Indian event will develop future health science collaborations

Continuing partnership

This latest meeting, held at IIM-Bangalore, brings researchers and their business counterparts together with co-hosts and partners, C-CAMP Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms Bangalore, The Synergia Foundation and BioCity Nottingham, and other key supporters. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is supporting teams in India and the UK as part of this event, along with ABLE and IKP Knowledge Park Hyderabad.

The event is showcasing scientific research carried out by UK and Indian investigators the scheme has supported so far and will host winners of the annual Bio-Business Plan Competition which forms a key part of BioPharm 2020. It will also promote ‘bioincubation’ opportunities such as BioCity in Nottingham, UK, and C-CAMP Bangalore, IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad and SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Center (SIIC) of IIT Kanpur, India. 

Mr Ian Felton, British Deputy High Commissioner, Bangalore said: “We are delighted that the visiting UK delegation is here to sign an MOU with Indian counterparts to formalise their existing and fruitful science relationship.

“I encourage Indian public and private R&D institutions and entrepreneurs to come to the meeting and explore the potential to create new collaborations or expand existing links with the UK in this cutting-edge sector of bio-pharmaceuticals.”

Professor Christine Ennew, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation at The University of Nottingham, said: “The Science Bridge is an innovative collaboration that brings together outstanding research teams from both countries, working to deliver real impact by linking the scientific and business communities.

“It not only advances knowledge in ‘bio-pharma’ but delivers immediate and tangible benefits to both economies, with Indian companies coming to the UK and UK companies entering the Indian market.

“This has been and continues to be a very fruitful partnership and I am delighted the Memorandum of Understanding will continue this collaboration for the next five years.”

Important new developments

The Indian pharmaceutical and biosciences sectors are growing fast, giving rise to considerable innovation. Nottingham — with the UK’s leading School of Pharmacy and recipient of the first Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award in 2008-2009 — has developed strong global links and this network is contributing to the development of UK-India trade links.

Prof Kevin Shakesheff, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Professor of Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering at The University of Nottingham, said: “During its first three years, BioPharm 2020 collaborations have generated important findings in cancer research, the biology of bone repair and nanotechnology. We expect a few deals to be signed at this event in Bangalore.” A sentiment echoed by his Indian counterpart, Prof Pradip Sinha, of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering at IIT Kanpur

“So far, 17 companies involving more than 45 entrepreneurs have been helped by our innovative business plan competition,” he said, “and eight Expansion Partnership Awards will help companies in India and the UK expand their markets and innovation.”

As well as celebrating bio-entrepreneurial success stories in India and competing for support and help through the business plan competition, delegates are exploring both barriers to and facilitators of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry and the key trends and developments in managing ‘pharma’ supply chains at regional, national and international level.

World-class support

During this week’s meeting, a dozen senior UK representatives from the bio-pharmaceutical and health science sector will be in Bangalore to explore and expand partnerships with India. It includes representatives from Research Councils UK (RCUK), the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC), the Wellcome Trust, BioCity Nottingham, top research academics from The University of Nottingham, The University of Nottingham Asia Business Centre, and Kings College London.

British companies attending include: the award-winning Critical Pharmaceuticals UK who have a pipeline of novel biological products; Proxima Concepts UK who offer oral delivery of peptides and proteins and technology for drug discovery; PGXis UK, a genomics technology firm; and Inception Associates UK who help Indian firms in the sector, set up in the UK.

Leading speakers at the event include: Professor G Padmanabhan, Chairman of The National Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, India; Professor Jayne Lawrence from King's College London; Dr Priya Kurien, Manager of the UK-India Business Council, UK; Professor S Ramaswamy, CEO, C-CAMP, Bangalore; Dr Alicia Greated, Director of RCUK, India; and Shri. PH Kurian, IAS, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, India.

They will be joined by senior figures from the life-sciences in India, including Dr Pradip Bhatnagar of Daichi Sankyo, Dr KV Subramaniam of Reliance Life Sciences, Navi Mumbai; Dr Ramen Govindrajan, Head of R&D India, Sanofi Aventis; and Dr Bhim Rao Ugarkar, Head of R&D India, AstraZeneca; as well as bio-entrepreneurs.

The 2012 Bio-Business Plan Competition is hosted by C-CAMP Bangalore and IIT Kanpur; finalists, who attended a three-day Bio-Entrepreneurship and Business Development Training Programme delivered by BioCity Nottingham in Bangalore in January, will showcase their business concepts. The winner will receive a package of benefits worth around Rs 1.5 million to help start a new company.

New UK–India Expansion Partnership Awards will help select UK-based bio-pharma organisations expand their business into India and also help select Indian firms expand into the UK. The Awards are designed to support growth and internationalisation of bio-pharma companies and strengthen trade and investment links with India through sustained engagement.

These Expansion Partnership Awards bring support from both BioCity and The University of Nottingham, as well as access to the University’s EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine.

The Centre has access to over 70 researchers and state-of-the-art facilities and protocols in stem cell technologies and biomaterials design. The Centre will offer pilot projects to accelerate commercial development for any company with an Expansion Award. Pilot studies can be undertaken remotely, on behalf of companies.

— Ends —

Notes to editors:

The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as “the embodiment of the modern international university”, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia.

It is also the most popular university in the UK according to official 2012 application numbers, and “the world’s greenest university”. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the world’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. 

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. UKTI helps overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. It provides companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. More information is available on the UKTI web pages.

, described by as “the embodiment of the modern international university”, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK according to official 2012 application numbers, and “the world’s greenest university”. It is ranked in the UK’s Top 10 and the world’s Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security. , its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future.  is the government department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. UKTI helps overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. It provides companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. More information is available on the UKTI web pages.