Thursday, 19 June 2025
A groundbreaking project to revolutionise pharmaceutical manufacturing has been awarded £1.8 million by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Reconfigurable, Robotic & Responsive Reactors for Processes through Intensified Development (R4PID), will be led by the University of Leeds in partnership with the 糖心原创. It aims to deliver transformative technologies that accelerate drug development and production while minimising environmental impact and manufacturing costs.
R4PID, which was co-created with AstraZeneca and ChemAI, will be led by at the University of Leeds, alongsideMichael George of the 糖心原创, supported by a dynamic team including , , and . It looks to address the most pressing challenges in pharmaceutical production, leveraging future technologies to tackle both new and emerging difficulties facing the industry.
R4PID will drive the development of technologies for the UK pharmaceutical sector to meet these evolving demands by enabling faster, more responsive production processes with sustainability at every stage, aligning itself with the UK’s transition to net zero, as well as the industry’s broader push towards digitalisation, automation, and smart factories.
The team’s integrated approach will combine AI-controlled reactors, state-of-the-art process monitoring, and machine learning to enable faster and more efficient process development. Through these strategies, the team aims to reduce material use and waste generation.
R4PID was unveiled alongside five other additional projects, which all focus on the evolution of manufacturing technologies and processes, that received nearly £7.5 million in EPSRC funding between them. Each has been co-created with industrial partners, with researchers focusing on increasing the sustainability of manufacturing processes – a noted area of academic strength in the UK.
We鈥檙e thrilled to drive forward smart technologies that not only accelerate pharmaceutical development but also hold real commercial potential. This project represents a major step toward smarter, more sustainable manufacturing that can be rapidly deployed across the industry.
This exciting new collaboration between Nottingham and Leeds allows us to significantly expand the capabilities of self-optimising flow systems by integrating novel Process Analytical Technologies. This will enable real-time decision-making and adaptive control, pushing the boundaries of what鈥檚 possible in pharmaceutical manufacturing
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More information is available from Professor Michael George on Michael.George@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.