As pharmaceutical firms struggle to phase petroleum-based solvents from their operations, a new consortium has landed a major funding injection from the government to help change that. Established by ERM and Ayming, the consortium also includes the expertise of firms including GSK, Croda, Exactment and Cytiva.
Petroleum-based solvents remain essential to pharmaceutical production chain – but as a major contributor to Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, medicines manufacturers must look to replacements. Bio-based alternatives are seen as one pathway to decarbonisation, but achieving the high purity and moisture control required for pharmaceutical applications has proven energy and cost intensive, delaying wider adoption.
To help the pharmaceutical sector with the challenges ahead, Innovate UK and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has awarded over £7 million in funding to a strategic consortium of industry players. The consortium will bring together entities across the pharma manufacturing and fine chemicals industries, to find ways of using advanced membrane purification technologies to industrialise the production of cost-effective, low-greenhouse gas, bio-based solvents.
Established by ERM and Ayming, the consortium will spend the next 36 months working to help manufacturers adopt alternative solvents, without major changes to existing infrastructure or processes. To do this, they will draw on the expertise of members including technology providers Exactmer, Queen Mary University London, Atmospheric AI and SOLVE Chemistry; solvent manufacturers OXCCU, Celtic Renewables and University of Leeds; global pharmaceutical companies GSK and Croda; global life sciences company Cytiva; and translational research and innovation organisation CPI.
Andrew Livingston, CEO of Exactmer and vice principal for research innovation at Queen Mary University London said, “We are excited to be involved in this challenging new project which will enable wider use of biobased solvents in the pharmaceutical production supply chain. It’s great to be part of this broad-based industry collaboration, and we look forward to driving the Government’s Industrial Strategy forward through Life Sciences Manufacturing.”
As well as initiating the project since launching in January 2025, ERM and Ayming also coordinated the consortium’s successful funding application to Innovate UK, as part of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme. The consortium of technology providers, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies was established following the successful Expression of Interest phase, to support the UK’s production of high purity bio-based solvents.
ERM claims it is the world’s largest specialist sustainability consultancy, working to help clients to accelerate the integration of sustainability at every level of their business. With more than 50 years of experience, ERM boasts a diverse team of more than 8,000 experts in 40 countries and territories.
Ayming is a global professional services and consulting firm, specialising in improving business performance through R&D funding, and accessing finance and tax offerings. It operates in over 14 countries with over 1,300 experts.
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