NEWS

Event will promote partnership between business and universities on healthcare technology

Investigate latest developments from Leicestershire universities on 3 November

Published 26 October 2009

Healthcare and bioscience businesses are being given the opportunity to investigate the latest technologies being developed by local universities.

Prospect Leicestershire has arranged the event with the emda-funded East Midlands Healthcare and Bioscience iNet as part of its 3 Universities for Business Initiative (3U4B) designed to get firms and local universities working together to generate new business opportunities.

The event, at the Leicester Marriott Hotel on Tuesday 3 November 2009, includes workshops introducing the latest developments in subjects including healthcare textiles and emergency care product development. Also covered are commercialisation of regenerative medicine, diabetes and obesity projects, and the future of the medical devices industry.

This is one of a range of sector-focused events run by 3U4B to bring together business and the three local universities, De Montfort University, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester.

As well as highlighting opportunities for joint ventures, the universities will showcase the wide range of complementary specialist services they offer to businesses.

Nick Carter, chairman of Prospect Leicestershire, said: “We have three world class universities in Leicestershire, and this initiative has been set up to ensure that local businesses are fully aware of the opportunities that the universities create and that they benefit from them to stimulate the local economy.

“All the universities are developing breakthrough healthcare and bioscience technologies with fantastic commercial potential. This event will allow people to see those opportunities for themselves and look at how these cutting edge technologies can be developed commercially.”

Director of the Healthcare and Bioscience iNet Dr Ian Barr says: “Innovative businesses are crucial to Leicestershire’s economic prosperity and the iNet can help bring those innovative ideas to life. We are delighted to be working with the 3U4B project on this event as we begin to pool our collective knowledge and experience to benefit local high-tech firms.

To book a place on the event, please contact Sarah at Medilink on 0115 912 4327

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For further media information, CONTACT Karen Bateman at hopwood PR on 0116 2544472

Notes to editors

The Healthcare and Bioscience iNet helps people in the sector, particularly in East Midlands’ businesses and universities, to develop new technologies, processes, products and services in order to build a healthy economy.

Innovation is a key strategic priority for East Midlands Development Agency (emda). Four sector specific Innovation Networks (iNets), including Healthcare and Bioscience, have been established to help turn innovative ideas in to business opportunities.

The iNet concept was developed by emda and East Midlands Innovation (the Regional Science and Industry Council) to bring together businesses, colleges, universities, public sector representatives and individuals with a shared interest in a market or the technology that underpins it.

A key aim of iNet is to provide a sector-specific focus that enables organisations to exchange knowledge and form collaborations to exploit new ideas. The Healthcare and Bioscience iNet is based at BioCity in Nottingham, a renowned life science industry centre of excellence but it covers the whole region.

For the first time in the East Midlands, the ‘Three Universities for Business’ initiative brings together the three Leicestershire-based universities - De Montfort University, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester - to showcase their complementary specialist services for local and regional businesses.

De Montfort University has an outstanding reputation for working with industry, drawing on a national and international reputation for research excellence and innovation. It has a long history and a wealth of experience of working with, and for local and regional businesses, providing research and consultancy, and is highly rated for the employability of its graduates. The University prides itself on its approach, which blends academic vigour with practitioner-led expertise to respond to the needs of individual clients.

Loughborough University has an international reputation for its strong links with industry, excellence in teaching and research, unrivalled achievement in sports performance, technology and world class facilities. It can provide access to a wealth of professional and technical expertise, and offers many specialist services to help businesses of all sizes improve performance and competitiveness.

The University of Leicester is a leading UK university with a proud past, an exciting future and a strong track record of working with business. Its research activity has the greatest impact of all Midlands universities and it works alongside companies and organisations of all sizes to deliver cost effective solutions to today’s business challenges. By providing access to a wealth of knowledge and industry expertise, as well as state-of-the-art resources and facilities, it is well placed to meet all business needs.