OVERVIEW
Life sciences is one of the country’s fastest-growing industries. UK companies in the sector secured a record-breaking £4.5 billion investment in 2021. With a further £1.5 billion in equity finance raised in 2022.
The Aberdeen city region is home to innovation-led enterprises tackling global health challenges, from neurodegenerative diseases to cancer.
The region has research strengths in large molecules and an asset base, including the Scottish Biologics Facility, Rowett, and Institute for MedicalScience. These factors combine with a track record of successful spinouts and start-ups over decades, including TauRx, NovaBiotics, Elasmogen, EnteroBiotix, Sirakoss, and Vertebrate Antibodies.
These businesses share a strong entrepreneurial drive, are attracting significant investment and are taking novel research from the lab bench through to commercialisation.
INVESTMENTS
TauRx, a leader in Alzheimer’s disease research, announced an investment of $119 million in late 2022 triggered by phase three trial results. Adding to $64 million raised in 2021.
In May 2022, Elasmogen – a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing new therapeutics using its unique soloMER platform – secured £8 million to continue developing its pipeline of next-generation drugs through pre-clinical trials.
EnteroBiotix, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel high-diversity microbial therapeutics, closed its $21.5 million Series A financing in September 2021.
Entrepreneurship is fundamental to the sector’s success in delivering health, social and economic benefits.
ONE BIOHUB
Private sector economic development catalyst Opportunity North East (ONE) developed and is leading ONE BioHub the unique £40 million project in Aberdeen with regional and national partners. Creating a focal point to transform life sciences commercialisation and grow the high-value company cluster.
ONE BioHub is a new and iconic location for life sciences. With the infrastructure, facilities and specialist entrepreneurial ecosystem to inspire ambition, give people skills and knowledge to turn research into businesses and support them at each stage of the entrepreneurial journey.
Located at the heart of the Foresterhill Health Campus, one of Europe’s most significant combined life sciences and healthcare sites, BioHub is where the commercial, healthcare and research community triple helix tackles modern health challenges.
ONE BioHub will provide laboratories, incubation and collaboration space and custom accommodation over five floors, specialist business support programmes, and access to expert networks and investors. It will be home to up to 400 bio-entrepreneurs at full occupancy.
ONE BioHub tenants will be spinouts, start-ups and scaling businesses bringing new drugs, treatments, therapies and technology to market. Creating high-skill jobs to drive economic diversification and sector growth.
ONE BioHub is led by Opportunity North East and delivered in partnership with the UK Government, Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, NHS Grampian and the University of Aberdeen, and supported by the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
The partners share a vision to create a home for successful life sciences companies in north east Scotland. From where they will deliver regional and national economic growth and ultimately improve the world’s health. Dr Deborah O’Neil is the founder and CEO of NovaBiotics – a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company in Aberdeen. She chairs the life sciences board at Opportunity North East and BioAberdeen, the not-for-profit delivering ONE BioHub.
Deborah said: “As a region, we are embedding entrepreneurship in the heart of the life sciences triple helix of academic, clinical and research interests. Making transformational change happen and creating the environment for our sector to grow.
“ONE BioHub is a physical manifestation of the Aberdeen city region’s confidence in life sciences and its role in the future low-carbon economy.
Dr Deborah O’Neil founder and CEO of NovaBiotics
“Aberdeen’s story is one of extraordinary progress and commitment to realising the full potential of life sciences. The region has a strong and distinct life sciences cluster – BioHub will help to make more of it.”
CONTACT
T: +44 (0)1224 346145
E: enquiriesIA@investaberdeen.co.uk
Twitter: @Invest_Aberdeen
Web: investaberdeen.co.uk
QUICK FACTS
Developed by Opportunity North East, ONE BioHub will be home to up to 400 bio-entrepreneurs, diving economic diversification and sector growth.
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