International chemicals leader Croda expands presence at Techspace One

Croda International Plc, the company that uses smart science to create high performance ingredients and technologies that improve lives, has expanded its presence at Sci-Tech Daresbury in line with plans to scale up its biotechnology capability.

Croda initially moved to Sci-Tech Daresbury at the start of 2020, with the company setting up a laboratory that saw the company relocate its Biotechnology Research & Development (R&D) specialists previously based at Croda’s nearby manufacturing site in Ditton, Widnes, to the Techspace One building within the campus.

The move significantly increased Croda’s biotechnology laboratory footprint in the UK, providing a dedicated facility to further develop initiatives in biotechnology and giving rise to future generations of sustainable products.

Now, Croda has expanded the size of its laboratory within Techspace One in order to enable the company to further develop its supply chain capabilities across its biotechnology specialist laboratories. The increased space will enable Croda to further its work in innovation and sustainability, as well as helping the business deliver its purpose of using Smart science to improve lives™.

Timothy Miller, research and development manager at Croda’s biotechnology laboratory said: “We are delighted to have expanded our laboratories at Techspace One. Growing biotechnology within Croda is one of our key strategic objectives and this expansion will enable us to further develop novel and sustainable ingredients for our customers, as well as enhancing collaboration with colleagues at our other biotechnology centres within Croda.”

John Downes, group chief executive of Langtree and chair of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture company, said: “Croda’s decision to base its UK biotechnology laboratory to Techspace One was a significant moment for our campus, reflecting that Sci-Tech Daresbury is the perfect base for world leading companies. It is another example of the exciting growth and expansion we are seeing in our cluster of laboratory-based businesses on the campus.

“That Croda is expanding its presence on site after less than two years with us is testament to the vibrant eco-system we’ve built at Sci-Tech Daresbury. It enables both larger businesses, such as Croda, and smaller high-tech SMEs to collaborate and tap into the expertise and facilities of the internationally-recognised research organisations that are based here, like STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory. We look forward to working closely with Croda’s world-beating team to help the company continue to break new ground.”