Written question WQ88564
- Asked by
- Russell GeorgeConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What engagement has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government around its partnership with Moderna to potentially invest in an mRNA facility in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Health and Social Services
The Minister for Economy met with Moderna’s UK General Manager in July 2022 to discuss a potential investment in Wales; however, despite follow up by officials, there was no further engagement from Moderna on this matter. Moderna has since announced it will be building a vaccine manufacturing facility at Harwell, near Oxford. Therefore, there are no immediate opportunities to be pursued with Moderna at this time for a site in Wales.
However, opportunities for the Welsh Government to work with Moderna do lie elsewhere. Following the announcement of a 10-year strategic partnership with the UK government, Moderna will be investing in its R&D activities and capabilities. This will include running a significant number of clinical trials in the UK across the breadth of its research portfolio, including cancer, respiratory viruses and heart disease. My officials are working with the UK Government to ensure representation from Wales is on each of the boards, groups, subgroups and fora that have been established through this work.