BSP Consulting has had an ongoing involvement with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus for more than 20 years. One of the more recent schemes to be brought forward at the campus is now open.
The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) at Harwell Campus near Oxford was officially opened by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Wes Streeting. It provides a pioneering science, engineering and innovation space and will be Moderna’s new state-of-the-art research, development and manufacturing UK base.
On the opening Moderna commented: “The facility marks a cornerstone of Moderna’s ten-year strategic partnership with the UK Government, managed by the UK Health Security Agency, designed to strengthen health resilience and drive economic growth.”
The MITC, now fully operational, will produce British-made mRNA respiratory vaccines for the UK public to support NHS seasonal vaccination programmes. Beyond respiratory diseases, the MITC will also support research into the potential of mRNA science in areas such as cancer, rare diseases and immune disorders.
On behalf of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Limited, BSP provided transport planning services and undertook Transport Assessment and Travel Plan work for the scheme.
The BSP team worked closely with Oxfordshire County Council and National Highways on the traffic modelling work (using a PARAMICS model) to agree the appropriate level of mitigation for the scheme, which included both highway improvements and also improvements to sustainable transport options.
Director Mark Rayers, from BSP’s traffic and transportation division, said: “Having had an association with various developments at Harwell for more than 20 years, it’s fantastic that this scheme is now open and fully operational. It’s exciting to see this new cutting-edge facility at the forefront of life sciences and engineering innovation come to fruition.”
The MITC is part of a global network of advanced manufacturing hubs, alongside facilities in Australia and Canada, that collectively strengthen pandemic readiness by maximising geographic coverage and minimising response times.
Carter Jonas acted as the planning consultants and Scott Brownrigg were the architects. It is the most recent scheme at Harwell that BSP Consulting has supported with transport planning expertise.
For more information about BSP Consulting’s transport planning services, visit https://bsp-consulting.co.uk/services/#transportation.
