Tilray, a global pioneer in medical cannabis research, recently announced plans to invest up to €20 million (£18 million) in a European Union Campus (EU Campus) after receiving licences from the Government of Portugal to import cannabis genetics and to cultivate cannabis for medical purposes.
The EU Campus will include indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cultivation sites, as well as facilities to process, package, and distribute medical cannabis and cannabinoid-derived medical products. As a part of the BIOCANT biotechnology and life sciences research park, the EU Campus will serve as a hub supporting Tilray’s clinical research and product development efforts across Europe.
Tilray is about to begin the construction of a 10,000 m2 greenhouse and a 1,500 m2 processing facility on property purchased by the company. The operation will take place in several steps. The first phase includes includes an indoor laboratory and genetics bank, outdoor cultivation sites, along with the greenhouse and processing facility. These equipment should be ready by spring 2018. Subsequent phases will add 15,000 m2 of greenhouse cultivation space and another 1,500 m2 for processing. The whole facility is scheduled to be operational by 2020.
Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Tilray. Source: Business Wire
“Tilray’s EU Campus is another strategic milestone as we aim to build the world’s most trusted and admired medical cannabis brand. For the past two years we’ve been working hard to find the right location for cultivation, processing, and research facilities to serve rapidly growing demand for high-quality medical cannabis products in Europe. Portugal has the ideal climate to cultivate cannabis, a highly skilled healthcare workforce, and a vibrant research community. It’s more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective to supply European patients from Portugal than from northern climates.” – Brendan Kennedy, CEO of Tilray
By the end of 2017, Tilray expects to export medical cannabis products to five more countries. The company also anticipates announcing federal licences from additional countries, as well as research partnerships in Portugal, Germany, and other countries around the world.
Throughout the last year, Tilray became the first company to legally export medical cannabis products from North America to the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. Tilray products are currently available in six countries spanning four continents.