Life sciences

A trusted partner for life sciences customers throughout the asset life cycle

Wood operates across the pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing sectors, where the ability to combine attention to detail and compliance with rigorous performance, safety and quality standards is paramount. We deliver services ranging from design, engineering and procurement, to construction management and start up, into operation and maintenance for manufacturing and packaging facilities worldwide.

We have extensive experience in the life sciences sector, including overseeing refurbishment projects for global chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers where the ability to deliver a spread of services through one project management team is the key to adding value in a high-quality, high-precision and extremely competitive manufacturing sector.

Wood supports a vast array of customers, including AstraZeneca, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Novartis, MSD, DSM, Aesica Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi and Bristol Myers Squibb.

We design, build and validate facilities for compliance with the code of Good Manufacturing Practice, providing project and design documentation tailored to suit pharmaceutical regulatory requirements, ensuring that compliance is maintained at all times.

Our experienced project managers and engineering technical specialists provide management and process technology solutions that consistently exceed all safety and quality objectives and have strong cost and schedule performance.

Wood’s approach to module design, inspection and logistics reduces field construction costs while improving safety. Our project teams have the hands-on engineering know-how to take a grassroots project from concept to start-up, supporting our customers with a variety of projects such as plant refurbishments, modernisations and maintenance.

Core competencies

• Animal facilities (BS-rated and SPF)
• API manufacturing
• Blood plasma and serum processing
• Biosecurity/biocontainment
• Containment facilities (BSL1 to BSL4)
• Cytotoxic/steroids
• Diagnostics
• Distribution/logistic centres/warehouses
• Fermentation and cell culture (mammalian and microbial)
• Laboratories (R&D, QA, QC)
• Medical devices
• Packaging
• Pilot plants
• Solid dose, liquids and creams
• Sterile processing

Specific design and compliance expertise

• Architectural and building services (HVAC, electrical, instrumentation & controls, hydraulics)
• Clean utilities (purified water, water for injection, clean steam)
• Facility gases (argon, helium, hydrogen, ethylene oxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, breathing air, compressed air, acetylene, silane)
• Waste treatment (biological liquid waste, chemical waste, toxic waste)
• Chemicals and solvents handling and reticulation
• Hazardous and flammable goods handling and storage
• Cryogenic systems
• Stringent environmental conditions control (temperature, humidity, pressure, particles)
• Ventilation and fume extraction
• Dust, vapour and emissions control, odour control, scrubbers
• Fumigation systems
• Explosion proof facilities
• Qualification and validation
• Sustainability services (LEED)

Specialised services

• Asset support & optimisation
• Basic design
• Commissioning & qualification
• Concept design
• Continuous processing
• Construction management
• Detailed engineering
• Feasibility studies
• Lean manufacturing
• Modularisation
• Permitting & EIA
• Process simulation
• Project management
• Procurement
• Plant operation and maintenance
• Regulatory compliance
• Site remediation
• Site selection
• Site master planning
• Validation