AI-based construction system delivers major vaccine factory in eight months

The 10,300-sq-m, steel-clad facility was completed after an eight-month construction schedule. It will contain 52 single-use bioreactors able to produce more than 100,000 litres of vaccine a year.

The company said it was able to build the centre in such a short time by using a proprietary construction system developed by its subsidiary, Prestige Biologics. This is a “contract development and manufacturing company”, or CDMO, which undertakes manufacturing projects on behalf of drug companies.

Biologics used its “Alita Smart BioFactory” system, which employs AI-based systems to minimise human errors during the construction process. The company says Alita enables it to create manufacturing suites that are tailored to the particular kind of vaccine being produced.

PBP is focusing on making two Covid-19 vaccines developed in Russia, Sputnik V and Sputnik Light. PBP says it will be able to produce around 2.6 billion Sputnik doses a year.

In the future, the centre will also manufacture other types, including mRNA systems. The company ultimately aims to develop its own vaccine types to combat future pandemics.

Lisa Park, PBP’s chief executive, commented in a press statement: “We are very pleased to complete the Prestige Biopharma Vaccine Centre as planned this year with our group’s unique and unmatched engineering technology. This Vaccine Centre will be playing a significant role in our fight against Covid-19 and possible future pandemics”.

The opening ceremony, attended by Yun-cheol Koo, Korea’s minister for government policy coordination.

Osong is located between Cheongju and Sejong cities in the west of the country. It is a centre of South Korea’s life sciences industry, and contains a “BioValley” science and manufacturing centre.

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