UVU Bio sets stage for bioeconomy advancement in CT with new skills centre

From left: Dr Martyna Scibiorek (UVU Bio Skills Development Manager), Dr Bradley Cerff (UVU Bio Chief Operations Officer), Dheepak Maharajh (UVU Bio Chief Executive Officer), Dr Anesu Moyo (Laboratory Manager Cape Town, UVU Bio), Ashley Minnaar (UVU Bio Board Member), Raven Naidoo (UVU Bio Board Member).

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UVU Bio, dedicated to stimulating the bioeconomy in Africa through innovative solutions, business acceleration and skills development, celebrated the successful launch of its Bioeconomy Skills Centre in Woodstock, Cape Town, on 22 May. The event marked a significant milestone in advancing bioprocessing capabilities across the continent.

"The Bioeconomy Skills Centre embodies UVU Bio's ongoing commitment to meeting the growing demand for biotechnology skills in Africa," said Dheepak Maharajh, CEO of UVU Bio. "As we celebrate our fifth year of operation, and with two successful bioprocessing cohorts already trained, encompassing over 80 individuals, this centre represents a natural progression of our efforts to scale our capacity-building initiatives. We are poised to make a significant impact on the bioeconomy sector.”

The centre's establishment aligns with the Pan African Vaccine Manufacturing Strategy, focusing on developing expertise critical for vaccine manufacturing. UVU Bio's upcoming Introduction to Biotechnology and Bioprocessing Cohort will prioritise vaccine manufacturing skills, further enhancing Africa's capabilities in this vital area.

The UVU Bio Bioeconomy Skills Centre will welcome students into the facility in June.

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This cohort is part of an ongoing partnership with GIZ South Africa in support of their project Vaccines for Africa: Roll-out and production in South Africa (SAVax), which ensures access to vaccines for all persons living in South Africa and strengthens local vaccine manufacturing and vaccine distribution.

Located near UVU Bio's open access biotech lab in Woodstock, the Bioeconomy Skills Centre now stands as a hub for specialised training in bioprocessing. UVU Bio operates Africa's first and currently only open access biotech lab in Cape Town, with development currently under way for a similar lab in Rwanda. This milestone underscores UVU Bio's leadership in fostering accessible biotechnology facilities and ecosystem development to promote growth in the bioeconomy across the continent.

The Bioeconomy Skills Centre, based in Woodstock, has been launched to meet the growing demand for biotechnology skills in Africa.

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We celebrate this significant milestone with great pride, marking a landmark moment in UVU Bio's journey," says Ian Merrington, UVU Africa Group CEO and Chairperson of UVU Bio Board. "From the outset, UVU Bio recognised the pivotal role of partnerships in fostering a thriving bioeconomy ecosystem in Africa. Our journey has been guided by the realisation that meaningful collaborations are essential for shaping the intricate ecosystem that supports biotechnology innovation. UVU Bio’s partnership with GIZ now extends from Kigali to Cape Town. I am excited about the continued impact we will achieve through our collective efforts.”

UVU Bio invites stakeholders and media representatives to the state-of-the-art Bioeconomy Skills Centre with opportunities for interviews with the CEO and graduates available on request.