16th December 2011

Chinese minister visits life sciences facility

THE UK and Wales’ business ministers have accompanied a Chinese minister on a visit to a life sciences facility in Cardiff.

Vince Cable and Edwina Hart joined China International trade representative Gao Hucheng as he toured GE Healthcare’s Maynard Centre.

The visit was part of the 10th UK-China Joint Economic & Trade Commission talks taking place in Cardiff this week.

The centre, which employs around 450 staff, is a key research and manufacturing facility for GE Healthcare’s Life Sciences business and a leading provider of technologies for biomedical research, drug discovery and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The Cell Technologies division of GE Healthcare Life Sciences, which is based at The Maynard Centre, is focused on bringing innovative technologies to cell biology researchers worldwide. It is also developing new technologies to help advance the rapidly emerging era of regenerative medicine.

During their visit, Dr Cable, Mr Gao and Mrs Hart met with GE Healthcare scientists who are developing technologies and products that are used in the discovery of new drugs. Mr Cable said: “GE Healthcare reflects the UK’s strengths. It conducts world-leading research that helps create and sustain high-value jobs and successfully commercialises that research to develop products for markets in China.

Nick Main, site director for The Maynard Centre added: “Our research here is developing new ways to cut the cost of developing new drugs and to enable the new and rapidly developing field of regenerative medicine. These are important issues for us here in Wales, in China and for everyone worldwide.”

Mrs Hart said: “As one of our anchor companies, GE Healthcare is a strategically important and highly innovative business working at the cutting edge of research and development in one of our key economic sectors in Wales.

“The visit will help showcase the potentials of the dynamic life sciences sector in Wales to our Chinese visitors and hopefully open up new trade opportunities for Welsh firms.

“Companies like GE Healthcare illustrate the high levels of skills and capabilities we possess in the life sciences sector in Wales and the contribution that companies in Wales are making to improving healthcare worldwide.”