Japanese-owned Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), a molecular genetics business, is expanding its Cytocell® operations in Cambridge with a move to a new facility at the Science Park.
And parent company Sysmex Corp is considering creating a global R & D hothouse at the new Cambridge hub to evaluate new technologies and pursue collaborations with key opinion leaders, resulting in delivery of innovative new products to the market.
Cytocell, OGT’s fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) probe brand, will be moving into the significantly larger facility on the Science Park due to expansion of the organisation, current sales volumes and predicted sales growth. It is currently based at Cambridge Technopark.
Investment in expanding Cytocell’s operational footprint is seen as a massive show of faith by Kobe-based parent company Sysmex Corp. in the UK and particularly the Cambridge life science cluster.
A spokesperson for OGT told Business Weekly that a rise in headcount seemed assured with the new premises move: “The current number of employees is 52, but a year ago it was 47 and we expect this growth to continue in line with the successful growth of our business.”
OGT’s Cytocell brand provides what is acknowledged as the largest range of high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective FISH probes on the market.
Over recent months, OGT has been expanding the direct sales of Cytocell products in Europe and Asia.
Staff numbers across the organisation are increasing and a larger space is needed for manufacturing and logistics facilities to match the increased volume of product manufacture and shipment.
The new facility will have approximately three times the floor space of the current premises and capabilities to deliver a significant increase in output as the business continues to grow.
OGT also plans to create a training and demonstration facility in the new premises to host its customers.
John Anson, CEO of OGT said: “We’re delighted to announce the investment in, and expansion of, our Cytocell operations by Sysmex. Sysmex is committed to growing our business and aligning our commercial synergies.
“In addition, Sysmex is demonstrating its confidence in the UK’s strong traditional base in the life sciences. Our ever-growing co-operation with Sysmex delivers the benefits of being part of a larger organisation to our customers, providing them with enhanced services and support.”
Kenji Tsujimoto, executive VP of Technology Strategy at Sysmex Corp. said: “Our acquisition of OGT has been, and continues to be, extremely successful. We are very much aligned in our goals and our synergies make for an excellent collaboration.
“This significant investment in the company is testament to our confidence and desire to further develop OGT’s brands alongside our portfolios.”
OGT anticipates the new facility to be fully operational by May, 2019.