New chair of judges, new sponsors, more prizes for BioQuarter innovation competition
Edinburgh BioQuarter announced today that Professor Walter Nimmo, a life sciences entrepreneur, has agreed to chair the panel of judges for the BioQuarter innovation competition 2011.
BioQuarter also unveiled three new corporate sponsors for the competition, whose contributions will bring the prize money on offer to more than £55,000.
Marks & Clerk, the UK’s largest firm of patent and trade mark attorneys, has been confirmed as Principal Sponsor of the competition, and will present the "Marks & Clerk Business Concept Award", recognising the best life sciences start-up in 2010.
MBM Commercial, an Edinburgh-based law firm focused on advising entrepreneurial start-ups and their investors, has agreed to contribute prizes of services in kind to the competition winners and runners up.
Springfords, a progressive firm of accountants and business advisors providing entrepreneurs with the solutions they need at all stages of their business growth, will also offer services in kind to competition winners and runners up.
Professor Nimmo said: “New businesses are important to any economy. At a time when the Scottish economy has been hit by the recent recession, it is important that new businesses in fast-growing sectors such as life sciences should be given the opportunity to flourish. Because of the importance I have placed on the commercial application of scientific research in my career, I am delighted to be associated with this competition.”
Dr Mike Capaldi, Commercialisation Director at Edinburgh BioQuarter, added: “Our thanks are due to Professor Nimmo and to our commercial sponsors. The involvement of these companies in our innovation competition shows the importance attached to innovation by forward-thinking Scottish businesses – and in Professor Nimmo we have one of the best examples of how successful you can be as both a scientist and an entrepreneur.”
ENDS
For more information contact James Wood, Tel: 07834 288899 E: james.wood@bioquarter.com
1. About Edinburgh BioQuarter: At the heart of Scottish life sciences, Edinburgh BioQuarter is a joint venture between Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc, the NHS, the University of Edinburgh and Scottish Enterprise. Edinburgh BioQuarter commercialises world-leading medical research and brings investors, ideas and companies together at the BioQuarter campus on the outskirts of Edinburgh. www.edinburghbioquarter.com
2. About Professor Walter Nimmo: Professor Walter S Nimmo founded Inveresk Clinical Research in 1988 to provide high quality drug development services to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. Before its sale to Charles River Inc in 2004, the Inveresk Research Group employed more than 3,000 people and continues to trade in Scotland as part of Charles River.
3. About Marks & Clerk: Marks & Clerk is recognised as one of the world's leading intellectual property firms. The firm’s patent and trade mark attorneys together with associated firm of solicitors offer clients a comprehensive range of intellectual property services.
The Bioscience Group at Marks & Clerk features IP professionals across the group’s international offices advising on specialist areas such as molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, genomics, immunology, cell biology, structural biology, veterinary science, virology, stem cells, diagnostics, proteomics, bioinformatics, vaccines, nanotechnology, medical devices and plant variety protection.
With a network of 19 offices across the UK (11 locations), Europe, North America and the Far East and long-established relationships with other leading IP firms worldwide, the firm is able to meet clients' IP requirements on a local and global basis.
4. About MBM Commercial: MBM Commercial is an award-winning niche commercial legal firm which has a focus on working with investors, entrepreneurs and high growth companies. Many of MBM's clients work in the technology sectors, including biotechnology, life sciences and healthcare. The firm provides a full range of commercial legal services, including corporate, corporate finance, intellectual property, commercial property, dispute resolution, employment and company administration. MBM also provide intellectual property consultancy services and software escrow services.
5. About Springfords: Based on the outskirts of Edinburgh with offices in Midlothian and West Lothian, Springfords is strategically placed at the heart of the Edinburgh Science Triangle providing entrepreneurial start ups with supportive accountancy, taxation and advisory services as they grow and develop.
6. The BioQuarter Innovation Competition 2011 was launched in November 2010 to uncover tomorrow’s medical innovations. Funded entirely by BioQuarter, whose partners are not responsible for funding the prizes and are therefore indemnified against any potential losses from the competition, the competition will culminate in an awards ceremony to be held in Edinburgh in July 2011. www.innovateandwin.mvm.ed.ac.uk