Critical Pharmaceuticals and The University of Nottingham to Develop Nano-Enabled Nasal Spray for Osteoporosis
The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) provide grant funding to support the £545,000 project.
Nottingham, UK, February 16, 2012 / B3C newswire / - Critical Pharmaceuticals, an emerging biotechnology company, and The University of Nottingham today announce a £545,000 collaboration to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, US and Japan with more than 180,000 patients suffer fragility fractures in the UK alone each year, at a cost of around £2 billion to the NHS.
Teriparatide, an excellent recent addition to the range of drugs used for the treatment of osteoporosis, but it currently needs to be injected every day. Our consortium will exploit a recent discovery in nanotechnology to develop a nasal spray formulation of teriparatide that is easy to administer by patients and provides optimal drug plasma levels to enhance efficacy.
Phase Vision receives £1.5m investment to fund growth and export
The Lachesis Fund are delighted to be able to report that Phase Vision has closed a £1.5m funding round led by Qi3 Accelerator and Octopus Investments.
A Loughborough-based industrial inspection instrumentation company, Phase Vision’s instruments help the aerospace, automotive and nuclear industries to manufacture and test systems more quickly and cheaply and with reduced environmental impact.
Phase Vision has developed and sells a range of high precision measurement devices to manufacturing companies. Its white light metrology products bring analysis tools that were once the domain of the metrology lab to the production line, aircraft hangar or shipyard. Results are obtained in seconds, not the hours or days required by other systems. This is crucial to 21st century manufacturing, and Phase Vision’s systems are already installed in a variety of manufacturing applications. The company will use the funds raised to employ more staff and grow its UK and export sales.
Intelligent Energy and the Hydrogen economy
A ground breaking project to ensure the UK is well positioned for the commercial roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles has been launched, Business Minister Mark Prisk announced today.
The new programme – UKH2Mobility – will evaluate the potential for hydrogen as a fuel for Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles in the UK before developing an action plan for an anticipated roll-out to consumers in 2014/15. It aims to:
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Analyse in detail the specific UK case for the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as one of a number of solutions to decarbonise road transport and quantify the potential emissions benefits;
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Review the investments required to commercialise the technology, including refuelling infrastructure; and
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Identify what is required to make the UK a leading global player in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturing thereby paving the way for economic opportunities to the UK, through the creation of new jobs and boosting of local economies.
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is designed to help smaller higher-risk trading companies to raise finance by offering a range of tax reliefs to investors who purchase new shares in those companies.
This guide provides an overview for companies and potential investors who have heard of the Scheme and want to know more about it and how it works. It does not cover all the detailed rules, so companies and investors should not proceed solely on the basis of the information in it, and should consider seeking professional advice.
Chancellor announces major new tax relief for seed stage investing
Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn statement today announced a major new tax relief of 50% for investing in seed stage businesses called SEIS. The Chancellor announced:
The introduction of the new Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), commencing from April 2012, to encourage investment into new early stage companies. This is the ‘BASIS’ proposal that was set out in the consultation we carried out earlier this year. The details of the scheme are as follows:
- SEIS will be similar in design to the current Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) but will focus on new early stage companies which are carrying on or preparing to carry on a new business.
- SEIS will provide income tax relief of 50% for individuals who invest in shares in qualifying seed companies, with an annual investment limit for individuals of £100,000 and cumulative investment limit for companies of £150,000.
- Eligible companies will need to have 25 or fewer employees and assets of up to £200,000 at the point of investment, and must be undertaking a new business.
Government announces major catalyst for angel investing in seed-stage entrepreneurs
CfEL announces that new £50M Angel CoFund is shortly to be Open for Business
The BBAA is delighted that the new £50m Business Angel Co Investment Fund, to be named theAngel CoFund, will shortly be open for business. The fund administered with the support ofCapital for Enterprise Limited (CfEL) has been set up with a grant from the Regional Growth Fund and will be investing alongside Business Angel syndicates from across England.
The fund has been designed and established by a consortium of private and public bodies with expertise in business angel investment. It is a private sector body with clear objectives to boost the quality and quantity of business angel investing in England, and to support long-term, high quality jobs in high growth companies.
The Angel CoFund is a company limited by guarantee and private sector body with an independent board of directors. Investment decisions will be taken by an Investment Committee made up of experienced investors from the Business Angel and Venture Capital community.
A Very Successful Investment Conference and Showcase of Lachesis Companies
On the 22nd November The Lachesis Fund partnered with Connect Midlands at their Investment Conference (CMIC), at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in London.
A vibrant and stimulating day, with over 100 investors, entrepreneurs and representatives from the 11 exciting new companies from the East Midlands seeking investment. The room was buzzing with activity, as entrepreneurs and investors met to discuss investment opportunities.
CMIC is a one-day dynamic and engaging conference, where a selected group of technology companies from the region were able to pitch to London-based investors for growth funding and included a technology showcase where delegates were able to meet the presenting companies. The event concluded with a networking drinks reception to strengthen new and existing relationships.
Thousands view Olympic Torch and enjoy sports at The University of Northampton
Over 2,700 members of the public, students and staff were at The University of Northampton’s Park Campus on a gloriously sunny day (Friday 28 October) to have their picture taken with the official Coca-Cola Olympic Torch and participate in a massive range of free sporting events.
The queue for photographs with the Olympic Torch stretched into the hundreds for the entire day as everyone patiently waited to see a special piece of history. The event came about after a successful bid by the University’s Students’ Union to be the only University in the East Midlands to host the Torch in a nationwide search for inspirational young people – Future Flames – to carry the Olympic Flame during the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.
Hundreds of visitors also found out more about, and took part in, sports activities on Campus and at nearby Benham Sports Arena, including Hockey; Climbing; Football; Cricket; Boxing; Basketball; Martial Arts; Badminton; Wheelchair Basketball; Table Tennis; Stick Fighting; Rugby Union; Trampolining; Boccie; Handball; Nordic Walking; Sailing and Rowing.
University of Northampton launches MBA delivery in partnership with Vietnam National University
Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton, has travelled to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to meet with prospective higher education partners from Vietnam National University (VNU).
