Pfizer's Sandwich, Kent research site

Pfizer’s Sandwich site on market as ‘discovery park’

pharmafile | June 14, 2011 | News story | Research and Development Pfizer, Sandwich, UK pharma 

Pfizer has expanded its options for its main European research site, earmarked for closure in Feburary, and is now marketing it as a ‘discovery park’.

There were hopes the Sandwich, Kent site could become a new science park, but its latest sales brochure outlines how it could be used for retail outlets, housing or leisure facilities.

The closure will see around 2,400 people lose their jobs by 2013, but Pfizer’s real estate director John Westwood said that, while it could still have an R&D future, the company had broadened its search.

Westwood told the BBC: “The name ‘discovery park’ reflects our hope that the site will continue, in part at least, to be a centre for research and development. We anticipate that this campaign will help attract users to the site, and secure its future.”

Nick Compton, senior director at CBRE – the company marketing the site – said it was expected that the site would attract interest from a range of industries as well as the investment and development sectors.

Laura Sandys, South Thanet Conservative MP, told the BBC: “What we really want is a much more diversified group of companies on the site doing top-end research, science and technology.”

This is in keeping with the government’s wish, which earlier this year set up a ‘task force’ designed to help keep the site as a centre of innovation.

Their report into Sandwich suggested it could be transferred for use by CROs, but said this would only save a few hundred of the 2,400 jobs at the site. 

Ben Adams

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