£2m for innovation into new food ingredient manufacturing facility in Redcar

A new £2m investment by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority has been confirmed today (1 July) which will see a new food grade manufacturing facility developed in the region, creating and safeguarding dozens of jobs for local workers.

The funding will support and drive the UK National Food Strategy to further create alternative proteins and nutrients as part of the development in new and improved food ingredients.

CPI, based at the Wilton Centre in Redcar, is set to establish new cutting-edge bio-manufacturing laboratories, to food grade standard, which will support research into global demands for food and sustainability as well as environmental and animal welfare concerns which are currently driving emerging trends in food, feed and associated markets.

The new facilities are expected to bring an additional £4.2m from industry over the next five years by attracting new businesses to the region, whilst contributing over £12m to the local economy and supporting 50 new and safeguarded jobs and apprenticeships.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen added, “I’m delighted to have been able to provide funding for such an innovative and game-changing programme that once again firmly puts our region on the world map in biomanufacturing.

“Investment in the cleaner, safer and healthier technologies of the future is of paramount importance as our region lead’s the UKs ambition of being Net Zero by 2050.

“Funding of our research centres, labs and manufacturing space will help create high-quality, highly-skilled and well-paid jobs for people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool for years to come.”

Kris Wadrop, general manager at CPI, said, “this is another significant step forward for CPI and the Tees Valley to position the region as the centre of biomanufacturing in the UK. Using these new facilities CPI will support several companies from within the UK and overseas, helping to introduce real changes to our food system that will reduce its environmental footprint.

“It is our objective that some of these companies relocate to the Tees Valley, creating new jobs and prosperity for the local community.”

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