Minister joins Nobel prize winner for opening of hi tech Dundee facility

Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace joined Nobel Prize winner Edmond Fischer at a ceremony in Dundee to officially open a new European HQ and manufacturing facility for a leading US life sciences company.

Virginia-based Upstate, which also previously had operations in the south of England, has consolidated all its European operations into a purpose built European HQ based at the Technology Park, Dundee, which now employs 75 staff. This is expected to rise to 100 by the end of the year.

Steve Davies, general manager of the Dundee plant said: 'The technology Upstate uses in its products is largely based on the pioneering work of Ed Fischer who, along with Ed Krebs, was awarded a Nobel Prize for his discoveries, so it is especially exciting for us that Professor Fischer has been able to join us and the Minister today to open this new facility.'

Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace said: 'Upstate's decision last year to consolidate its UK operations into Dundee, with a commitment to expand the workforce to nearly 100 jobs, is a yet another significant step and a serious endorsement of what we can offer major life sciences companies across the world and follows hard on the heels of IMI's announcement last week to create 500 jobs in Stirling.

'The decision to expand operations at Dundee is a further success for the biotechnology sector on Tayside, which is faced with stiff competition from the mature biotechnology community in Cambridge, England. I am delighted that Mr Fischer is here today as it is a ringing endorsement of not only Upstate's work but also reflects the importance of the Scottish life sciences sector.

'It is important for us to not only seek out opportunities with new inward investors; it is also vital that we do everything in our power to support and grow companies, such as Upstate, who have already shown such a strong commitment to doing business in Scotland. I am pleased therefore that Upstate has been so ably supported by SE Tayside and Scottish Development International in making the expansion at Dundee such a success.'

Upstate, which was established in Dundee in 1999, was founded in 1994 by leading life sciences entrepreneur Mr Sherry Snyder who has a successful track record in creating high growth biotech start-up companies. Upstate's highly sophisticated processes are used to help pharmaceutical companies to design and validate compounds which may be developed into drugs to combat diseases such as cancer or diabetes.