Advancing biologics manufacturing in Ireland to deliver medicines faster worldwide

To meet growing worldwide demand for biologic drugs, WuXi Biologics selected Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland to build a drug substance manufacturing facility.

The ‘facility of the future’ comprises a 26-hectare biomanufacturing facility that incorporates leading-edge technology optimized for the flexible production of diverse drugs for WuXi Biologics’ global customer base. This extremely complex project required an efficient, fully integrated design delivery process that leveraged specialist expertise to deliver the facility within a fast-track schedule while maintaining exemplary quality and safety.

Jacobs was selected to provide construction management services to support the development of the facility. Construction started on the project started in April 2019 and was completed in July 2021, utilizing an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. Together, the IPD model and BeyondZero® approach enabled the project team to work seamlessly to deliver this innovative facility while achieving outstanding safety results, as well as gains in employee satisfaction, quality, productivity, efficiency, cost and schedule performance.

The facility is now in final stage qualification to deliver lifesaving drugs to patients. The project won the Industrial (over €10m) Category of the 2023 Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards.

Solutions included software platforms, offsite fabrication and archaeological experts

WuXi Biologics’ state of the art biopharmaceutical plant in Dundalk, Ireland is one of the largest single-use bioreactors-based facilities in Europe. Notably, it is also WuXi Biologics’ first greenfield biopharmaceutical facility outside China.

The challenge

This extremely complex project required an efficient, fully integrated design delivery process that leveraged specialist expertise to deliver the facility within a fast-track schedule while maintaining exemplary quality and safety.

In addition, the project faced major non-construction challenges, most notably:

1. Archaeology: The site was located in an area of known Neolithic and bronze age archaeology subject to investigation and clearance. The challenge was to commence construction as planned while completing a full archaeological survey.
2. COVID-19: The pandemic presented a major challenge as the project was approximately 25% completed in March 2020.

The solution

At the outset, the project team analyzed the scope and schedule to formulate a contracting strategy and equipment procurement plan aligned with best achievable design release dates for procurement and construction.

This approach enabled the early selection of specialist contracting partners, all of which had an established track record in the biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland, with capacity for immediate integration to the design process.

Leveraging their design, contracting, procurement and pre-construction skills, the project team then developed an overall project execution plan with the contractors.

The design teams, who were spread across many design and contracting organizations and geographic locations, utilized the latest engineering software such as Revit, P3D Navisworks, Bluebeam and MST for efficient collaboration.

For the construction phase, the project leveraged offsite fabrication. Complex process equipment, piping, electrical and instrumentation works were pre-assembled and tested in specialist manufacturing facilities in Fermoy, Ireland and Springfield, Missouri U.S. This work took place in parallel with site construction, with the completed fabrication delivered to site in a fully integrated turn-key manner.

This method enhanced safety and quality and helped deliver on the tight construction schedule.

As for the non-construction challenges:

1. Archaeology: The project team liaised closely with WuXi Biologics’ archaeology specialist to ensure that the investigation/clearance of the site was completed ahead of construction, while respecting and embracing the historic significance of the task. Over 60 archaeologists investigated and cleared the site of archaeology finds.
2. COVID-19: With over 2,000 personnel on the project, our primary focus was to keep people safe. Drawing on our BeyondZero® approach to health, safety and wellbeing, the project team together with the contractors, WuXi Biologics and government bodies introduced a robust, embedded and nimble safety program comprising a range of solutions and digital tools to address the challenges posed by COVID-19 while ensuring the project continued to progress.

Together, the IPD model and BeyondZero® approach enabled the project team to work seamlessly to deliver this innovative facility while achieving outstanding safety results, as well as gains in employee satisfaction, quality, productivity, efficiency, cost and schedule performance.

In the media

ISPE: 2023 Category Winner for Operations - WuXi Biologics Ireland Limited

ISPE: 2023 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards Finalists Announced

Irish Construction Awards: Congratulations to the ICE Awards 2023 Finalists

WuXi Biologics: Introducing WuXi Biologics Ireland