FuturePharma Facility Launched in Pretoria
President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched the advanced FuturePHARMA facility at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research campus today, marking a major milestone in South Africa's journey toward health sovereignty.
The new facility addresses the critical lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening local scientific, technological, and manufacturing capabilities.
Operating as a shared resource, the facility bridges the vital gap between laboratory research and commercial manufacturing for emerging enterprises.
“The experience of the past taught us many lessons, chiefly that developing economy countries need to strengthen local scientific, technological and manufacturing capabilities if they are to safeguard the health of their people,” Ramaphosa stated during the launch.
Individual researchers, universities, and emerging companies often find specialised pharmaceutical development platforms too costly to establish on their own.
By providing shared infrastructure and expert resources, the institution accelerates technology transfer and streamlines regulatory pathways.
“The facility provides specialised infrastructure and expertise for pharmaceutical process development, scale-up and technology transfer,” Ramaphosa noted.
Cross-sector partnerships spanning government departments, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders remain essential for driving industrial localisation and economic growth.
Regional partnerships across the African continent will further benefit as South Africa shares its robust research institutions and manufacturing capacity.
“South Africa stands ready to use its strong research institutions, universities, regulatory capabilities and pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity to contribute to regional value chains and partnerships across Africa,” Ramaphosa affirmed.
Ultimately, the initiative aims to transform local knowledge into tangible products that create lasting social, industrial, and economic value nationwide. - The Gauteng Times
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