Novartis Investigate Science Park for Horsham Site Future
Following the announcement earlier this year that Novartis would be closing their Horsham site, the pharmaceutical company have confirmed that they have hired PharmaVentures to investigate future options for the site.
PharmaVentures has been appointed to provide advice on the feasibility of reusing the site for either a business or science park, and to help Novartis identify potential partners. The current car park at the Horsham site is being sold to the developer, Linden Homes.
Novartis noted that they are “committed to exploring options for the future of the site,” with the aim to create “a legacy with the possibility of some highly skilled jobs for the area in the future.”
Chief executive of PharmaVentures, Fintan Walton, commented that “with such high quality facilities, we expect interest from both universities and research institutes.” Walton added that the site at Horsham would also be ideal as a business park, as it is an attractive location with “its strong international links through Gatwick airport and its proximity to London.”
Novartis also noted that they will continue to employ over 2,500 people and be “a major inward investor to the UK,” with manufacturing sites at Grimsby, Liverpool and Dundee, alongside commercial offices in Surrey, and a team at Sittingbourne, Kent, developing patient diagnostic testing products.
The confirmation that Novartis are investigating the possibility of their Horsham site becoming a science park comes days after Boris Johnson unveiled the new MedCity initiative.