Britest, a pioneering company from The University of Manchester, is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter century of supporting industry to design safer, more efficient and more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Founded in 2001, Britest emerged from a collaborative research programme involving chemical engineers at UMIST, Imperial College London and the University of Leeds. The initiative developed new tools and methodologies to improve process understanding and optimise manufacturing in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Since becoming an independent not-for-profit company, Britest has grown into an internationally recognised specialist in process understanding and whole process design. The organisation provides technical facilitation, consultancy and training to companies across the chemicals, materials, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Today, Britest works with varied clients and member organisations including AstraZeneca, Johnson Matthey, Pfizer, Quotient Sciences, Robinson Brothers and Sterling Pharma Solutions. Through its unique tools and facilitated technical studies, the company helps teams translate process knowledge into practical economic and environmental value.
Alongside its work with industry, Britest plays an important role in major UK and international collaborative research projects focused on sustainable manufacturing and innovation in pharmaceutical production.
Dr Kirk Malone, Chief Executive Officer of Britest, said: “Reaching our 25th anniversary is a significant milestone for Britest. What began as a collaborative academic project has grown into a global network focused on improving process understanding and enabling more sustainable manufacturing. We are grateful to our members, partners and colleagues who have helped shape the Britest approach over the past 25 years, and we look forward to building on this work in the future.”
Dr Nic Gowland, Director of Portfolio at University of Manchester Innovation Factory, said: “Britest is a great example of how research from The University of Manchester can translate into long term impact for industry. Over the past 25 years the company has built an impressive reputation for helping organisations improve process design, safety and sustainability.
“The Innovation Factory has curated an impressive portfolio of more than 100 spinout companies, formed using IP from The University of Manchester, and we are happy to see Britest still thriving after a quarter century of activity. Congratulations to the entire Britest team on this important milestone.”
As Britest enters its next chapter, the company remains committed to advancing their tools and methodologies that underpin better process understanding and sustainable manufacturing, while building new partnerships that open fresh opportunities across global industries.
Find out more about Britest and their work at: https://www.britest.co.uk
