More employment and the consolidation of a science and technology hub are part of the implications for Antioquia the beginning of the construction of a plant in the municipality of Rionegro, that will make Colombia return to its own production of vaccines, after more than 20 years.
The first stone was symbolically laid this Wednesday by President Iván Duque and other regional and national authorities, completing a puzzle with the logo of VaxThera, the Sura Group company that will carry out this project.
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Although that was the way to start the construction of the plant, a permit is pending to start building the infrastructure, which in its first phase includes 10,000 square meters, in a lot of more than 35,000.
Jorge Emilio Osorio, president of VaxThera explained that this first phase will last until June 2023 and it is estimated that 100 million doses of vaccines will be produced per year.
We have already filed all the documents in the Mayor’s Office of Rionegro to start construction. We are simply waiting for approval so we can start immediately
“We have already filed all the documents with the Rionegro mayor’s office to start construction. We are simply waiting for approval to start immediately,” said Osorio.
After that phase, in the next phase it is estimated that there will be a production of between 200 and 250 million doses per year, which will generate between 500 and 1,000 jobs annually in this municipality in Eastern Antioquia.
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“Rionegro celebrates it for the opportunity it has in terms of job creation, but also because this is the gateway to that technological hub of scientific development, innovation and creativity that we can have in our territory,” said Rodrigo Hernández Alzate , mayor of Rionegro.
The president indicated that the Rionegro Council approved tax relief for industry and commerce and property tax so that this Sura group company could have incentives and make the decision to build the plant in this municipality in the East and not in Valle del Cauca. or Cundinamarca, which were other options.
“That tax incentive that we gave precisely seeks to encourage the generation of employment, of those jobs a large majority are with people from here in Rionegro. We have to continue advancing in the training of more professionals from this territory, from the entire department,” he explained. Hernandez.
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The construction license was filed with the Rionegro Urban Curator, so a prompt approval response is expected. In turn, the Planning Office of said municipality evaluated this request, taking into account the Land Use Plan and determined that it was consistent with the use of the land.
The airport
For Aníbal Gaviria, governor of Antioquia, having this plant in the department also means giving continuity to projects in Rionegro, where the José María Córdova international airport is located.
What is going to be done is to consolidate that hub and many other industries with high added value, and that requires the expansion of the José María Córdova airport and the second runway there.
“What is happening here is the seed for the beginning of a hub for science, technology, health, a hub for life. Let us remember that here we already have the San Vicente Hospital and that what is going to be done is to consolidate that hub and many other industries with high added value and that requires the expansion of the José María Córdova airport and the second runway there,” explained the president.
Gaviria mentioned that one of the most important aspects is the alliance between the University of Wisconsin, the National University and the Sura Group.with the support of local and national governments, to train more professionals in the scientific aspect.
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For now, The company Vaxthera is developing a vaccine against covid-19 called UNIVAXwhich is designed to combat the different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has shown positive results in preclinical studies.
“This will be an excellent booster vaccine and we hope to be in phase 1 and 2 clinical studies after the second half of the year.”Osorio said.
Once it is approved for use in humans, this would be a positive aspect so that there is no shortage of vaccines in Antioquia, just as it has occurred in other departments of the country.
“Not only are they going to produce vaccines for covid, but also vaccines for the Immunized Vaccination Plan, which is also very important. This will allow us not only to have enough vaccines to comply with the vaccination plans, but also to be able to comply for Latin America , which is also the goal of VaxThera,” said Lina Bustamente, Secretary of Health of Antioquia.
MELISSA ALVAREZ CORREA
TIME CORRESPONDENT
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