Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company UCB’s Genesis gene therapy process development and clinical manufacturing facility is located in Braine l’Alleud, Wallonia, Belgium.
UCB invested more than €200m ($218.6m) in the site, construction for which began in the second quarter of 2022. The facility was inaugurated in April 2026.
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The new facility strengthens UCB’s existing capabilities to expedite and expand gene therapy research projects. It provides the company full control over its chemistry, manufacturing and control capabilities, delivering a significant advantage in the gene therapy landscape.
The project employed more than 400 people during the peak construction and over 100 operational roles in gene therapy.
Location of the Genesis gene therapy facility
The Genesis gene therapy facility is located at UCB’s Braine-l’Alleud campus in Belgium’s Wallonia region.
The campus also includes a biologics pilot plant opened in September 2012.
UCB’s Genesis gene therapy facility details
The 17,000m² (182,986.5ft²) Genesis gene therapy facility includes a 1,200m² pilot plant where clinical production is undertaken. With adaptable 200-litre (l) and 500l single-use bioreactors, the site can deliver up to 15 batches per annum.
Fully automated fill-and-finish lines underpin the operation, reducing operator intervention, limiting the risk of errors and strengthening safety. A digitally integrated ecosystem for real-time process control, advanced process development laboratories, and integrated analytical laboratories has also been developed.
The site also includes 2,200m² allocated for potential manufacturing scale-up, plus a further 2,000m² for building expansion.
Adjacent to the plant, advanced analytical and process science laboratories are configured to replicate the manufacturing environment. This close match streamlines and accelerates the transfer of critical processes from research and development (R&D) into routine production.
The entire setup is enabled by an end-to-end digital platform, providing real-time oversight and control via around 3,000 automation points.
Project background of the Genesis facility
UCB developed the facility to address the constantly evolving requirements of the gene therapy field, which can bring a fundamental change to how diseases are treated. The field is shifting away from treating specific symptoms to disease modifications that can eventually enable the development of a cure for certain patient populations.
The production of viral vectors and the delivery vehicles of gene therapies remains challenging due to inefficient manufacturing processes and poorly characterised products. The high cost of third-party development and manufacturing also acts as a hindrance.
UCB believes that in-house process and analytical development capabilities, along with clinical manufacturing, are key to the development of gene therapies. The company’s new facility provides a significant competitive advantage in the gene therapy field by offering flexible product and process understanding, scalability, and higher yields.
Sustainability features at UCB’s gene therapy site
The gene therapy facility adheres to UCB’s carbon neutrality goals by implementing up-to-date technologies, which are certified according to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).
The site adheres to strict BREEAM Excellent specifications to optimise long-term operational efficiency, sustainable material selection, and energy conservation.
UCB also aims to significantly reduce both the resource consumption and waste production at the facility.
Contractors involved
UCB’s Genesis gene therapy facility was designed by SYNTAXE ARCHITECTES – AAST.
In 2022, Belgian construction group BESIX was appointed to build the facility.
Belgium-based engineering company CoCEPTIO and Austrian biopharmaceutical engineering company ZETA are also involved in the project.
Marketing commentary on UCB
Established in 1928, UCB is a biopharmaceutical company based in Brussels, Belgium. It was previously named Union Chimique Belge and is known for its expertise in pharmaceuticals, chemicals and films.
UCB offers a range of medicines to treat neurological and immunological diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis, axial spondyloarthritis, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s disease and psoriasis.
Some of the company’s medicines include Bimzelx, Briviact, Keppra, Nayzilam and Neupro. Other core medicines of the company include Rystiggo®, Zilbrysq®, and Fintepla®.
The company has ten research and development (R&D) sites across the world. It employs around 10,117 people and registered €7.74bn ($9.1bn) in revenues in 2025.
