St Helens Borough to Host National Life Science Conference

Article date: 13 June 2025

This announcement is the latest in several developments positioning the Borough as a growing hub for life sciences. Central to this is the Life Science Innovation Zone in St Helens, which is already home to leading innovation companies including SINA Medical, Glass Futures and Inovus Medical HQ. It is also the site of Project Halo, which will deliver four 'Tech Box' units that have been specifically designed to provide state-of-the-art office and advanced R&D laboratory and production spaces suitable for Life Science industries.

Bringing together leading experts in academia, pharma and biotech, the symposium is expected to attract around 50 delegates to the World of Glass Museum. The museum re-opened in 2023 following a £1million transformation that included new conference space, as part of the St Helens Town Deal, provides an ideal setting that highlights the Borough's rich heritage and its future ambitions.

Peptides are used in a variety of fields including medical and cosmetic and can offer more targeted treatment than traditional medication. The symposium is an opportunity to share the latest research and innovations from peptide discovery, chemistry manufacturing and controls (CMC), and novel synthetic strategies.

Cllr Kate Groucutt, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business and Inclusive Growth said:

"St Helens Borough has a long history of innovation and attracting prestigious conferences, like the UK Peptide Symposium, highlights the strength of the life science sector that we have here. Our ongoing regeneration efforts are centred on providing world class facilities such as The World of Glass Museum and transformational developments such as Project Halo. These initiatives will help to attract more international conferences and investment in the borough. Additionally, the town centre regeneration project, which will see high quality development including a 120-bedroom hotel, will further enhance our position as a leading business and visitor destination."

Iain Pritchard, Site Manager UK, Bachem said:

"Peptides are one of the fastest growing modalities in the pharmaceutical world due to their recent development for the treatments of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. There is a history of over 40 years of peptide manufacturing in St Helens and by choosing to host this symposium here, we are able to shine a light on our Centre of Excellence for the manufacture of peptides for use in research and medical diagnostics that is located in this historic town."

The UK Peptide Symposium will take place on Friday 27 June and is by invitation only.