Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has become a member of the Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (NA-ATTC), marking a significant milestone as the first partner from Northern Ireland to join the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network.

This development further strengthens the ATTC network as a truly UK-wide initiative, now spanning all four nations; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The inclusion of Northern Ireland strengthens the network’s collective capability to accelerate the delivery and adoption of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including cell and gene therapies, across diverse healthcare settings.

Northern Ireland’s participation in the ATTC network’s ongoing programme—focused on ensuring the UK remains an attractive and globally competitive environment for ATMP commercial research—further supports the network’s ambition to expand patient access to cutting-edge therapies. By integrating expertise from QUB, the collaboration will enhance cross-nation alignment and bring additional perspectives to overcoming barriers in the translation of advanced therapies from research into clinical practice.

Through this partnership, QUB will contribute to the development and dissemination of best practice across the ATTC network. The collaboration is expected to support improved clinical trial readiness, foster innovation in therapy delivery models, and strengthen workforce capability through shared learning and expertise. This will ultimately help to accelerate equitable patient access to advanced therapies across the UK.

Neil Watson, Co-Director of NA-ATTC, commented:

“We are delighted to welcome Queen’s University Belfast to the Northern Alliance ATTC. Their involvement represents an important step in strengthening collaboration across the UK. By working together across all four UK nations, we have a unique opportunity to share insights between different healthcare systems, align approaches, and address common challenges in delivering advanced therapies at scale.

This partnership will play a key role in ensuring that more patients can benefit from these transformative treatments.”

Graeme Greenfield, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and Consultant Haematologist at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust stated:

“Joining the Northern Alliance ATTC represents an exciting opportunity for Queen’s University Belfast to contribute to, and benefit from, a strong UK-wide network. Through collaboration with leading organisations, we can share knowledge, develop practical solutions, and support the effective delivery of advanced therapies. Ultimately, this partnership strengthens our ability to further research and improve patient access to innovative treatments across Northern Ireland and beyond.”

The addition of QUB underscores the continued evolution of the ATTC network as a collaborative platform, bringing together academia, NHS organisations, and industry partners to position the UK at the forefront of advanced therapy innovation and delivery.