Tag: Innovation

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North East BIC welcomes third laboratory business this year

A new North East business which uses innovative technologies to quantify the source of bacteria in bathing waters is the latest tenant to move into the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC).

The company, Prokarya, moved into laboratory space at the BIC just this month and managing director, Gregg Iceton, believes his company has a revolutionary approach to microbial source tracking as well as identifying bacteria, Gregg explains: “We offer two services; the first is tracking the source of bacteria in bathing waters, reservoirs or any other water sample. The second is identifying what kind of bacteria are within a sample and linking that to in the performance of bioreactors such as sewage treatment works.”

The company became established in May after Gregg completed the S.T.R.E.A.M programme, which enables talented researchers to develop their skills and careers, while obtaining an Engineering Doctorate (EngD), Gregg continues: “As far as I am aware there is no one in the UK offering microbial source tracking at this resolution. The food industry do offer a related service identifying meat species but it’s more to do with food safety and integrity of the supply chain. There are some companies offering DNA sequencing, but no one is offering a full analysis service.

“This source tracking benefits everybody. As there will be less exposure to bacteria, public health will be improved. You could also argue that local economies could benefit because if a beach gets the coveted Blue Flag, tourism could increase. The general public will benefit as there will be no need to spend money on additional treatment or storm water tanks if the pollution isn’t coming from there, which is what I can prove.”

After viewing the space available at the BIC’s Gregg was certain this 14 acre site was the place for him: “The BIC looked like a friendly place that provides help and support to businesses and that was a definite plus for me. It has a community spirit here and that was appealing, plus the lab space was everything I needed.

“My main focus currently is to bring awareness that there is technology out there as well as establishing myself in the market place.”

Prokarya joins two other recent laboratories who have taken space at the BIC; Biosignatures took residency in September as well as a cancer diagnostic company, Arquer Diagnostics, who also have a presence in Cambridge.

Senior space adviser, Donna Surtees, added: “Gregg’s business is the third laboratory we have welcomed to the BIC this year, his comments are very complimentary because a business community is exactly what we aim to create. I wish his business all the best for the future and I look forward to seeing him grow at the BIC.”

www.ne-bic.co.uk

Home / Innovation / Page 12

In conversation with Dr Peter Simpson, director of N8 Research Partnership and member of the North East LEP Innovation Board

North East economic growth through Life Sciences innovation – can you help by completing our survey?

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) is currently working on a new strategy to grow the North East’s Health and Life Sciences sector.

I have the pleasure of representing this sector in my role as Health and Life Sciences Lead on the North East LEP’s Innovation Board. Over the last 16 years in delivering innovation in technologies, products and partnerships working in major global pharmaceutical organisations, I have learnt how important a supportive environment, research community, translational tools, skills and resources can be to make innovation happen.

The North East LEP identified Life Sciences as an important strategic area of economic activity in the North East. The LEP is keen to develop an industry strategy and action plan that will foster growth of the Health and Life Sciences sector in the North East – generating economic returns from more and better jobs.

The North East is a great place to do Life Sciences, and a great place to live and work. But there is so much more potential to unlock. The Innovation Board wants to help grow this key economic area through targeted, insightful actions that drive up innovation, and economic investment.

We want to position the North East as a leader in Life Sciences, attracting more companies to locate and employ skilled people in the region, and to help those companies already here to grow and flourish. To deliver this we have been thinking about how to leverage the region’s academic and clinical expertise, and key research institutes and Catapults, to grow the sector.

Seven months ago, the North East LEP Innovation Board set up a working group of volunteers from public and private sector organisations. They have been working in recent months to consider, with me, what we on the Innovation Board should do to help Life Sciences flourish. Under the coordination of Geoff Davison, chief executive of Bionow, the group have been very busy understanding and assessing current capabilities and capacities in the region; and identifying the North East’s strengths, and gaps, in support mechanisms.

We know that we don’t have all the ideas, and we would love to hear views from people working across Health and Life Sciences in the North East to shape priorities to emerge this piece of work.

Areas we have identified as possible opportunities so far include:

• Developing a cluster economy opportunity around world-leading companies selecting the North East for production plants – supplementing the supply chain

• Improving and leveraging the structures that support innovation commercialisation

• Unlocking the commercial potential of North East universities’ areas of world class research

• Helping clinical development in NHS by infrastructure that translates discovery through development to adoption

• Supporting existing North East key high growth businesses and sub-sectors

• Developing a specialist life science skills strategy for the region

We can’t do everything, so focus is vital. What steps would have the most impact on economic growth of the North East region? What have we missed?