Professor Petford, accompanied by a delegation of senior staff, signed a ‘Memorandum of Cooperation’ on Monday 24 October with Vietnam National University, recognising plans for the joint delivery of The University of Northampton’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in the country.
The occasion featured a signing ceremony for the Memorandum between Professor Petford and VNU Vice President, Professor Le Quang Minh. This was followed by further discussions on collaboration in areas including Northampton’s specialist capabilities in sustainable development, wastes management, IT systems, and future student and staff exchanges.
Please click the link to see the clip of the signing ceremony
New Technologies focus for successful University Technical College bid in Daventry
Proposals for a ‘University Technical College (UTC) for New Technologies’ in Daventry have taken a step closer today [Monday 10 October 2011] after the project was approved by the Department for Education. In a letter received from Lord Hill of Oareford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, he said ‘This marks a significant step on the journey to opening (of the UTC in Daventry), and demonstrates the confidence we have in your vision’.
University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are a relatively new concept in education, and are designed to offer 14-19 year-olds an opportunity to take full time, technically-oriented courses. The Daventry UTC for new Technologies is planned to open by 2013 and will cater for up to 600 pupils. It will become part of a national network of University Technical Colleges (UTC) as proposed by Lord Baker and the late Ron Dearing of the Baker-Dearing Educational Trust.
[This is the second successful co-sponsoring of a UTC for The University of Northampton, following the earlier announcement of government approval for a bid at Silverstone (see below).]
Moulton College is the lead sponsor for the Daventry flagship government-funded project, a Beacon College known for providing outstanding education, and is co-sponsored by the University of Northampton. Other key partners include Daventry District Council and Northamptonshire County Council, West Northants Development Corporation and the Daventry Learning Partnership which includes Moulton and Northampton Colleges and the William Parker and Danetre secondary schools.
Educational partnership successful in bid for Silverstone University Technical College
An educational partnership between The University of Northampton, Silverstone Circuits and Tresham College of Further and Higher Education, has welcomed news that the government has agreed to establish a University Technical College within the heart of Motorsport valley.
The Silverstone Academy is planned to open by September 2013 and will allow up to 540 young people aged 14-19 from the area to train for a career in Motorsport and High Performance Engineering or Event Management in realistic working environments at one of the UK’s most prestigious venues.
University Technical Colleges are a relatively new concept in education that will provide technical education for students to learn in a practical way integrating national curriculum requirement with technical and vocational elements leading on to higher level qualifications and apprenticeships. The college ethos and curriculum will be heavily influenced by local and national employers who also provide vital support and work experience to enable students to progress into the £600m industry.
The government-funded project will be developed in Silverstone, co-sponsored by The University of Northampton and led by Tresham. The Silverstone Academy will be equipped to the highest standards to provide students with clear progression routes into higher education or further learning in technically based work.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (National) - New online patent inspection service launched
UK business could save nearly £100,000 per year thanks to a free patent system launched by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The new online service, called Ipsum, will remove the cost to businesses of requesting patent documents; instead they will now be available for free at the click of a button.
The service is open to anyone, benefiting businesses researching patents, patent attorneys working for clients protecting their IP rights and potential inventors looking for the best way to find information on patent applications. This can help them understand why a patent was granted or rejected or know more about particular patents.
Previously each document requested by a business would cost £5 and by the time it had been delivered it might already be out of date. Ipsum is updated in real time so businesses will now have the up to date information on patent applications they need.
Open the link to read the full article
Need Fresh Talent?... Gain access to short-term postgraduate placements over breakfast
Nottingham Trent University & the University of Nottingham invite you to join us for breakfast and to hear how small and medium sized enterprises can gain to access to our talented postgraduate student population through the ERDF funded Postgraduate Placements Programme.
- Venue: LT9, Newton Building, Nottingham, NG1 4BU
- Date: Friday 14 October 2011, 7.45am-9.30am
Are you an East Midlands SME who would like help with projects you have been meaning to start but don’t have the time, capacity or expertise to complete? Would you like to know more about what your local universities can do for you? Come along and hear about our Postgraduate Placements Programme and how other local businesses have been letting this opportunity work for them!
There will also be an opportunity to find about several other funded programmes currently available through the Universities, as well as the chance to network with others in the business community.
To book your space, please email us at mailto:business.info@ntu.ac.uk with your name, works title and the name of your organisation by Wednesday 12 October 2011. Please feel free to bring a colleague with you and do let us know in advance.
We look forward to seeing you then and please contact Denise Moore, Business Innovation Manager on 0115 848 8165 or email denise.moore@ntu.ac.,uk for further information.
Critical Pharmaceuticals press release
Critical Pharmaceuticals today announces that clinical data from it’s ongoing Phase 1 program on CP024, a nasal formulation of human growth hormone (hGH), has shown that CP024 is able to induce IGF-1 to the same levels as a subcutaneous injection of the marketed product. IGF-1 is the main mediator of hGH activity in the body and a clinically relevant indicator of bioactivity.
Human growth hormone is a leading biological drug for the treatment of growth disorders in adults and children with global sales in excess of $3bn in 2010. Current therapies all require daily injections that are strongly disliked by patients and their carers. CP024 has the potential to transform the delivery of hGH by enabling non-invasive delivery.
The ongoing Phase 1 program on CP024 was to evaluate the bioavailability, bioactivity and safety of two CP024 formulations administered intranasally to healthy volunteers relative to a subcutaneous injection of a marketed hGH product.
Professor Illum, the CEO of Critical Pharmaceuticals, stated “We are very encouraged with the interim results from our Phase 1 program that show for the first time that nasal administration of hGH is able to induce IGF-1 to the same levels as a subcutaneous injection. Importantly, CP024 has also been shown to be well tolerated in repeat nasal toxicological studies and in our first human clinical trial. We look forward to starting a Phase 1b study shortly and continuing the development of CP024 to bring intranasal hGH to patients as an attractive alternative to daily injection”.
CP024 has been developed using Critical Pharmaceuticals proprietary CriticalSorb™ technology, a best in class absorption promoter, and is supported by funding from the Wellcome Trust.
