AstraZeneca to expand production at its Australian facility

If reports are to be believed, global pharma giant Astrazeneca is planning to spend nearly $100 million to expand its Sydney facility. The move, the company says, will add 60 jobs and boost exports to more than $2.4 billion over the next four years.

Three more production lines will be added to the North Ryde facility, chief executive Pascal Soriot has announced alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in London. "Our latest investment is an example of the tremendous opportunities presented by hi-tech manufacturing and productivity, creating jobs, boosting exports and ultimately making a positive impact on the Australian economy," Mr Soriot said.

The three new specialised production lines are in addition to eight existing specialised lines at the site and will focus on innovative respiratory medicines. Melbourne-based specialist machine designers Andrew Donald Design Engineering will build each new production line and the machines will take a team of 36 people over 12 months to produce.

Mr Mark Morgan, manufacturing director of AstraZeneca Australia, said, "Despite the trend for manufacturing businesses to relocate to countries where labour costs are lower, we’re investing and expanding our manufacturing operations in Australia with locally manufactured equipment."

AstraZeneca Australia's manufacturing director Mark Morgan says more than 90 per cent of the site's products go to China, where asthma affects about 30 million people and demand is rising. "It is our biggest growing market," he said.

Mr Morgan said that while there is a trend for manufacturing businesses to relocate to lower labour-cost countries, the technology and skills at the North Ryde plant would be "difficult to replicate overseas".

"Despite the trend for manufacturing businesses to relocate to countries where labour costs are lower, we’re investing and expanding our manufacturing operations in Australia with locally manufactured equipment," said Mr Morgan.