Invitrigen scraps plan for £17m Scots base

Published on Wednesday 7 February 2007 11:59

LIFE sciences giant Invitrogen has scrapped a plan to build a £17 million global business base at European headquarters in Renfrewshire, according to deleted minutes posted on Scottish Enterprise's website.

The plan, which could have led to the creation of up to 500 jobs, had been fanfared last May after 4.3m in Regional Selective Assistance had been agreed. The grant has now been withdrawn.

At the time, California-headquartered Invitrogen said it had mulled a variety of European countries to host its new hub.

Bernd Brust, the head of Invitrogen's European region, also said that the RSA would help safeguard 550 current jobs, including about 200 at other Scottish sites as the group consolidated its operations here.

However, the plan has now been dropped, according to the economic development agency's website.

The change of plan was raised at a recent board meeting of Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, with the minutes of the meeting later posted on the internet.

At one point, in a section pertaining to Invitrogen, which has been scored through but is still visible, the minutes read: "The chief executive (of SE Renfrewshire - Lorraine McMillan) asked Mick McHugh (director of growing business) to update the board on the consolidation project.

"Mick McHugh said the reported full expansion project for Invitrogen was not now going ahead."