IP Seminar with Marks Clerk LLP
The intellectual property (IP) owned by a company can create a huge deal of value and protect the company to some extent from it's competitors.
Connect Midlands is teaming up with its sponsors, Marks & Clerk LLP, to offer companies in the East Midlands this intellectual property special seminar.
The seminar itself will offer an insight into some of the issues that high growth companies need to consider in relation to intellectual property.
There will be an opportunity to ask the speaker questions and to have private conversations in the break out area following the event.
Places are fully subsidised but limited, so early booking is advised. Secure your place using the booking form found on this page.
Phase Vison hit the ‘TARGETT’ in the Aerospace sector
Air racing is rapidly growing in popularity and of course with electric aircraft there is none of the risk associated with using flammable fossil fuels. The focus when designing the aircraft is very much on speed rather then endurance with a maximum flight time of up to 20 minutes.
The aircraft being designed by Targett Aviation – named the Rebel Electric Racer - has a wingspan of around 20 feet and the company initially created a lifesize ‘proof of concept’ model to secure investment. With this complete, the next phase was to gain an accurate representation of the entire aircraft for virtual testing and finite element analysis (FEA) on CAD with the aim of optimising the aerodynamic design of the final aircraft.
Phase Vision has been a pioneer in the development of full field white light 3D micro-metrology since 2002. A team of Phase Vision scanning experts visited Targett Aviation and using products from the company’s acclaimed Quartz white light scanning range, scanned the entire aircraft within a few hours – a total of some 250 scans which have since been ‘patched’ and surfaced ready for the FEA stage.
Dowload a copy of the full press release: July 2011
Sweeping reforms for UK intellectual property laws
The Government announces plans to modernise intellectual property laws, aiding growth and adding billions to the UK economy.
The Government has accepted all ten recommendations made in Professor Hargreaves’ independent review on intellectual property, which estimates a potential benefit to the UK economy of up to £7.9 billion.
East Midlands Early Growth Fund - Open Pitch Events
The East Midlands Early Growth Fund is approaching the end of its investment phase and in order to maximise the number and amount of investment E-Synergy are holding two Open Pitch events in August and September.
If you have any questions about the events please contact Nick Wright or Rob Cawdron at E-Synergy, their contact details are on the press release.
Sources of Funding
Depending on the type of project (e.g. R&D, Infrastructure, Rural, Low Carbon, Social Enterprise) you may wish to consider other sources of funding for projects. See below for a non-exhaustive list of potential funds.
European Regional Development Fund
Aimed at economic regeneration projects promoted primarily by the public sector
http://www.communities.gov.uk/regeneration/regenerationfunding/europeanregionaldevelopment/applying
Regional Development Programme for England (RDPE)
To develop wider rural businesses and enhance opportunities in communities where deprivation exists.
http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/
Technology Strategy Board
For technological innovation projects
http://www.innovateuk.org/
Green Investment Bank
For investment in infrastructure for a green economy and large-scale, late stage green technological innovation.
http://www.bis.gov.uk/about/procurement/current-opportunities/green-investment-bank
Big Society Bank
Available to social enterprises, charities and voluntary organisations to encourage investment in social change.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/big-society-overview
Enterprise Finance Guarantee
Loan guarantee scheme aimed at facilitating additional bank lending to viable SMEs with no or insufficient security to secure a normal commercial loan.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/gsdDetail?itemId=1081834978
New Enterprise Allowance
Micro-loans to help unemployed people start their own business
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/new-enterprise-allowance/
More information about these and other Business Support programmes can be found on the Business Link web-site
http://online.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/bsf?lang=en&page=1&purposeId=0&r.s=b&viewPersonalList=false
Award could lead to sales boost for spin-out company Dialog Devices
A competition win by medical equipment company Dialog Devices could lead to significant sales orders from the NHS.
Loughborough University spin-out Dialog Devices has been announced a winner in an NHS competition to find new ways to combat long-term conditions.
The company, based at Loughborough University’s Innovation Centre, was one of four winners from 50 entrants in the Smart Solutions for Healthcare competition.
The company’s Padd device detects blocked arteries in the leg by using infra-red light to assess blood volume changes in the foot before and after raising the leg.
Read more: June 2011
Ribeye & Phase Vision Make Waves in Marine Engineering
Ribeye, one of the UK’s leading rigid inflatable boat manufacturers, selects Phase Vision as metrology supplier for its latest state-of-the-art aluminium hull craft, bringing a new wave of precision engineering to boat manufacturing.
The historic town of Dartmouth (UK) has a long maritime history, being the last staging post of the Pilgrim Fathers en-route to the New World. Today the town is home to one of the world’s leading high-tech rigid inflatable boat builders. Ribeye has successfully married the tradition and craftsmanship of boat building with the latest materials, construction techniques and global supply-chain management processes.
Read more: June 2011
Haemostatix Ltd secures further investment in new haemostat for surgery
Haemostatix Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has received an investment of £250,000 from Esperante to support development of its innovative haemostat technology. This is the third round of funding the Company has secured in the last 12 months. Haemostats are used by surgeons to manage problematic bleeding and to reduce time in the operating theatre during surgery. The products are applied in the form of sprays, gels or pads, and typically contain the enzyme thrombin, which promotes blood clotting, as the active ingredient.
Haemostatix has developed a new class of active ingredient based on a peptide that binds to another blood clotting protein, fibrinogen, instantly forming a clot. Dr Ben Nichols, CEO of Haemostatix, commented: “There is a real need for rapid acting, ready-to-use haemostats that are safe and cost-effective, and we believe our technology can deliver these benefits to surgeons and their patients.” Haemostatix is based at Nottingham’s BioCity and was originally a spin-out from Leicester University.
13th June 2011
The University of Northampton wins top Social Entrepreneurship Award
The University of Northampton has won a prestigious award for its achievements in social enterprise at the UK’s ‘Dare to be Different’ national conference in Sheffield (Thursday 16 June), placing the institution and county firmly on the map for leadership in social enterprise.
