Friday December 05 2008 | Biotechnology feed | All feeds
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Friday December 05 2008 | Biotechnology feed | All feeds
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Eden Biodesign and Partnership for Learning to champion education for young biotechs 12th July 2005: “Our higher education system must continue its tradition of producing world-class scientists to develop new and innovative technologies in order to drive the growth of the bioscience industry.”[1] Rt Hon Tony Blair, Prime Minister. Eden Biodesign, the company charged with operating the new, £34 million National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC) in Liverpool, and Partnership for Learning (PfL), Northwest England’s leading provider of high technology manufacturing skills development and training, are working together to address the urgent need for better education and training required to keep the UK at the forefront of Europe’s biotech industry. Today marks the beginning of a major joint initiative to tackle the issue at a number of levels; from the professional development of experienced industry experts to working within schools to promote the opportunities in one of the country’s leading manufacturing growth sectors. This three year joint initiative will include the following activities: o Training and development of Eden Biodesign staff working within the National Biomanufacturing Centre through PfL o PfL utilizing Eden Biodesign’s expertise in the future development and roll out of their ‘Bio-skills’ training programme o The provision of joint biotech development and manufacturing training packages to UK biotech SME’s, the client companies of the NBC o The organisation of training events bringing international experts to the UK to address specific biopharmaceutical training requirements in key areas to a UK wide audience o An education and business partnership to promote biomanufacturing training and career opportunities to 14-19 year olds. This initiative will also include organizing and funding a competitive award scheme o Working with Northwest England colleges and universities to hold biopharmaceutical awareness and training days for students at PfL and the NBC Collaborating with the media to raise awareness will play a key role in the initiative and talks are underway to secure a heavy weight communications partner to host a national media debate at the NBC. In recognition of the close relationship between Eden Biodesign and PfL, Eden will be granted ‘core partner’ status allowing it to fully participate in the strategic development of PfLs future provision. PfL’s other core partners include Chiron Vaccines, Eli Lilly and Company and Jaguar Cars. Dr Crawford Brown, chief executive at Eden Biodesign, is very aware of the importance of encouraging specialist skill development to allow the UK to continue to play a leading role in biotech as highlighted by the governments own Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team (BIGT) Report that has resulted in the BioprocessUK initiative. He said: “Our research confirms the widely held notion that the availability of recruits with expertise across a variety of specialised fields, particularly in biomanufacturing, are critical to the future growth of biotech in the UK.” Dr Brown added: “We are delighted to agree this long term collaboration with Partnership for Learning, one of the very few proven suppliers of biopharmaceutical manufacturing training in the country. We believe that working closely with PfL will allow us to make a real difference in the quality and take up of biomanufacturing training in the Northwest, and the UK as a whole.” Mr Gordon Burns, chief executive at Partnership for Learning, commented: “PfL was founded by local employers to help keep Merseyside and the Northwest at the forefront of skills development in a number of critically important industries, including of course biotechnology. We very much welcome this new collaboration which we hope will have a significant impact, not just locally, but nationally.” Tony Bradshaw, the Director of the DTI funded “bioProcessUK” Knowledge Transfer Network has endorsed the collaboration stating that: “Biotech manufacturing is a high knowledge-based activity requiring people to be trained in a multidisciplinary environment in the context of leading edge research. I am delighted to see this kind of initiative which brings together industry expertise and a professional training organization to deliver first rate bioprocessing training and skills development”. Ends For further details regarding Eden Biodesign and the National Biomanufacturing Centre contact: Charmaine Colvin on 0870 240 5536 or 07951 821472 or e-mail charmaine@redheadpr.co.uk For further information regarding Partnership for Learning and the range of services and support offered to employers contact: Beth Nolan on 0151 288 2154 or e-mail bethnolan@pfl.org.uk Notes to editor The National Biomanufacturing Centre The £34.25 million National Biomanufacturing Centre, which is due to be completed in late 2005, is a Government-funded initiative led by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) additionally funded through the European Regional Development Fund and the Department of Trade and Industry and aims to establish England’s Northwest as one of the foremost biomanufacturing centres in Europe. The centre will provide the expertise and facilities to support new and existing biotechnology companies, offering product development services designed to fill in the skill and resource gaps that exist within these organisations. It will also provide training in biomanufacturing and analytical sciences, delivering the skilled workforce required to expand the UK biopharmaceutical sector. There is also an Access Fund of nearly £3 million which is available to qualifying small to medium companies in the biotechnology sector to assist them in purchasing development and clinical manufacturing services from the Centre. Eden Biodesign Eden Biodesign is a successful international biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing services business that provides ‘state of the art’ development and manufacturing services to biotech clients across Europe, the USA and Asia. Eden Biodesign has been awarded the contract to operate the UK National Biomanufacturing Centre, currently under construction in Liverpool. Eden Biodesign promises all clients a committed service plus the knowledge and expertise to guide clients through process development, manufacturing, regulatory and technology transfer challenges. The company uses the principles of ‘Good Science’ at every step of biopharmaceutical development to design programmes and processes that deliver clinically and commercially valuable products, with an accomplished and attentive level of project management that clients need. Partnership for Learning (PfL) Partnership for Learning (PfL) is a unique training and business resource in South Merseyside. It was established when four of the area's major employers decided to pool their resources to provide a high quality training and conference facility for themselves and the local business community. Located in a modern purpose-built facility just five minutes from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, PfL offers a wide range of demand-led training for business. PfL runs one of the North West’s most successful engineering apprentice programmes and has established close links with key market sectors including the biopharmaceutical and life sciences, automotive, print and food industries. In just four years, its client base has grown to over 700 organisations and it has achieved Investors in People and Hospitality Assured accreditation as well as being named Social Enterprise of the Year in the Liverpool Echo Enterprise Champions Awards 2005. BioProcessUK BioProcessUK is the DTI funded Knowledge Transfer Network in Bioprocessing. In January 2005 it was awarded £3 million over 4 years following its bid to the DTI technology programme. BioProcessUK operates as a division of the UK BioIndustry Association and follows the recommendation by the BIA/DTI/DH-led Bioscience 2015 report that the UK builds a strong bioprocessing sub-sector (www.bioindustry.org/bigtreport). The first step will be to foster community development, harnessing the expertise in the country to deliver an internationally competitive sector. The outputs of bioProcessUK will be to:
For further information contact Tony Bradshaw, Director, bioProcessUK, tbradshaw@bioindustry.org |
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