The future of the Discovery Park facility, where drugs like Viagra was developed, had been in doubt after the US drug giant announced plans to wind up all operations as part of an effort to save $5bn (€3.4bn) a year in R&D costs.
Pfizer, which subsequently said it maintain a 350-strong R&D team at the facility, welcomed the new enterprise zone status. Site head Annette Doherty told Kent Online that: “We hope the benefits will help facilitate the marketing of the campus to new occupiers, particularly smaller businesses, where costs are most keenly felt.
In May the Sandwich Economic Development Taskforce said that it was working with Pfizer to secure new occupants for the facility, with venture capital investors, university groups and contract research organisations (CROs) being among the targets mentioned.