PraxisUnico News

Winners included a ground-breaking software project that enables scientists to predict how a drug will behave prior to clinical trials, thereby saving multi millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on testing drugs that could later fail.  Richard Birtles,  Company Secretary and Portfolio Manager at Suel Ltd and Member of Simcyp Executive Group said, \"Simcyp is delighted to win this award, which recognises how a piece of innovative academic research can be turned into a profitable, growing business serving a global market.

A PraxisUnico report reveals that despite the continuing difficult economic background the number of university spinouts has stayed constant over the past five years, also companies are surviving longer than before.  Data from the PraxisUnico Spinouts UK Survey Annual Report, 2012 indicates that in these demanding times, the process of spinning out companies and nurturing their development has become more specialised, concentrated on those universities which have sufficient experience to enable them to do this effectively, and supported by investors which focus specifically on this

The review is to be undertaken over a short time line. Ideas and issues will put out through an on-line forum to the Review Group. The aim is to complete work over the summer.

PraxisUnico features in this article in the journal Nature about opportunities and paths for those seeking technology transfer roles.

Click here to read more

The PraxisUnico Spinouts UK Survey aims to track all spinouts (and start-ups, where information is  available) from all UK universities over the past ten years.  There is an online database of all these companies at www.spinoutsuk.co.uk  PraxisUnico is the lead partner in the project, which is run by Young Company Finance (YCF).

The hosts reported a successful conference which witnessed the attendance of 368 representatives from over 30 countries and regions, including members from EEN, AUTM, KCA, TII, and PraxisUnico, as well as innovative companies organised by CCBC, TEKES, VINNOVA, ICUK, CBBC, JAPTI, Purdue/GBE, and other supporting partners.

The Conference organized Technology Transfer Dialogue, China-Italy Innovation B2B, B2B partnering by tech session, SMEs B2B Special, and 6 Visit B2B programs, generated 23 tech transfer deals along with further 484 intentions of cooperation.

A meeting was held in Swindon bringing together the Funding Councils, RCUK and the TSB with a group of PraxisUnico members.  The aim of the meeting was to explore mechanisms and approaches to enhance the interaction between the new Catapult centres and the research base.  The meeting was held at the request of a working group led by the TSB, in which Alison Campbell is involved as a Board member of PraxisUnico.

Statement of Support for Open Access to Research Results and Data

1.    The three associations wish to record their support for Open Access as a means of enabling wide access to research results, which will lead to the productive use of those results in both academic and non-academic settings.

2.    We believe that Open Access increases the ability of knowledge professionals to find, access and use the outputs and data generated by research for policy, social, cultural, health, environmental, as well as economic benefit, in the UK and internationally.

29 February 2012

The Wilson Review commences with a quote from Lord Dearing, \"Just as castles provided the source of strength for medieval towns, and factories provided prosperity in the industrial age, universities are the source of strength in the knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century.\" Nearing the end of the Review Sir Tim concludes \"However, in the broader aspects of economic growth, the global reputation of UK universities remains underexploited.\"

Cambridge, UK, 18 January 2012 – PraxisUnico, the leading research commercialisation body, has joined forces with Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) - the UK’s first open innovation bioscience campus – and the Technology Strategy Board to deliver a seminar and networking forum to give aspiring entrepreneurs and young healthcare businesses an insight into how to start-up, fund and grow innovative new companies.