‘The Outstanding HEI (higher education institution) Supporting Social Entrepreneurship Award’ was made to the University as part of the first annual ‘Champions of Change Recognition Awards’, presented by UnLtd (the world's largest social enterprise start-up programme supporting 8,000 entrepreneurs) and Hefce (the Higher Education Funding Council for England).
Read More : June 2011
CompanDX and Tissue Solutions Announce Agreement.
Nottingham based CompanDX and Clydebank based Tissue Solutions have joined forces in a co-promotion and service agreement to provide clients in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech sectors with an unparalleled opportunity to link the supply of human tissues and biofluids to subsequent biomarker and target identification studies.
Dr Andy Sutton, CEO of CompanDX said, ‘The alliance between Tissue Solutions and CompanDX offers an exceptional opportunity for the industry to tap into resources and tools that provide a human centric approach and that could address the needs of an embattled sector.’
Read more: March 2011
Enhanced Productivity and Bottom-Line benefits of Ultra-Fast High Resolution 3D Measurement to be showchased at SUBCON 2011
SubCon is the subcontract manufacturing show, to be held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 7-9 June 201On stand M47, Leicestershire-based 3D measurement specialist Phase Vision will display its state-of-the-art Quartz range of white light scanners which can deliver several million precision measurement points of the surfaces of objects with even the most complex geometries in a matter of seconds.
Ralph Weir of Phase Vision commented: “In many manufacturing sectors, metrology continues to be a bottleneck for delivering fast design turnaround, production tooling and high resolution quality assurance. Our technology can cut product cycles by days or weeks in some cases, providing an important competitive edge for design and manufacturing subcontractors competing for vital contracts.
Read more: May 2011
Oncimmune® Announces Independent Research to be Conducted on their EarlyCDT™-Lung Test -- A Test Designed to Aid in Identifying Lung Cancer
Oncimmune announces that the autoantibody platform used in their proprietary EarlyCDT-Lung test is being made available for independent research at the Centre for Excellence for Autoimmunity in Cancer (CEAC) at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. The research will further assess the performance of EarlyCDT-Lung, a test designed to identify the existence of cancer antigens in patients displaying the earliest symptoms of lung cancer.
Developed by researchers from Oncimmune, the EarlyCDT-Lung test is the first of its kind. This test is designed to aid in the risk assessment and early detection of lung cancer. Currently, in most cases, a diagnosis is made only after the disease has progressed and the patient begins displaying symptoms of lung cancer. The EarlyCDT-Lung test is a blood test which analyzes a multi–antigen panel to detect autoantibodies that have been associated with lung cancer antigens. Autoantibodies are produced in the very early stages of lung cancer, potentially enabling doctors to detect the disease before it has time to progress.
Read more: May 2011
Monica Healthcare triumphs in Business Awards
Monica Healthcare walked away with the Outstanding Achievement Award in this year’s Medilink East Midlands Business Competition. CEO Carl Barratt collected the prize on behalf of the company at the Innovation Day awards’ evening held at the East Midlands Conference Centre.
Carl said: “This is a culmination of three years of hard work which has led to us being granted FDA approval and congratulations must go to the whole team for their contribution towards this fantastic achievement. This award is well-deserved regional and national recognition and great technical and market validation of our product, of which we are all very proud.”
This year’s winners are automatically entered into the Medilink UK national awards which will take place in early 2012.
Read more: May 2011
CellAura signs license with University of Nottingham to access Confocal Perfusion System for Measuring GPCR Binding Kinetics
The University of Nottingham has developed a novel perfusion system mounted onto a confocal fluorescence microscope that allows the binding of fluorescent ligands to GPCRs expressed on live cells to be observed in real-time. Quantification of ligand binding and dissociation from individual cells under continuous perfusion flow allows the kinetics of ligand-receptor interactions to be determined. This is probably the first technology to be able to determine ligand binding kinetics on a single live cell.
CellAura has signed a license with the University of Nottingham to be able to access the novel perfusion system, which uses CellAura’s fluorescent ligands as its principal reagent. It is CellAura’s intention to commercialise the perfusion technology to provide an instrument platform on which its reagents can be readily used to measure ligand affinity, binding duration, and allosteric effects of drug candidates to alter fluorescent ligand binding and dissociation rates.
Read more: Jan 2011
The Lachesis Fund moves offices
The Lachesis Fund has moved to new offices in the Holywell Business Park, Loughborough. The move maintains Lachesis's links with the Loughborough Innovation Centre and provides new facilities. There are no changes to our phone numbers.
New Address: Loughborough Innovation Centre, Charnwood Building, Holywell Park, Ashby Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3AQ
Phase Vision takes control
Leicestershire-based three-dimensional white light measurement specialist Phase Vision has branded its first appearance at an overseas exhibition a major success.
The Stuttgart Exhibition Centre in Germany was the venue for the 25th Control Show – the largest event of its kind in the world - where Phase Vision took its place among exhibitors from across the globe in the field of manufacturing quality assurance.
The exhibition was attended by thousands of worldwide visitors, many of whom visited the Phase Vision stand to see for themselves the unique capabilities of the company’s state-of-the-art Quartz range of white light scanners.
Download Press Release - May 2011
Priority Axis 1 Call for Activity Launched
The East Midlands 2007-13 Competitiveness Programme has officially launched a third Open Call for Activity under the Programme's Innovation and Sustainable Business Practice Priority.
Programme Priority Axis 1 (PA1) seeks to create a high value-added economy by supporting innovation and sustainable business practice and will build on the region's key strengths. This Call for Activity seeks to commit up to £19m ERDF and invites Expressions of Interest from applicants that can demonstrate they can contribute significantly to the achievement of PA1 objectives, outputs and results.
The associated Prospectus and Expression of Interest form are available to download at www.eastmidlandserdf.org.uk from the 'Applying for Funding' pages.
The deadline for Expressions of Interest to be received by the ERDF Team under this Call is noon on Friday, 27th May 2011.
Prospectus Download here
UAAVS Get a lift
Phase Vision recently helped Peterborough-based AESIR in the development of it's latest generation of high performance unmanned autonomous airborne vehicles (UAAVs).
