Dr Dave Tudor, previously Head of Manufacturing Strategy for GSK, has been appointed as Managing Director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC), a facility designed to offer solutions in small molecule and fine chemical manufacturing.
In his new role, Tudor will be responsible for delivering the business strategy for the MMIC. The centre is located at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Commenting on the appointment, Tudor said: “I’m excited to begin my role as Managing Director of the centre and to have the chance to create a transformative strategy for life science in the UK. My aim is to connect the industry and bring partners together to work in a non-competitive way."
He added: "What really motivates me is the idea that we can avoid waste, reduce costs and make these medicines more accessible and more affordable. Anything that can be done to transform the product and makes it cheaper has got to be a good thing."
Hi-tech centre
The MMIC is a collaboration between the UK's Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the University of Strathclyde, GSK and AstraZeneca.
While its premises are under construction, the staff of the centre will be based in the University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre Zone; dubbed the cornerstone of the Glasgow City Innovation District.
Currently, the MMIC is supported by a £13 million investment from UK Research and Innovation, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), along with £15 million from Scottish Enterprise and £7 million from both GSK and AstraZeneca.
Looking ahead, the aim is to attract over £80 million of R&D investment by 2028 and will create 80 high-value jobs by 2023.
Tudor will perform the role of Managing Director of the MMIC initially on secondment from GSK, before transferring fully to CPI in 2019.
Leadership experience
After completing a PhD in Chemistry from Glasgow University, Tudor joined SmithKline Beecham in 1992 and moved to GSK in 1997. He has held various management and leadership positions throughout his 27 years working in the pharmaceutical industry.
Since 2011, Tudor has served on the Board of Directors for Chemical Industry Association, the Chemical Growth Partnership, the Glasgow Economic Board and various UK Innovation Centres.
Over the past five years, Tudo has engaged with multiple international governments, working on projects that focus on life science strategy. He was appointed as Chair of Life Sciences Scotland in 2016 and updated its economic strategy, resulting in strong growth for the sector.
His most recent role as VP, Head of Supply Chain Strategy for GSK, involved representing the company on the Medicines Manufacturing Industrial Partnership. Here, he supported the development of the UK Life Sciences strategy and coordinated GSK’s manufacturing engagement with the UK, Scottish and Singaporean governments.
Tudor has been involved with the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre since its inception and will be using his role as Managing Director to investigate how the UK can drive more value from life science research and development.