Moore welcomes £29 million support for life sciences
UK Government to award money to life science centre's in Dundee, Edinburgh and Strathclyde
The Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore has welcomed the news the UK Government is to award £29 million to life sciences across the UK, including an e-health research centre in Dundee. Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Dundee universities will also received funding to support academics and SMEs explore the market potential of their ideas.
Ministers announced substantial new funding awards to boost the UK life sciences industry, as UK and international delegates meet in London for the British Business Embassy Life Sciences summit.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and Universities and Science Minister David Willetts announced that the first awards totalling £10 million from Government’s £180 million Biomedical Catalyst have been awarded to fourteen UK universities and 18 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These include Dundee, Edinburgh and Strathclyde.
David Willetts also announced that the Medical Research Council and a consortium of 10 UK Government and charity research funders have invested £19 million to establish four e-health research centres in London, Manchester, Dundee and Swansea. The new centres will enable the UK to make more effective use of electronic health data - a field with huge possibilities for health care delivery and the understanding of disease.
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said: “Scotland’s life sciences sector is receiving a significant boost as part of the UK. It is an important sector which harnesses cutting edge research to commercial opportunity, whether in biotech, pharmaceuticals, healthcare or medical technologies.
“Scotland has led the way in many respect and today’s news will help the centres of excellence in our cities and universities to develop further as we collaborate within the UK and across the world. It underlines the strength and benefits of Scotland as part of the UK.
“The Global Business Summit on Life Sciences will also introduce some of the world’s most important and influential sector leaders to see what the UK have to offer.”
The Life Sciences Day is one of 18 global business summits being organised by UK Trade & Investment to promote UK businesses and facilitate international trade during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
300 UK and international healthcare delegates will discuss the ways in which change in healthcare can be achieved through collaboration between industry, academia and healthcare providers. The event will also focus on how translational research can be used to develop novel therapeutics and medical technologies and examine the expanding role of informatics and digital technology in healthcare delivery.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and Technology Strategy Board have made the first funding awards under the joint £180 million Biomedical Catalyst set up with Government support. The MRC “Confidence in Concept” awards, totalling £7.4 million, will give universities grants of between £360,000 and £750,000 to help them progress more promising research ideas towards clinical testing.
The recipients are:
- University of Cambridge: £600,000
- University of Dundee: £750,000
- University of Edinburgh: £700,000
- Imperial College London: £700,000
- King’s College London: £500,000
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: £250,000
- University of Nottingham: £400,000
- University of Oxford: £750,000
- Queens University Belfast: £300,000
- University College London: £700,000
- University of Birmingham: £600,000
- University of Manchester: £500,000
- University of Sheffield: £360,000
- University of Strathclyde: £300,000