Biotech and pharmaceutical

End-to-end customised solutions

With more than 50 years’ industry experience, WSP provides in-depth knowledge, specialist expertise and proven capabilities to clients across the biotech and pharmaceutical supply chain. 

We add value at all stages of a project’s life cycle through service offerings that include research and pre-project analysis, concept design, site masterplanning, detailed engineering through to Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management, and Validation (EPCMV) and commercial realisation, all the while meeting stringent legislative regulations. 

Alongside our substantial engineering support capabilities, our teams also provide detailed support in the management of environmental, health, safety, sustainability and energy requirements. We offer an extensive suite of services from strategic support to meet sustainability challenges, planning support for new developments, as well as assistance in meeting the full range of safety and environmental requirements, including process safety, design safety review, major accident hazard management, and emissions control and permitting. 

Whether streamlining automation processes for pandemic preparedness, developing a concept study and capital investment plan for a complex multiproduct plant or refurbishing existing facilities without disrupting ongoing operations, our rigorous yet flexible approach has earned the trust of multinationals such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca as well as local clients while yielding numerous project successes and awards.

From procurement to production

Our extensive portfolio of projects has encompassed design, engineering, project management, construction, and consultancy for:

• Research and development facilities
• Laboratories
• High-level containment laboratories
• Production and packaging facilities
• Formulation and dosage facilities 
• Warehousing and logistics
• Infrastructure and support facilities
• Flexible facilities
• Medical devices
• Process intensification, process modelling, and facility improvements

Strategic and front-end consulting solutions to meet operational and manufacturing needs

We offer technical expertise and timely and sustainable solutions to help our clients address concerns with compliance, operating costs and capital investments, asset location and manufacturing efficiency, and facility and equipment readiness to meet future business and production requirements. We can provide strategic advice on upgrading and redeveloping existing facilities to acquiring sites in new geographical regions, conducting full life cycle cost analysis as well as insightful analysis on rapidly-changing technologies that are driving drug development and lean manufacturing operations.

Our robust business process enables us to assist clients to shortlist, analyze and appraise options, assessing both non-financial benefits and risks.

Review and selection of equipment and technology for bulk and secondary manufacturing plants, R&D, warehouse and infrastructure support facilities

With scientific change and the evolution of new diseases and medical treatments, pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients frequently require facilities with well-designed, contained material follow, volume/capacity and production flexibility, transferrable analytical technologies, good manufacturing practices, all the while meeting stringent health and safety regulations. 

We have extensive expertise in the design, engineering and construction management of bio/pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, research and development centres, clean rooms, specialized laboratories and controlled environments (including the highest containment levels and biological safety levels), as well as the design and specification of equipment, integration of new process equipment and modifications to existing systems, without disrupting ongoing production activities.

Commissioning, qualification and validation Services to ensure compliance 

We work with clients at start-up to ensure facilities are compliant with GMP and regulatory agency requirements, and through our qualification and validation services use advanced risk-based approaches and tools to authenticate and ensure that everything - processes, utilities, manufacturing equipment, ventilation systems and temperatures, humidity, airflows, water quality and supply chain, among others - performs smoothly and meets client specifications. 

Health, safety, environment and quality management

Our team also provides detailed support for environmental, health, safety, sustainability, and energy requirements management. As no two clients are alike, neither are their projects.  We offer an extensive suite of services from strategic support to meet sustainability challenges, planning support for new facility and manufacturing developments, as well as assistance in meeting the full range of safety and environmental requirements, including process safety, design safety review, major accident hazard management, and emissions control and permitting.

WSP also has a group of top tier international experts who support clients in the pharmaceutical and biotech supply chain with product stewardship and product safety requirements, including REACH chemicals policy and hazard classifications.

• Safety design reviews

• Hazard studies including HAZOP

• Hazard analysis (HAZAN)

• SWIFT and What-If studies

• CHAZOPs

• SIL (safety integrity level) analysis

• Hazardous area classification and DSEAR studies