I am most grateful to my colleagues on the working group. We are all in this together, I would love to see even more engagement from the industrial, public and academic sector to help move Health and Life Sciences forward in the North East. Insights from businesses, individuals, academics and clinicians are key to translating ideas into actions, and actions into results.

The Health and Life Sciences working group and the North East LEP Innovation Board are doing this work as volunteers because their passion is for the growing the economy of the region together.

Please contribute to this work by filling in our easy-to-use survey, and you can also volunteer time to help with the work too.

By Dr Peter Simpson

Home / Innovation / Page 12

In conversation with Neil Spann, Managing Director of Big Solar

Many people struggle to describe innovation. What does it mean to you?

For me, innovation is about bringing new products or services to market that have the potential to make a difference. It is about not accepting the status quo and finding new ways to solve existing problems.

Can you explain a little about your specific role and what you do?

I am the Managing Director of Big Solar Limited. As a small start-up company this means that the role is pretty wide ranging – including making the tea! I spend most of my time working to raise new funds for the company, overseeing the development progress of our new solar technology, Power Roll, and working to develop relationships with third party suppliers and partners.

What does Big Solar do differently that sets it apart from its competitors?

Big Solar is developing Power Roll, which uses a new and unique method to harness the power of the sun. We are taking a completely different approach to generating solar power that should allow us to produce Power Roll at a fraction of the cost of existing solar panels which are currently largely manufactured in the Far East.

You recently won ENGIE’s Big Pitch UK competition. What does that mean to you and the business?

It was great for Power Roll to be recognised by such a large company as ENGIE. We are now working with ENGIE to see how we may be able to collaborate in the future.

Where does your workforce come from? Is the North East providing people with the right skills to lead this sector forward?

The majority of our Board and indeed the inventor of the Power Roll technology are from the North East. We are passionate about developing what could be a truly global product here in the North East. We have also recruited a research scientist who is from the region. We will continue to try and recruit from the North East talent pool where possible.

What could be done to improve the innovation sector in the North East?

I think the North East LEP is doing a great job in driving innovation in the region but there is always more that could be done, including fostering relationships between small companies working on new technologies with universities and larger corporates. Some specific local funding for innovative technologies would also be beneficial.

What are your ambitions for the renewables sector in the North East?

We would like to contribute to building the Northern Powerhouse although powered by renewable energy! We have some great universities and renewable energy companies in the North East and we can really make a difference.

Home / Innovation / Page 12

In conversation with Steve Abbott, Business Development Manager at Hyperdrive Innovation

The North East has reached an exciting point when it comes to innovation. There is a cluster of companies, big and small, helping to position our region as a leader in the field of low carbon vehicles and clean technologies and this is somewhere that is making a real difference to industry.

Hyperdrive Innovation is based at the Future Technology Centre in Sunderland and for the past three years we have been developing electric vehicle and energy storage systems, including advances in battery packs and Li-ion battery management.

In simple terms, we provide companies with high specification batteries for use in electric and hybrid transport, industrial robots, off grid and portable energy storage.

Our ethos is to develop and manufacture new technology solutions that not only improve products but also help get them to market. It’s about approaching things differently and lowering costs of leading-edge technology. People come to us because they can’t find an off-the-shelf item; what we provide is designed around a specific need.

We’re currently working with an organisation to improve performance, availability and running times for a fleet of warehouse robots. We’ve been able to design a bespoke power system that achieves their unique requirements and this has given them a competitive advantage.

One of the most exciting developments at Hyperdrive Innovation is our new battery factory, which opened earlier this year. Previously we focused on engineering and developing new products, making them in prototype numbers but we now have the capability to fulfill orders for up to 10,000 units per year.

This provides us with an opportunity to use our technology to create products that are designed, developed and manufactured here in the North East. It also means we can look to expand the business and we are introducing a standard range so customers can benefit from economies of scale.

There is a lot of talent in the region and we work closely with Newcastle University on placement opportunities, which have resulted in full time employment. The Future Technology Centre is an impressive facility and the infrastructure is developing in the right way to drive the sector forward.

What I’d like to see is more collaboration between companies based in the region. The North East Automotive Alliance has recently been set up to provide a platform to share knowledge and best practice. We need to get people working together across sectors and ensure big businesses work with small businesses to develop new products and capability.

Ongoing technological development is key. If we develop it here in the North East we should strive to make it here too, generating more jobs and growing our economy.

I agree with the North East LEP helping to lead the way by positioning the automotive industry centrally within its innovation programme. The inclusion of automotive ensures a clear vision for the sector that will benefit organisations like Hyperdrive Innovation moving forward.

It’s an exciting time to be working in the innovation sector and we need to be ready to realise every opportunity that comes our way.

Steve Abbott, Business Development Manager at Hyperdrive Innovation