CSIR launches biomanufacturing hub

by TINTSWALO BALOYI 
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and German Development Bank KfW have joined forces to strengthen southern Africa’s biomanufacturing capabilities through a new training initiative backed by the European Union.

The partners signed a grant agreement on 31 August to establish the Southern African Biomanufacturing Training Hub, funded through the EU’s Global Gateway flagship project, “Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies”.

Managed by the CSIR in partnership with national and international institutions, the hub will develop specialised skills needed to expand South Africa’s biotechnology, vaccine and biopharmaceutical industries.

The initiative is expected to strengthen health security while supporting industrial competitiveness and South Africa’s ambition to become a leading biomanufacturing hub for Africa.

“Building a strong biomanufacturing sector requires both world-class infrastructure and people with the prerequisite skills to translate scientific innovation into products that improve lives,” said CSIR chief executive Dr Thulani Dlamini.

Funding will upgrade and expand the CSIR’s existing training infrastructure, allowing up to 400 candidates a year to receive specialised, practical training.

The programme will offer three levels — early, intermediate and advanced — providing a pathway from foundational knowledge to specialist expertise.

Training will combine theory with hands-on experience in areas including bioprocess development, vaccine production, quality control, good manufacturing practices and large-scale manufacturing.

Dr Santosh Ramchuran, CSIR chief researcher and director of the new hub, said the programme was designed to prepare graduates and industry professionals for the demands of modern biomanufacturing.

Over the next two years, the initiative will target critical skills shortages across the biomanufacturing value chain, helping expand local production of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and therapeutics.

EU Ambassador to South Africa Sandra Kramer said the partnership would help develop young talent while strengthening local supply chains and manufacturing ecosystems.

“By expanding training capacity and offering scholarships, this project will unlock opportunities for the next generation while strengthening local supply chains and manufacturing ecosystems,” Kramer said.

For the CSIR, the investment extends beyond workforce development. Dlamini said building biomanufacturing expertise could create jobs, accelerate technological advancement and strengthen regional health and biotechnology value chains.

As demand for biomanufacturing expertise grows across Africa and globally, the hub is positioned to help build a skilled workforce capable of supporting innovation, improving health resilience and driving sustainable industrial development across the continent.

– CAJ News