SCORES of North-East jobs will be created in a pioneering £20m medical research centre.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is building a biologics factory in Darlington.

The development is due to open in 2017, and will allow companies to test and make medicines for the therapeutic supply chain.

Up to 100 jobs will be supported in its construction, with about 20 posts created to run the site.

Based on Darlington’s Central Park, it will sit alongside and work with the CPI’s £38m National Biologics Manufacturing Centre.

That centre is expected to open in 2015, and will research and develop potentially life-saving cures and vaccines.

The £20m site has been supported by £10m from Tees Valley Unlimited local enterprise partnership, as part of the Government’s £379m local growth fund.

Speaking about the fund, Prime Minister David Cameron, said: “This historic deal means real change for the North-East.

“It has plans to attract new business to the area, drive innovation and invest in key sectors, such as advanced manufacturing.”

The Government’s local growth fund aims to create jobs across the UK.

Earlier this week, The Northern Echo revealed how £7.4m from the fund had been made to the CPI to develop an innovation hub to focus on new ways of making complex formulated products in household goods.

Such products include cosmetic creams, gels, detergents and paints.