AstraZeneca have unveiled a pioneering new Learning Academy at the Macclesfield Campus.

The new facility is linked to investment in a £280m advanced medicine manufacturing facility announced in April last year to meet rising global demand for AstraZeneca’s oncology medicine Zoladex.

The Academy  brings together state-of-the-art virtual reality training technology, induction training and equipment mock-ups under one roof in a new purpose-built facility.

The ribbon-cutting was attended by employees involved in the development of the new Academy, AstraZeneca’s Head of UK Operations  Fredrik Åsell as well as David Rutley,  Work and Pensions Minister and MP for Macclesfield.

Fredrik Åsell said  “The opening of our new Learning Academy is another key step in making sure we can deliver the life-saving drugs our patients need across the globe.  Through the use of cutting-edge technology we can help our teams build expertise in complex sterile manufacture more quickly and efficiently ”

David Rutley said:  “It is a great honour to have been invited to formally open this new Learning Academy. This is another step in the exciting journey of enhancing the Zoladex processes at AstraZeneca's Macclesfield Campus. This highly skilled local team plays a vital role in helping the company achieve its global ambitions, as the treatment improves the lives of millions of patients throughout the world. I am grateful for the significant investment that has taken place over recent years  - it is an important engine for our local economy.”