly seen as an extension to the existing Golden Triangle of London, Cambridge and Oxford. The latest statistics from Kent Analytics at Kent County Council, released in March 2024, suggest over 65,000 people are employed across Kent and Medway’s life science sector, a growth of 3.1 per cent over the previous five years.

Nick Fenton, CEO, Locate in Kent, said: “The arrival of Asymchem is fantastic news both in terms of bringing more overseas investment into the region and retaining the talent base at Discovery Park that has shaped Kent’s reputation as a leading UK centre for science research for more than 60 years.

“Kent’s life sciences sector has created some of the most revolutionary and world-renowned medicines in existence and continues to innovate and discover for tomorrow’s world – this announcement is an exciting new chapter for that story.

“This will be the first manufacturing base in Europe for China’s Asymchem Laboratories, and a vote of confidence in a growing life science cluster that already supports more than 65,000 jobs across Kent and Medway.”

Asymchem’s arrival at Discovery Park is the latest good news for this thriving 220-acre science campus site, which remains on course to achieve its ambition to go from one of the leading UK and European science parks to a world-leading cluster for science and innovation over the next five years.

This year has also seen Discovery Park link up with Canterbury Christ Church University to open Co-Lab, a new shared lab facility for early stage life science businesses. That focus on supporting the next generation of science leaders has included championing pioneering research in FemTech and Women’s Health.

That success is mirrored at Kent Science Park in Sittingbourne, now part of the 10-strong Pioneer Science Park network, Europe’s leading vertically integrated platform curating interlinked innovation-focused ecosystems focused on accelerating the potential or scaling up the growth of some of the UK’s most exciting new science businesses.

The Ventures Building is the latest investment at this well-connected location with 14,000 sq. ft of space for life science start-ups and scale ups specialising in agri-tech, biotech and biopharma businesses.  It has attracted interest from tech and research firms who previously may have preferred Oxford and Cambridge but are now looking elsewhere.

Maidstone Innovation Centre at Kent Medical Campus, located off junction 7 of the M20 is the latest addition to Kent’s life science cluster, focused on businesses operating in the med-tech, life science and healthcare sectors. Companies building their success here include PharmaEthical, Michelson Diagnostics and XT Biomed.