Easily mistaken for a flying-saucer, AESIR's craft expolit the Coanda effect , whereby fastmoving air over a circular aerofoil section creates both downward thrust and a low-pressure zone creating lift. The AESIR technology allows vertical take off and landing and a larger payload capability than similar fixed wing UAVs. The hover and high-speed capability of the craft combined with the latest on-board camera, image recognition and GPS technology make for a formidible military and law enforcement tool.
Follow the link for more information
PolyTherics and Critical Pharmaceuticals enter drug development collaboration with funding from the Technology Strategy Board
Nottingham and London, UK. 5th April 2011 - Critical Pharmaceuticals, an emerging biotechnology company and PolyTherics Limited ("PolyTherics"), innovators in precision improvement of proteins and peptides, today announced a collaboration to develop a novel injectable sustained release drug delivery system for a high value biological drug. The companies have been awarded a grant from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board to develop the technology and prototype drug.
The aim of the collaboration is to produce a clinically superior sustained release product that can be administered less frequently than currently marketed products with a potential reduction in side effects and improved overall efficacy.
Download Press Release - April 2011
Champagne corks fly as Lachesis-funded Nottingham company gains FDA approval for unique fetal monitoring device
Carl Barratt, Managing Director of Monica Healthcare Ltd is celebrating after winning US approval to market their unique fetal heart monitoring device in the USA.
The Monica AN24 is a wireless fetal-maternal monitor, the first of its type in the world. It measures the heart rate of the unborn baby, and helps identify potential problems before and during the birth process. Existing monitors measure mechanical signals, i.e. the mechanical movement of the fetal heart whereas the Monica AN24 device measures the tiny electrical signals from the fetal heart, and separates them from the much stronger signals from the mother’s heart. The system is a very small wearable wireless device, rather than a large bedside monitor. The key advantage is the wireless aspect; the patient no longer has to stay on the bed whilst being monitored. Through the clinical trials, it has proved to be more accurate, working very well on obese mothers, an area where existing technology has had problems. The Monica AN24 also requires less intervention, so that the midwives do not have to move the transducers in the same way they do for current technologies. This makes the monitoring process easier for them and for the Mums.
New Grant for Research and Development scheme launches
A new Grant for Research and Development (GRD) scheme is being introduced to offer funding to small companies, enabling them to research and develop new products, processes and services.
Managed by the Technology Strategy Board, the scheme, which comes into effect from 4th April 2011, will support small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) across the UK.
The new initiative supersedes the former GRD programme which was managed by England’s Regional Development Agencies and will have similar objectives. Under the scheme, the maximum funding available will be £25,000 for proof-of-market grants, £100,000 for proof-of-concept grants and £250,000 for development of prototype grants.
Two fully-funded MSc studentships now available (sponsored by Aero Engine Controls)
We now two fully-funded industry-based studentships available for study on the University of Leicester’s MSc programme in Reliable Embedded Systems.
These studentships are available to students from the UK or EU (that is, to individuals classified as “Home” or “EU” students by the University of Leicester).
These operate as follows:
- The studentships pay all University fees for the full (2-year) programme (subject to satisfactory progress)
- The studentships also provide a maintenance award of £12,000 / year for 2 years (subject to satisfactory progress). Our understanding is that this award is tax free.
- During the period of the studentship, you will undertake a work placement in the sponsoring company, during which you will complete your MSc project.
- You will have the opportunity to apply for a UK job with the sponsoring company at the end of the MSc programme.
University of Nottingham - Winners of 2011 Fast Forward Competition
Congratulations to the University of Nottingham for winning the only award for £100k for a proposal, working with the Design Council, to embed design into IP in UK HEIs. And to the University of Leicester for their pize of £17k for their proposal: Driving Innovation from Bench to the Bedside - a Leicester BioMed Collaboration,
The list of winners are below and full details of all the winning entries will be made available on the IPSO web site very soon.
Awards Ceremony
An Awards Ceremony was held in London, on Wednesday 9 March 2011 and the winners are:
- Design for Technology Transfer - University of Nottingham in partnership with the Design Council - £100,000
- Protecting the Fashion Economy - London College of Fashion - £80,000
- Easy Access Innovation Partnership - University of Glasgow in partnership with King’s College London and the University of Bristol - £80,000
- Pump-priming the Harwell Oxford knowledge transfer ecosystem - MRC Harwell - £75,000
- South East IP Bank (SEIPB) - University of Surrey - £75,000
- E-Lucid - University College London - £60,000
- A model for the rapid commercialisation of university software - effective use of copyright and trade marks - Aberystwyth University - £30,000
- Innovating in social enterprises to benefit business and community - Social Innovation in Business Partnership (SIIB), University of the West of England -£25,000
- Hagen - Oxford University Computing Services (OUCS), University of Oxford - £20,000
- Driving Innovation from Bench to the Bedside - Leicester BioMed Collaboration, University of Leicester - £17,000
Critical Pharmaceuticals’ CriticalSorb™ Nasal Drug Delivery Technology Shows Excellent Local Tolerability in Long Term Preclinical Studies
Critical Pharmaceuticals today announces the results of a long-term preclinical study that confirms the excellent local tolerability of its unique and proprietary CriticalSorb™ nasal drug delivery technology. The emerging biotechnology company is now preparing to take the technology forward into a phase I clinical trial.
CriticalSorb™ is already used in a number of marketed drugs for intravenous and oral administration and the results of this study complete the toxicology package for the nasal route of administration.
Download Press Release - March 2011
MP sees innovation in practice at Loughborough University spin-out company
MP Nicky Morgan gained a glimpse of the high-tech future of healthcare when she visited Loughborough University spin out company Dialog Devices on Friday (February 11, 2011).
The Loughborough MP paid a visit to the new offices of Dialog Devices, who are the inventors of an innovative, potentially life-saving device called Padd™.
Padd™ (Peripheral Arterial Disease assessment Device) is a quick and painless way to ‘see’ below the surface of the skin, and assess peripheral blood circulation.
