Slough (UK), (21 January 2026) – UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of people with severe diseases, has today announced a capital boost from the Government’s Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), to support its ongoing investment in R&D in the UK. This joint capital investment of around £500 million extends the company’s partnership with government to deliver innovative research and development from its new UK research hub in Windlesham, Surrey.
Lord Vallance KCB FRS FMedSci FRCP HonFREng, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, will welcome the investment on a tour of UCB’s UK existing R&D facilities in Slough.
UCB’s UK campus is the company’s centre of excellence for biological research and development – four of its treatments currently available worldwide were discovered in the UK, with a further six antibodies discovered in the UK and developed by partners. And today’s announcement bolsters UCB’s 20-year legacy in antibody discovery and development in the UK supporting the company’s end-to-end drug development capabilities and enabling innovation in medicines manufacturing on its new Windlesham campus, due to open during 2027.
The LSIMF grant, subject to final agreement of terms and conditions, strengthens the country’s health resilience, securing capacity for end-to-end medicines development in the UK and enabling UCB to safeguard and grow the life sciences workforce by 2030. LSIMF is the UK Government’s fund of up to £520 million for life sciences manufacturing, to help deliver on the Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and build an NHS fit for the future.
Science and Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall said: “This landmark investment is further proof of the strength of the UK's life sciences sector. It paves the way for more cutting-edge medicines to be discovered, giving hope to patients living with diseases that cause misery.
“We are determined to support brilliant life sciences companies to continue to innovate and invest in the UK. That is why we have set aside up to £520 million through our Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund to unlock more investments like this one. When this part of the economy succeeds, it drives growth and sets us all up to live longer, healthier lives.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: “This is a vote of confidence in Britain’s world‑class life sciences sector that will support cutting‑edge research, create highly‑skilled jobs, and help drive the growth that keeps Britain competitive on the global stage.”
Alistair Henry, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, UCB, said: “We have a long history of medicines discovery and development in the UK and our state-of-the-art Windlesham campus represents UCB’s ongoing commitment to invest in innovative medicines.
“The LSIMF grant strengthens our collaboration with government to support the life sciences sector and we are delighted to be able to deliver a campus and scientific capability that not only cements drug discovery here but adds value to the country’s health resilience and opportunities for the life sciences workforce.”
Windlesham is just one of UCB’s worldwide investments in medicine development and manufacturing, representing a total investment of around £1 billion. Other investments include more than €1 billion expansion of its hub in Braine-l’Alleud, which includes a new research facility of more than €100 million and a $5 billion investment in a new, state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility in the United States, to complement key strategic research centres in the US.
The new campus in Windlesham reinforces UCB’s conviction in UK life sciences and its drive in developing innovative treatments for patients specifically with immunological conditions.
UCB typically reinvests around one quarter of its revenue into R&D per annum globally – 29% in 2024 – making the company one of the most research-intensive companies in Europe. With an extensive network of collaborations with UK universities, charities and other companies, UCB endeavours to further advance scientific research in the UK and deliver the solutions that patients need globally.
