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East Midlands' bioscience knowledge exchange initiative launched
Nottingham, 22nd November 2005
– bioKneX, the new bioscience knowledge exchange initiative for the East
Midlands, held its official launch today at BioCity Nottingham, UK. To an
audience of more than 100 delegates, Peter Jones, Pro-Vice Chancellor for
Research and Business Development at Nottingham Trent University, highlighted
the research strengths within the East Midlands’ universities. Paul Harper,
a leading bioscience entrepreneur, shared his views on how effective knowledge
exchange can fuel commercialisation and economic development in the region.
The aim of bioKneX is to enhance
collaboration and partnering between the region’s universities, industry and
education system, and to publicise bioscience excellence in the region. The
initiative has been established following the award of funding from the HEFCE
to Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and the
University of Leicester with further funding from the East Midlands
Development Agency (emda) and the EU.
In his opening talk, Steve Beasley, CEO of
bioKneX, commented, “The academic strengths of the region have been
highlighted by this year’s award of ‘Science City’ status to Nottingham.
bioKneX will help to foster and promote these strengths and help attract
further research funding into the East Midlands’ universities.
Through effective knowledge exchange and
collaborations we shall also identify investment opportunities that will bring
together researchers, commerce, education, investors and suppliers to
encourage the growth of the bioscience competence and community in the
region.”
Ends
Dr Paul
Harper, Chairman RegenTec Ltd, Dr
Steve Beasley, CEO bioKneX and
Professor Peter Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor
Nottingham Trent University, at the launch of
bioKneX. For
high resolution images please contact Dr Marc Egelhofer, Northbank
Communications, +44 (0) 1260
296 500,
m.egelhofer@northbankcommunications.com
Media enquiries: Dr Marc Egelhofer, Northbank Communications m.egelhofer@northbankcommunications.com T +44 (0) 1260 296 500 Contact at bioKneX: Dr Steve Beasley Steve.Beasley@bioknex.org T +44 (0) 115 912 4475
About bioKneX:
bioKneX is the bioscience knowledge exchange for the East Midlands, established in 2004 to enhance collaboration and partnering between the region’s universities, industry and education system, and to publicise bioscience excellence in the region. Initial funding for bioKneX resulted from a successful collaborative bid by Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Leicester to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This funding, awarded under the Higher Education Innovations Fund (HEIF) to establish the knowledge exchange has since been matched by emda and the European Regional Development Framework (ERDF) under the Innovative Actions programme.
bioKneX has a full-time staff of 5 based at
offices in BioCity Nottingham. A satellite office in Leicester is planned.
The Company’s CEO, Dr Steve Beasley, has over 24 years experience in the
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, including Pfizer, Shell,
Chiroscience and De Novo Pharmaceuticals.
For more information please visit
www.bioknex.org.
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