Constellation is our response to the fundamental challenge of transitioning cell therapy manufacturing from manual, cleanroom‑intensive processes to reliable, industrial‑scale operations. Rather than forcing therapy developers onto new, closed systems, Constellation builds automation around the tools and workflows they already trust. The platform unites autonomous mobile robots, automated sterile welding, and proven bioprocess instruments into a digitally coordinated, robotically executed factory environment that adapts to existing processes and facilities. By keeping underlying consumables, cell‑contacting materials, and process steps unchanged, we aim to maintain biological integrity while enabling manufacturers to scale from clinical to commercial production without redeveloping therapies or changing validated tools.

Our “wraparound” automation strategy connects previously semi‑automated, standalone unit operations into an integrated, fully robotic manufacturing ecosystem. Autonomous mobile robots, designed for GMP environments, move consumables and products between third‑party unit operations, executing sterile welding, closed fluid transfers, and consumable loading with high precision and reproducibility. A unified digital control layer manages and records every movement, weld, and transfer, maintaining accurate chain of identity and chain of custody, while an intelligent scheduling engine orchestrates large numbers of tasks across multiple product lines and unit operations to increase throughput beyond the limits of human‑dependent workflows.

This approach is being deployed and tested in GMP‑mirroring environments, including the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s Digital and Automation Testbeds in Stevenage, and advanced through an Innovate UK‑funded consortium with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Resolution Therapeutics. Working with market‑leading partners such as Cytiva, Fresenius Kabi, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Wilson Wolf/ScaleReady, we are demonstrating how industrialization of CGT manufacturing can be achieved without compromising underlying biology or adding unnecessary regulatory risk, while targeting substantial reductions in labour and high‑grade cleanroom requirements. These collaborations focus on achieving high‑dose output per square meter of manufacturing space, with realistic staffing levels, within a digitally integrated framework.