MediCity hub moves forward
pharmafile | June 11, 2014 | News story | Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | AstraZeneca, BioCity, alderley park, johnson, medcity, medicity
Nine new businesses have signed tenancy agreements at Nottingham’s MediCity, bringing to 20 the number of companies which have been attracted to the site in four months.
Part of the city’s Enterprise Zone MediCity is a ‘health and wellness’ hub in a refurbished Boots building in Beeston, and is a collaboration between the chemist retail chain and life sciences incubation business BioCity.
AstraZeneca hired the latter to establish a new centre for bioscience companies at the Alderley Park site which it is largely vacating as part of its restructuring plans.
MediCity has laboratory and office space, and the idea is that early stage businesses – part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund – will have room to grow there.
Kris Hopkins, minister responsible for Enterprise Zones at the Department for Communities and Local Government, says: “This…shows the potential Enterprise Zones have to bring complementary companies together in an environment where they work closely with each other and thrive.”
Firms at the site include ViVO Smart Medical Devices, which has been awarded a Small Business Research Initiative healthcare development contract by NHS England to develop Pupiloscope, a handheld electronic device which helps doctors instantly diagnose life-threatening head injuries.
ESP Technology has developed a material for use in vascular access for patients receiving haemodialysis to prevent excessive bleeding: a graft coated with a microcellular version of the material closes up around the puncture site, self-sealing the wound.
ESP says it will be working with Nottingham Trent University and MediCity to find funding and partners.
Meanwhile regenerative medicine specialist Locate Therapeutics is expanding into MediCity as it looks to apply its patented TAOS technology in a range of clinical applications.
“Having a further nine ambitious companies as part of the MediCity business community is very exciting,” says MediCity director David Browning. “Each brings a wealth of business experience as well as a fascinating insight into emerging healthcare technology.”
Adam Hill
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