Advancing Our Gene Therapy Journey

I am thrilled to share the latest progress on our groundbreaking gene therapy facility in Braine-l'Alleud, Wallonia, Belgium. The exterior of the facility is now complete, and we are currently moving forward with the “Fit Out” activities. The first equipment is delivered and already in place. This marks a significant milestone in our journey towards revolutionizing disease treatment through advanced gene therapy.

Why is this project important? For UCB, it means opening new opportunities to discover and develop cures for the people we serve. For me, it's deeply personal. People living with severe diseases are at the heart of everything we do, and every morning, I’m motivated by the thought that this facility could one day help my loved ones.

Beyond the personal and corporate impact, this state-of-the-art facility, representing a substantial investment in Belgium, is designed to be both innovative and environmentally sustainable. It will significantly enhance our development and manufacturing capabilities, reinforcing our existing teams in Braine-l’Alleud (Belgium), Leuven (Belgium), Boston (USA), and Durham (UK).

Our new facility will allow us to have complete ownership of our chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) capabilities. This will enable us to be more agile in responding to new trends and opportunities, and more scalable to meet the unmet needs of patients. The efficient clinical manufacturing capability will ensure we maintain high standards of speed, scalability, and quality as we bring our gene therapy research projects to patients.

Building Gene Therapy Skills

In addition to the physical construction of the facility, we are also committed to developing our skills and expertise in gene therapy and more largely bio-related fields. This field offers a wealth of opportunities for both current employees and new hires. We are excited to announce that the novel facility will create over 100 new, highly skilled jobs. We are actively seeking talented, inspired, and passionate individuals who are eager to join us in improving lives through innovative therapies.

If you have a passion for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and making a real difference in patients' lives, we invite you to join our dynamic team. Exciting positions and unique opportunities await you at our cutting-edge facility.

Join Us on This Exciting Journey

The completion of this facility will expand UCB's innovation footprint, which includes sites in Belgium, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, the US, and the UK. It will support our ambition for carbon neutrality by implementing the latest technologies and achieving BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method certification), aiming to drastically reduce both resource consumption and waste production.

I look forward to the exciting advancements and innovations this new facility will bring. Together, we can transform the future of disease treatment and make a lasting impact on patients' lives. For more details, please visit our career page.

Join our team