Glaxo SmithKline to Invest in Scottish Plant expansion

Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) has announced plans to invest £25 million in expanding its active ingredient formulating plant at Montrose, Scotland. The UK drug maker said it would locate production of four unspecified new entities at the site, where it is receiving more than £3 million in financial support from the local government of Angus and the business development agency Scottish Enterprise.

The company's latest investment in Scotland is in addition to the £100 million it previously announced it was spending at Montrose and at Irvine, Scotland, where it produces antibiotics. The two investments together will bring GSK's headcount in Scotland to around 750.

In related news, Scottish Enterprise has announced a new drive to promote industrial biotechnology in the country, aimed at increasing turnover from £189 million currently to £900 million by 2025. The global market is currently worth around £360 billion, according to estimates.

The agency said it planned to encourage more sustainable manufacturing processes, building on "existing strengths." Some 40 industrial biotechnology companies already have established a foothold in Scotland.