Download Press Release - Feb 2011
Monica Healthcare gains FDA clearance for groundbreaking wireless fetal monitor
Monica Healthcare (based in the UK), has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted regulatory clearance of their Monica AN24 wireless fetal monitor for use during Labour and Delivery. This FDA clearance enables Monica technology to be utilised for intrapartum term monitoring for all singleton births in the USA.
The Monica AN24 uses innovative wireless, non-invasive technology to collect real-time electrical signals from the abdomen of a pregnant mother. The device uses complex algorithms to correctly identify signals related to the fetal heart rate and uterine muscle (contraction signals) on the abdomen of singleton pregnant women using ECG-style electrodes. This method of using electrophysiological signals differs from current external monitoring devices that collect FHR and uterine activity data based on physical changes (e.g. change in reflected sound waves and changes on strain gauge) that may cause problems in data interpretation such as discerning FHR vs. MHR data.
Download Press Release - Feb 2011
The Impact Awards are now open - recognition for innovation and collaboration
Calling for entries to The Impact Awards 11
Nominations are invited for The Impact Awards, an award scheme designed to recognise and celebrate the success of knowledge transfer. The Impact Awards are open to all sectors of research that have made an outstanding impact through successful knowledge transfer. Organised by PraxisUnico (the UK’s leading research commercialisation organisation), The Impact Awards will showcase the very best examples of knowledge transfer activity.
The Impact Award categories are:
- Business Impact - Aspiring
- Business Impact - Achieved
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**NEW for 2011** Collaborative Impact
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Career Track Award – KT Achiever of the Year
The new Collaborative Impact award has been created to better represent other knowledge transfer activity such as (but not limited to) research collaborations or consultancy projects. The Impact Awards will raise awareness of the potential within knowledge transfer activities by demonstrating best practice and impact.
We are delighted to invite Maggie Philbin back for a second year to host and present the awards at the PraxisUnico Conference Gala Dinner, at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgowon Thursday 9 June 2011. As well as providing comment on technology for the BBC, Maggie has a unique resonance with audiences who remember her from much loved shows such as ‘Swap Shop’ and ‘Tomorrow’s World’.
For further information, and to enter online please visit www.impactawards.org.uk
Please note: To qualify for entry, teams must include a representative from the technology/knowledge transfer function.
Phase Vision Supports Racecar Engineers of the Future
Whether it’s Formula 1, IndyCar, or amateur stock car racing, there is simply no substitute for time out on the track to allow final refinements to be made to ensure optimum performance on race day.
When the Brunel Racing team from Brunel University in Uxbridge was seeking to improve its results in the annual Formula Student championships, they knew that the key task of getting the new version of the Yamaha R6 engine correctly fitted into the rear chassis space frame was one of the most time-consuming – and therefore one which offered the greatest potential for time savings if undertaken optimally.
Download Press Release here - Feb 2011
2011 Fast Forward Competition
The Intellectual Property Office is pleased to announce the 2011 Fast Forward Competition which aims to help research-intensive universities extract the maximum benefit from their intellectual property. The Intellectual Property Office has a long record of providing support and leadership in knowledge transfer, for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs). Intellectual Property Minister, Baroness Wilcox has launched this competition to encourage and support cutting-edge knowledge transfer practice which nurtures opportunities that capitalise on knowledge transfer from the research base, and delivers long-term structural benefit to the UK economy and society. The IPO promotes effective use of the UK system - from agreeing contracts, to understanding individual European country approaches. Our booklet "A Guide to Managing Intellectual Property: Strategic Decision-Making Guide in Universities" is currently available, with plans to launch an updated new version Guide in Spring 2011. The Fast Forward competition has a new prize fund of £500k which will be awarded to a minimum of 12 successful projects, with individual awards between £10,000 and £100,000. This is not funding for research or commercialisation of individual products, but awards for projects that improve management of IP and knowledge exchange. Proposals from all staff groups, individual HEIs, PSREs and consortia, where there is potential for sector-wide impact or application, and which will make significant or lasting difference to the sustainability/effectiveness of activities at an individual institution or group, are welcomed. Proposals must be received by noon on Monday 14 February 2011. Information on what your proposal should contain, selection criteria and application form are available from here.
Former University Vice Chancellor receives CBE
Ann Tate, former Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton (2002-2010) has been appointed CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for ‘Services to Higher Education’.
Ann began her career in secondary education in North Manchester and held several teaching posts in further and higher education. She joined the University of Ulster in 1990 and became Pro Vice Chancellor there in 1995. In 2002 she took on the post of Rector at University College Northampton, overseeing its successful transition to full University status, and in 2005 became the first Vice Chancellor of The University of Northampton.
Reacting to the public announcement of her CBE, Ann commented: “I was very surprised when I received the news that I was being considered for a CBE in November last year. My family and I are thrilled.
Dowload Press Release here - January 2011
Phase Vision Recognised for Entrepreneurial Spirit
The management of Leicestershire-based Phase Vision, a pioneering company in three-dimensional non-contact measurement, have been recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit at a major regional awards scheme.
Phase Vision was showcased as an exemplar company at an annual awards event held by Connect Midlands, a not-for-profit network that supports technology and high-growth companies. The event took place at the state of the art £50m International Digital Laboratory facility at the University of Warwick.
Dowload Press Release here - December 2010
Axilica and Abstract Solutions Collaborate to Provide Advanced UML-based Solutions and Services
Loughborough, U.K.
Companies developing complex embedded systems, in key market segments such as telecommunications and military aerospace, are adopting model-driven methodologies to reduce time-to-market and product development costs. UML-based methodologies, widely used in systems and software development, are being applied to hardware modelling and development, enabling use of a common language across systems, software and hardware.
Abstract Solutions offers a mature, highly optimised system and software design process that, in conjunction with Axilica’s UML–based behavioural synthesis solution for generating hardware, delivers an innovative and agile UML-based embedded systems development methodology.
Download Press Release here - November 2010
CellAura releases beta-test version of High Content image analysis software
CellAura acknowledges that the bottleneck in High Content Analysis is not the generation of high resolution images of fluorescently labelled cells and tissues, but is often the off-line analysis of the image collection to determine the effect(s) of a particular treatment.
