Convatec, a global leader in medical products and technologies, today announces plans to invest more than $1 billion over the next decade to accelerate its research and development (R&D) ambitions worldwide. This global, multi-year planned investment marks a significant milestone in Convatec’s mission to deliver breakthrough healthcare solutions and underlines its long-standing commitment to both the United States and the United Kingdom as cornerstones of its global growth strategy.
As part of this plan, Convatec will invest $600 m over the next ten years in R&D in the US, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its most significant market globally. The plans include a significant expansion of its world-class R&D facilities in Boston, United States, by end 2025 – increasing capacity by 50 % and further enhancing lab, testing and collaboration space.
In the United Kingdom, Convatec plans to invest £500 million (approximately $650 million), including a new state-of-the-art R&D hub in Manchester, set to open in 2027. The new facility will be one of the largest in Convatec’s global network of Technology & Innovation Centres, with the potential to provide common or shared R&D capabilities and competences across all four of Convatec’s categories: Advanced Wound Care, Ostomy Care, Continence Care, and Infusion Care. It will also house cutting-edge analytical R&D capabilities, regulatory functions, and digital health innovation, positioning Convatec at the forefront of medical technology development.
Convatec has a proud heritage of innovation that has transformed patient care and improved lives for millions of people worldwide. The company invests over $100 million annually in R&D —approximately 5 % of its revenue – which has delivered its strongest ever pipeline of new products designed to address unmet needs in chronic care. In addition to the major US and UK planned investments, Convatec will sustain investment in other key European locations, supporting its global network of Technology & Innovation Centres in Denmark and Slovakia and onsite R&D teams in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, as well as its global manufacturing network.
The plans to enhance Convatec’s R&D footprint in the US and UK follows a comprehensive review of its global growth ambitions. Since 1996, Convatec’s Deeside site has served as a major center for R&D alongside its manufacturing operations. The company has now identified Manchester as the ideal location for its new, enlarged UK facility, given its vibrant life sciences ecosystem, which includes leading universities, hospitals, and research institutions. In the US, the expansion of the Boston site will further strengthen Convatec’s innovation leadership and support the company’s largest market.
The new Manchester R&D hub will be home for around 200 highly skilled colleagues, largely transferring from Convatec’s existing Deeside R&D site, with plans for further growth in the years ahead. Convatec’s manufacturing site in Deeside, North Wales, will remain a cornerstone of its global operations and is unaffected by this change, with around 400 employees continuing to be based there after the move completes in 2027.
Today’s announcement marks an exciting moment in Convatec’s commitment to pioneering trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch. Our plans to invest more than $1 billion – anchored by major expansion plans in both the United States and the United Kingdom – demonstrates our unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare innovation for people living with chronic conditions around the world.”
Jonny Mason, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Convatec
Dr. Divakar Ramakrishnan, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Research & Development at Convatec, said: “The significant expansion of our R&D capabilities in Boston and plans to establish a new flagship center in Manchester are investments in the talent, technology, and infrastructure needed to accelerate innovation in pioneering trusted chronic care solutions. They reinforce our belief in the strength of the US and UK life sciences sectors and position Convatec at the forefront of medical technology innovation for years to come.”
The US expansion is expected to be completed by end 2025, and the new Manchester hub is expected to be operational by 2027, with a phased transition to ensure minimal disruption to ongoing projects and close collaboration with Convatec’s wider global network of Technology & Innovation Centres. When fully operational, these flagship sites in Boston and Manchester will be at the heart of Convatec’s global innovation network, which includes major sites in the UK, US, Denmark, and Slovakia. Both sites will play crucial roles in Convatec’s R&D strategy along with other centers to drive innovation across Convatec’s business worldwide.