Case Study: Moderna Cleanroom

PROJECT

Construction of a project featuring more than 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms in Laval

INDUSTRY

Pharmaceutical

CLASSIFICATION

ISO 7 and 8 (Grades C and D)

Architectural System

Dagard

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MODERNA

Moderna is an American biotechnology company. It specializes in the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, an innovative technology that uses genetic instructions to prompt the body’s cells to produce a targeted protein on their own, in order to trigger an immune or therapeutic response. Recently, Moderna built a vaccine production plant in Laval (Quebec, Canada)—the company’s first of its kind outside the United States—enabling it to produce mRNA doses locally for Canada.

SPECIAL FEATURES AND CHALLENGES

Extremely tight deadlines, imposed by the global health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Global demand for the mRNA vaccine required rapid commissioning of the facilities, leaving little room for the unexpected. Every day counted, and Consab was able to maintain a steady pace of execution without ever compromising the quality of the deliverables.
An ambitious goal: to deliver a fully operational plant in record time, despite the technical complexity of the facilities required for mRNA production. The specific requirements of this type of manufacturing, rigorous environmental controls, specialized equipment, and compliance with international pharmaceutical standards, called for tight planning and flawless execution from day one.

Intensive coordination among teams to incorporate the numerous changes made during the project while staying on schedule. The large number of stakeholders, engineers, subcontractors, and Moderna representatives, required seamless communication and proactive priority management at every stage of the cleanroom’s construction.
Constant pressure to ensure quality, safety, and regulatory compliance— even as deadlines were accelerated. Consab maintained the highest standards to help Moderna deliver a fully compliant, operational facility ready to meet global demand from day one.

“The dedication and professionalism demonstrated by the Consab team as a subcontractor to the general contractor far exceeded our expectations. Their attention to detail, their willingness to listen, and their ability to adapt to our needs and the challenges we faced throughout the project contributed to the success of our new facility—even though we had no direct contractual relationship with Consab. We greatly value this collaboration. Following this success, we have decided to continue this partnership for all modifications and optimizations to our site.”

Patrick Vincent, EngPlanner/Scheduler

MODERNA

Laval, Quebec

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MODERNA

SPECIAL FEATURES AND CHALLENGES

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