To address this bottleneck, CellAura have developed analysis macros for the NIH Image J image analysis software package that are suitable for quantifying the binding of CellAura’s fluorescent ligands. These analysis macros are available as beta-test versions incorporated into the Image J software for free download and testing. The analysis modules are also available as standalone free downloads for incorporation into existing Image J installations. These downloads are available from the CellAura website by going to the Image Analysis section.
TTE Systems Invite You to Join their next training course on "Embedded C" (17-21 January 2011, Leicester, UK)
Cars, aircraft, medical equipment through to fridges, TVs, MP3 players and even (wet) razors are all good examples of modern systems which contain embedded processors. Overall, it is usually estimated that for every desktop computer chip sold, 100 processors are sold for embedded systems.
As this field grows, there are many job opportunities available for individuals who understand how to develop reliable embedded systems.
Using a practical mixture of informal seminars and “hands on” training sessions, this 5-day introductory course has been designed to give you the key skills required to make rapid progress in this exciting field.
This course can be used as the first module on the MSc in Reliable Embedded Systems.
Follow the Link to find out more information
Phase Vision Founder to Address Leading Sector Event
One of the founders of Leicestershire-based Phase Vision, a pioneering company in three-dimensional non-contact measurement, has been invited to speak at a highly prestigious national sector event.
Professor Jonathan Huntley is Technical Director of Phase Vision, an established market leader in white light measurement systems with clients in sectors including aerospace, automotive, marine and rail.
Experts a safe bet to help gain cash
HAZID Technologies, based on Beeston Business Park, takes safety seriously because that is its business.
It was born out of the belief of company chairman Jim Madden that safety in process industries should be an integral part of the design and operation of oil, gas and chemical plants.
He came across software developed by Loughborough University which he realised could be developed into a system which would flag up the hazard areas, and agreed to commercialise and develop the technology.
But that development has required money, and while initial cash from the university, people in the business and of course Lachesis helped it get off the ground, it needed more support to take it on to the next stage.
This is how Jim and Hazid came into contact with Connect Midlands, the organisation which helps firms understand what they need to do to attract financial backing.
Critical Pharmaceuticals to Present Positive Preclinical Data on Nasal Growth Hormone at AAPS Annual Meeting and Marcus Evans Product Development Forum
Critical Pharmaceuticals, an emerging biotechnology company, will present positive preclinical results from its CP024 program for growth hormone deficiency at the AAPS Annual Meeting in New Orleans (14-18 November) and Marcus Evans Peptide Formulation and Product Development Forum in Vienna (2-3 December). CP024 is a nasal spray of human growth hormone (hGH) developed using Critical Pharmaceuticals proprietary CriticalSorb™ technology and supported by funding from the Wellcome Trust.
“We are delighted to have achieved exceptional bioavailability and tolerability of human growth hormone delivered nasally using our CriticalSorb™ technology ” said Professor Lisbeth Illum, CEO of Critical Pharmaceuticals. “As we move into Phase 1 clinical studies, we look forward to demonstrating the potential of CP024 to provide patients with an attractive alternative to frequent injection of human growth hormone and other complex biological drugs.”
Download a copy of the full press release here
Nottingham, UK November 1 2010
Wellcome Trust and investors back development of new surgical haemostat
5th November 2010 - Haemostatix Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has received a £409,000 Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to support development of its innovative haemostat technology. The funding coincides with an additional £459,000 investment from Spark Ventures, Catapult Venture Managers, NESTA, the Lachesis Fund and Leicester University as well as new investor, Nottingham’s Mobius Technology Ventures.
Haemostats are used by surgeons to manage problematic bleeding and to reduce time in the operating theatre during surgery. The products are applied in the form of sprays, gels or pads, and typically contain the enzyme thrombin, which promotes blood clotting, as the active ingredient.
Haemostatix has developed a new class of active ingredient based on a peptide that binds to another blood clotting protein, fibrinogen, instantly forming a clot.
CompanDX Launches 31-Gene Time-to-an-Event Breast Cancer Test
September 15, 2010
By Turna Ray
CompanDX this week launched its "time to an event" breast cancer gene panel, which the company said can predict whether patients' cancer will metastasize based on a 31-gene signature.
The company, which recently changed its name from Compandia to CompanDX, presented data on the test at the British Breast Cancer meeting this week in Nottingham, UK. The test uses CompanDX's Risk Distiller bioinformatics tool to predict the time in which a breast cancer patient's disease may metastasize after initial surgery and biopsy.
The company said it used three publicly available clinical datasets to generate the 31-gene signature, which it then validated in a fourth clinical dataset. "Across these patient cohorts the actual versus signature-predicted time to metastases has a correlation of 0.86," the company reported, adding that this was a statistically significant finding.
VenueSim pioneers new software tool to get passengers holidays from East Midlands Airport off to a flying start
In a first for UK airports, VenueSim and East Midlands Airport are using innovative technology to predict future trends and improve the start to passenger’s holidays.
East Midlands Airport prides itself on ensuring that its passengers have a stress free journey through its terminal and VenueSim are helping the airport to go one step further to help ease the journey through security.
Leicester based company, VenueSim have developed a new product that predicts passenger demand and flows at airports. The product, called Q-Alert, uses an innovative piece of software to predict passenger demand at the security area of airports and, as a result, optimise the security requirements to meet this demand. It is based on artificial intelligence technology from De Montfort University in Leicester and was developed in conjunction with East Midlands Airport. Using both historical and modelled data, based on the passengers passing through the airport, VenueSim’s Q-Alert is able to accurately forecast when passengers will arrive at the security gates. This information recommends the number of security lanes that need to be open to deal with this demand – and keep queue lengths to a minimum – which then allows the security team to provide cover in line with the forecast demand. The system is even able to work in ‘real time’ to let the security team know when abnormal peaks in demand may be about to occur due to, say, a hold up on the road network delaying passenger arrival times at the airport.
