ChemPartner, a Shanghai-based company founded in 2002, works with the biopharmaceutical industry to help bring life-changing drugs to market efficiently and rapidly.

The new facility at Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, has been developed in collaboration with the University and provides ChemPartner with access to cutting-edge laboratory facilities on-site. The lab will focus on preclinical and translational research, helping to turn early-stage scientific discoveries into potential treatments. It will support drug discovery through early-stage in vitro screening, aiming to accelerate the journey from laboratory bench to patient bedside.

“We’re delighted to officially welcome ChemPartner to our Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab at Discovery Park,” said Dr Cornelia Wilson, Academic Laboratory Director (Life Sciences) at Canterbury Christ Church University. “We have already begun exciting research together, including early-stage discovery studies, and we look forward to collaborating on many more innovative projects in the future.

“There is a strong synergy between our work and ChemPartner’s, and this collaboration will strengthen knowledge transfer between industry and academia. It also offers a fantastic opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience of working with a leading global biopharmaceutical company, opening doors to potential career opportunities.”

Toby Lucas-Smith, the University’s Head of Development, Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services, added: “Our collaboration with ChemPartner is another important milestone for the growth and development of our Industry Liaison Lab at Discovery Park.

“It also highlights Kent as a growing hub for innovation, combining global expertise with local academic support to drive scientific breakthroughs aimed at solving real-world problems.”

The new facility marks ChemPartner's broader UK and EU expansion, complementing the recent establishment of a research and development centre of excellence in Boston, US, alongside the company's established European administrative operations in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Yinfei Yin, Senior Vice President of Biology, BD and Marketing at ChemPartner, said: “Establishing our presence at Discovery Park reflects ChemPartner's commitment to bringing high-quality science closer to our clients.

“This site enhances our ability to deliver responsive, integrated support across Europe, and we are excited to scale these capabilities alongside our partners.”

University supports global drug development company to open its first European research hub in Kent