Oxitec Breaks Ground on New State-of-the-Art Hybrid Innovation & Production Center in Brazil
RELEASE DATE: 22 November 2021
Oxitec Breaks Ground on New State-of-the-Art Hybrid Innovation & Production Center in Brazil
· Chrysalis (Crisalida in Portuguese) will be one of the world’s preeminent facilities devoted to R&D and production of biologically engineered pest control solutions in public health and agriculture.
· The new facility will support Oxitec’s rapid growth in Brazil and South America.
· Chrysalis will support more than 200 R&D, engineering, production, software, and customer service jobs.
Oxitec, the leading developer of biological pest control solutions, today announced that it has broken ground on the construction of a large-scale, state-of-the-art innovation and production facility located in Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Designed to support Oxitec’s expanding commercial and R&D operations in Brazil and South America, the new hybrid facility, named Chrysalis, will bring together teams from R&D and product development, manufacturing, product delivery, customer care, creative and digital services, and public engagement under one roof, fostering seamless connections between those designing, making, supporting and delivering Oxitec products to customers.
The new multimillion dollar facility, covering over 58,000 square feet, will be host to more than 200 staff and a range of vendors, sub-contractors and partners. It will have production scale-up capacity to meet growing demand for the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti mosquito product recently launched direct to consumers and Oxitec’s upcoming agricultural solutions slated for market-entry in the near future.
As Oxitec leads the development of a new market category of safe, sustainable biological control solutions, the Chrysalis facility embodies the company’s drive to transform how pest management products are created, produced, and delivered to end users. Chrysalis was designed from the ground up to eliminate the traditional gaps between product innovation, production, and customer experiences. By uniting professionals from across a full range of disciplines into one integrated complex, Oxitec teams can support a continuous innovation cycle powered by constant feedback and open collaboration across disciplines, always centered on a strong connection to customers.
Oxitec commissioned the Danish pharmaceutical engineering firm Nordika to design the new facility, and Sobrosa Construtora - one of Brazil’s largest construction companies specializing in large-scale manufacturing facilities and office buildings - to manage construction.
Pre-COVID, Oxitec’s facilities welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world. Chrysalis will have educational and collaboration spaces to foster continued connections with the public and with the scientific, commercial and non-profit communities, reflecting Oxitec’s culture of trust, transparency and collaboration.
Grey Frandsen, CEO of Oxitec, commented:
“Our new Chrysalis facility in São Paulo State is another perfect example of how Oxitec is leading the rapid global transition from chemical pesticides to safe, sustainable biological pest control solutions to save our planet. Our technology is groundbreaking, but so too is the approach we’re taking in pursuing our bold mission. We’ve placed our people, our customers and our planet at the center of all we do, which has led us to re-engineer how products are developed, produced and delivered to our end users. Chrysalis is the first of our new hybrid facility designs that allow us to foster a vibrant, collaborative environment across divisions, enabling faster lab-to-market product development, continuous product innovations based on real-time feedback, and a direct connection between all of our divisions and those we seek to serve. This leads to happier customers and a healthier planet.”
Natalia Ferreira, Managing Director of Oxitec do Brazil, commented:
“This new facility is an extension of who we are – collaborative, creative, and committed to delivering products that will help empower people to protect their families, their farms, and our planet. And our approach is working. Chrysalis will support our rapid growth in the coming few years and provide a new platform for collaboration with new partners and communities.”
This expansion comes on the heels of the successful commercial launch of Aedes do Bem in São Paulo, Brazil; the launch of the Friendly™ Aedes aegypti pilot project in the Florida Keys, USA in April; the announcement of a new partnership with the Wellcome Trust to scale-up the use of Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti for global impact; and the deregulation of Oxitec’s Friendly™ fall armyworm by Brazil’s biosafety regulator, CTNBio, in March of this year.
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About Oxitec
Oxitec is the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock. Founded in 2002 at the University of Oxford, Oxitec is led by a passionate team comprised of 15 nationalities and is supported by world-class partners. Learn more at oxitec.com.