ClinTec International, a full-service contract research organisation (CRO) based in Windsor, UK, will site its new global corporate headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland, creating up to 240 new jobs over the next three years.
The project is supported by a Regional Selective Assistance Grant of £1.34 million (1.89 million euros) from the Scottish government. The Glasgow headquarters will serve as the worldwide base for ClinTec’s human resources, finance, information technology, marketing, legal, corporate development and sales functions, as well as housing a team of clinical professionals who will manage the implementation of global clinical trials.
Privately owned, ClinTec International was founded in 1997 by its president Dr Rabinder Buttar and now has a presence in more than 30 developed and emerging markets across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Central and South Africa, Latin America, India and the US. With particular expertise in oncology, the CRO also handles clinical development in therapeutic areas including anti-infectives, cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, neurology, respiratory medicine and rheumatology.
Important milestone
“We have reached an important milestone in the 10 years of our organisation and I am pleased that our Scottish operations will play a central role as we develop into a major global player in contract clinical research,” Dr Buttar commented. “From the key universities and research institutes in Scotland we will recruit, train and develop a highly skilled talent pool to work on our global initiatives meeting the high standards expected by us and our clients in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.”
Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather said ClinTec’s decision reflected Scotland’s “clear strengths” in life sciences, such as a strong, cohesive academic base, quality research and a skilled, motivated workforce. Scotland is home to more than 6,000 life sciences organizations employing 33,500 staff, and the sector generates annual GVA (Gross Value Added, a key, workplace-based indicator of economic wealth) growth rates of 7-8%, four times the medium-term average growth rate for the Scottish economy as a whole.