Phase Vision puts breakthrough white light scanners on show at TCT Live
Phase Vision puts breakthrough white light scanners on show at TCT Live
Leicestershire-based three-dimensional white light measurement specialist Phase Vision will exhibit its new range of Quartz scanners on stand N18 at TCT Live 2010, to be held at Coventry's Ricoh Arena on 19-20 October 2010.
The Quartz range was successfully launched at MACH 2010, and will now be showcased to designers and engineers at TCT Live seeking the latest technologies to help them reduce time to market.
Over £300 million brought to the East Midlands
An evaluation report into emda’s Grant for Research and Development (GRD) scheme has found that it is one of the most effective in the UK, with a return on investment of almost £10 for every £1 spent.
The report found that 680 awards totalling over £26.7 million were made to companies in the East Midlands between 1999/2000 and 2007/08. As a result of these investments, it was estimated that the grants gave rise to a cumulative net Gross Value Added (GVA) impact of £308m (based on 2008 prices).
Nottingham companies take the honours at the Lord Stafford Awards
A nanoparticle specialist and a company pioneering global ‘sat nav’ technology put Nottingham on the innovation map last night when the Lord Stafford Awards came to a glittering finale.
Over 250 people packed into the Epic Centre in Lincolnshire to see Promethean Particles (supported by University of Nottingham) and Nottingham Scientific Ltd (backed by De Montfort University) capture the ‘Innovation Achieved’ and ‘Innovation in Development’ titles respectively.
The two local businesses drew praise from the high profile judging panel for taking complex technology and transforming it into commercial enterprises that are going to create wealth and jobs in the East Midlands.
They also highlighted the impact both products could have on the global marketplace and the recognition this will provide for the two Universities involved.
Lord Stafford, who first launched the initiative in Staffordshire in 1997, was delighted with the quality of this year’s competition.
“The Awards are the only ones in the UK dedicated to celebrating innovative collaborations between businesses and Universities and Nottingham has certainly secured the plaudits this year.
“Nottingham Scientific and Promethean have shown what can be achieved when they combine their own skills and expertise with those of academia to secure commercial gains for both parties.”
He continued: “The winners will receive a £5000 cheque and a trophy from Ceramic Decals, not to mention promotional videos that will help them when marketing their products and services going forward.”
The third and final winner on the evening was social enterprise Hill Holt Wood from Lincolnshire, who walked off with the ‘Innovation in Sustainability’ Award.
Dowload a copy of the Press Release
Oncimmune
Loughborough, U.K. - 26 April 2010. Oncimmune. A simple blood test that can detect a cancer before a tumour has taken shape has been developed by British scientists. Due to be introduced in Britain by early next year, it is described as offering a "paradigm shift" in cancer diagnosis.
Download Press Release - The Times 1st June 2010 (News and Leader)
Download Press Release - The Times 1st June 2010 (Physician Testamonials)
Download Press Release - The Times 1st June 2010 (General)
Axilica and SELEX Galileo Collaborate on a new Methodology for Advanced Product Development
Loughborough, U.K. - 26 April 2010. Axilica Limited announced today that SELEX Galileo
Ltd has selected Axilica’s FalconML as an enabling technology for aspects of an innovative
UML-based embedded systems development methodology, which will offer a model-driven
approach for the rapid development and enhanced through-life support of EW systems.
Axilica secures 495K grant from European Commission FP7 program
Loughborough, U.K. - 26 April 2010. Axilica Limited announced today that in partnership
with other European companies - including Thales Communications, Softeam (France);
Loughborough University (UK); and University of Peloponnese and Intracom (Greece) - it has
secured a total grant of 2.6M from the European Commission FP7 program for the ENOSYS
project (intEgrated modelliNg and synthesis tOol flow for embedded SYStems design).
Alere Partners with Monica, 26.3.2010 Atlanta, GA
Alere Health, LLC, a leader in personal health support solutions (a division of Inverness Medical Innovations NYSE: IMA), today announced a partnership between the Alere® Women’s & Children’s Health Division (WCH) and Lachesis supported start up Monica Healthcare Ltd, developers of a groundbreaking wireless, wearable fetal-maternal monitor.
Lachesis portfolio ranks highly in Telegraph’s Top 50 University spinout companies
Two Lachesis portfolio start ups have achieved high rankings in a new national league table for university spin-out companies.
University of Nottingham spinout and fetal monitoring device developers, Monica Healthcare, is currently ranked 22nd out of 50 whilst Phase Vision, the white light metrology technology developer and Loughborough University spinout, is currently 25th.
The Telegraph’s supplement Your Business has just begun tracking the progress of 50 highly promising university spinouts to show the breadth of cutting edge technology emerging from Britain's universities. It has used a scoring system developed by YouNoodle (www.younoodle.com), the global directory of startups, which currently includes more than 25,000 companies and pulls in over 150,000 startup news stories every day. The site allows business owners, customers and investors to measure and track both the progress and news stories associated with any startup online.
October 2009
Cellaura announces development partnership with Cisbio Bioassays. Read more...
Phase Vision win award from Technology Strategy Board. Read more...
Critical Pharmaceuticals secures £1.5m from Wellcome Trust to develop hGH Nasal Spray. Read more...
Monica presents at World Congress of Perinatal Medicine. Read more...
September 2009
Promethean Particles scoops Innovation Achieves Award at Lord Staffords. Read more...
July 2009
Phase Vision takes investment award. Read more...
Fiteris - Software company's 'breakthrough' is ready for launch. Read more...
Fiteris - De Montfort discovery offers a solution to media file dilemma. Read more...
June 2009
Phase Vision, a firm which provides hi-tech measuring systems to help aircraft and car makers save money is creating 30 jobs after winning a £1.4m investment. Read more...
Dialog Devices -Padd presenting at NHS Healthcare Innovation Expo.
CellAura Technologies Ltd and Fisher Scientific UK Ltd to become exclusive channel partners for the UK. Read more...
May 2009
Oncimmune - New test for lung cancer 'could save thousands' Read more...
CellAura Technologies Ltd re-launched their website with a fresh new look and added functionality. www.cellaura.com
Website development:
De Facto
De Facto
