September Events

Hi all.

I have to offer my apologies for not posting for a while. We've had an office move, a new offer structure for members and a change of focus with which to contend. Though we haven't dropped all of our public sector mentality, we are getting more of a 'down to business' attitude which is refreshing.

I thought I'd let you know of a couple of events that I've attended in the last month. The first that I'll describe is a visit by a company called Ninesigma. Ninesigma is a global innovation enabler (I'm coining that, you'll see why in a bit!). The second is a visit to the BiosciencesKTN 'Impact Through Biosciences' conference in Manchester. If you aren't yet plugged into the BiosciencesKTN I would advise it; they're well connected to national government though SCY have good relations with them and anything we hear you will too.

Ninesigma visited FERA on the 26th of September for a whole day. We attended along with a couple of businesses for around 60 minutes and were given a presentation of the services on offer.

George Vincent, the VP of Ninesigma UK, gave the presentation and started with a history of the US originating company. It's been going for 11 years and really concentrates on taking innovation to market and commercialisation. Their jewel in the crown is a wide network of solution providers who are on hand to answer anyone's innovation challenge. The over-two million strong individuals and one thousand companies will receive and address any innovation challenges that are submitted. Responses are carefully managed to minimise the disclosure of patentable information or industrially sensitive intelligence.

The value that Ninesigma provides in this interaction is framing of the question, to stimulate answers, and management of the process going forward.

They seem like a good solution for a company that is not yet large enough to have a team dedicated to this process. Whether Spin Out to SME sized-companies are large enough to want to search for solutions or to provide them is debatable, especially when there are lower cost solutions available.

The BiosciencesKTN conference, 'Impact through Biosciences', was a fantastic, two-day event on the 28th and 29th of September. Covering their four foci; Industrial Bioscience, Animal Breeding and Animal Health, Food Technology and Manuacture and Plant and Crops the speakers presented on subjects as diverse as methane emissions from rumens and ruminants to a seminar by Clare Hughes from M&S on the importance of collaboration in food product nutrition.

Companies presenting included Oxitec, Plastid, Stratophase, GT Biologics, AB Vista and the British Sugar Group.

Some interesting contacts made include Dr Martin Stocks, a business development manager for PBL (Plant Bioscience Limited) in Norwich who is interested in commercialising technology spinouts in plant, food and microbial technologies, Prof Richard Luxton who heads up the Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology in Bristol and Kevin Thrower, a Key Account Manager for the National Skills Academy in Process Industries - a great person to know if you're looking to find funding for professional upskilling!

Get in touch if you'd like any of these contacts following!