As part of efforts to enhance its national testing capacity, global diagnostics company Randox has announced an investment of £30million in a new specialised COVID-19 testing lab and the creation of 200 jobs.
The healthcare firm, which is currently conducting COVID-19 tests as part of the national testing programme, announced its investment in the new facilities based at the Randox Science Park in Antrim, Northern Ireland, during a visit by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE.
The specialised laboratory, the development of which was fast-tracked over the space of four weeks, is the first step in a wider diagnostics investment programme from Randox.
Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, Dr Peter FitzGerald commented: “The national testing programme, as a collaborative effort by government and various partners within industry, has increased testing capacity at an unparalleled speed – by installing a network of drive-through testing centres, introducing home testing kits, and now, opening this specialised lab at the Randox Science Park in Northern Ireland.
“An incredible amount of work has gone into making this cutting-edge testing facility a reality in a relatively short space of time, as we know that effective testing is the most effective way to both save lives and promote a timely return to a more normal society.”
The opening of the new laboratory at the Randox Science Park follows the company’s announcement that it is recruiting new staff across Science, Engineering and Manufacturing in support of its role within the national testing programme.
The 200 new positions will be involved in the testing of potential COVID-19 samples, as well as the construction of 200 new state-of-the-art diagnostic analysers which will significantly increase Randox’s capacity for COVID-19 testing.
Dr FitzGerald continued: “Now that we have in place the infrastructure and laboratory space required to enhance our testing capacity, we look forward to implementing the next step in our COVID-19 investment programme.
“By accelerating the build schedule for new specialised equipment, and hiring 200 associated workers across Science, Engineering and Manufacturing we will further enhance the government’s national testing scheme, as well as facilitate testing more broadly across the general populace.”
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