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Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Industrial BiotechnologyInnovation Centre
Annual Report 2016
01Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
2016 started with an excellent conference held in the University of Strathclyde’s Technology & Innovation Centre with over four hundred attendees to support the theme Realising the Opportunity. This really set the scene for the primary role of IBiolC.
Particular highlights of the year are the rapidly increasing
industrial membership which now stands at over eighty, against our long term target of two hundred. The vast majority of these Companies are paying cash fees and offering in kind support. There is a good mix of industry sectors and a balance of technology enabling and process manufacturing businesses.
Real momentum has now been established with the Project Programme and it is very evident that recent competitions have attracted applications of ever increasing calibre, enabling the Centre to develop a rich portfolio of Company/University consortia and projects.
On the skills front the MSc programme continues to thrive and grow and this year twenty-one students graduated, twenty of which attained merit or distinction. The Centre has also been very successful in its Doctoral Training Programme and we currently have twenty-eight post-graduate students. In addition, the Centre has secured support from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to start twenty-seven doctoral training candidates over the next three years. For 2017, IBioIC will be redoubling its efforts to work more closely with Further Education Colleges to ensure a successful uptake for the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme, whilst continuing to engage with schools to deliver a better understanding of industrial biotechnology.
An independent review was conducted of the Innovation Centres Programme in 2016. Chaired by Professor Graeme Reid, it focused on reviewing the delivery of the vision, objectives and aims of the programme overall. His published findings, strongly support the concept of the programme highlighting in particular, the success of the strong business leadership provided throughout all of the Centres.
This report and process has given IBioIC’s Governing Board great reassurance on the long term commitment to the Innovation Centre concept in Scotland and the Board and Leadership Team are now driving a strategy update to secure the long term sustainability of IBioIC.
An additional key milestone of 2016 was the hosting of the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy (EFIB) conference in Glasgow. With input from Team Scotland, which included IBioIC, Scottish Enterprise and partners, landing the prestigious event was a landmark moment for the industry in Scotland and firmly cemented the country’s position as a prominent hub for the sector.
As we look forward to 2017, IBioIC’s priority will be to define the business plan and strategy in agreement with our stakeholders. The success of this will depend on further increasing the engagement of our industrial membership not only in Scotland, but more broadly from the UK, European and International communities.
The current success of IBioIC has only been possible with the support of our Industrial members, the seventeen partner Universities, and the commitment from our Governing, Commercial and Scientific Advisory Boards. In addition to which I recognise on behalf of the Governing Board that the IBioIC team have performed to an exemplary level and delivered substantial impact.
I close by once again thanking all our supporters, stakeholders and funders and in particular the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
I wish you all an excellent and fulfilling year end and look forward to working with you all next year.
Ian Shott, CBE, FREngIBioIC Chairman
Contents
Contents Foreword
Foreword 01
Highlights Timeline 02
Overview of IBioIC 04
Industrial Engagement 08
Meet the Industrial Member 10
Academic Partners 12
Skills Programme 13
Project Funding 16
Projects Programme 18
Accelerator Projects 21
Technical Network 23
Equipment Centres 24
Events 26
Outreach and Events 29
Meet the Team 31
Governance 32
Looking Forward 34
Financial Summary 36
March 2016Britest Workshop
October 2016Bioeconomy Accelerator Call launched with Zero
Waste Scotland
November 20162015-16 MSc Cohort
graduation
July 2016European Congress on Biotechnology, Krakow
May 2016Skills for Industry
August 2016Roger Kilburn is appointed
Chair of the Scottish Industrial Biotechnology Development
Group (SIBDG)
September 2016North Ayrshire
Schools STEM event
November 2016IBioIC Press Trip, Edinburgh (3fBio,
Synpromics, Horizon Proteins)
October 2016Third cohort of IBioIC
PhD students start
May 2016IBioIC establishes a second
office in Edinburgh
Highlights
Highlights
02 03Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
2016
January 2016IBioIC 2nd Annual
Conference
October 2016Launch of
BioPilotsUK
November 2016Four day MBA - Building
a Biotech Business from Scratch
May 2016Opening of FlexBio at Heriot Watt University
June 2016Our PhD STEM
Ambassadors participate at FE College event
October 2016EFIB 2016, Glasgow
November 2016IBioIC announces securing
of funding from BBSRC
April 2016Trade visit to
San Diego
July 2016IBioIC welcomes visiting
students from Chinese Pharmaceutical University
April 2016Synthetic Biology
Accelerator Project Call launched
May 2016All Energy
Conference
August 2016Micro Accelerator
Project Call launched
September 2016Explorathon, Glasgow
Science Centre
October 2016Biotechnology YES
October 2016Inspiring the Influencer’s
CPD event
September 2016IBioIC Making ConnectionsEvent
April 2016BIO World Congress
November 2016IBioIC shortlisted as Team of the Year, IChemE Awards
October 2016SynBioBeta,
San Francisco
September 2016We welcome IBioIC’s third MSc cohort for
2016-17
June 2016TEDxGlasgow
Commercialisation activity Outreach activities Skills activities Encompassing activities
2017
Providing the Tools
IBioIC invests in and facilitates access to expertise, equipment and education in order to grow the emerging biotechnology industry into a powerhouse of Scotland’s economy, delivering more than £1 billion a year in new added value by 2030.
Expertise
The IBioIC project programme offers funding opportunities to solve industry problems through collaborative knowledge exchange and research between HEI and industry partners, with the aim of delivering benefits to businesses whilst stimulating the academic base.
The Centre also aims to provide members with technical and commercial expertise across the widest range of IB disciplines by providing access to a multi-disciplinary network of consultants.
Technical Network consultants are available to work on a range of tasks, such as
• Helping to de-risk development programmes • Advising on precedent, competition and position in the IP
landscape • Helping to identify challenges which could hinder project
development
Equipment
IBioIC offer members priority access to two open access equipment centres:
• Rapid Bioprocess Prototyping Centre (RBPC)• Flexible Downstream Bioprocessing Centre (FlexBio)
Managed by IBioIC’s on-site specialists, these facilities provide as-needed access to the hardware that enables Members to undertake short-term experimental programmes for applications such as strain selection through to bioprocess optimisation.
Education
The availability of a skilled workforce is critical to the future successful development of the industrial biotechnology sector. Working alongside key stakeholders including industry, colleges and universities, IBioIC has developed a PhD programme, an MSc in Industrial Biotechnology an HNC/HND course and a STEM programme.
Overview of IBioIC
Overview of IBioIC
04 05Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
The critical importance of the bioeconomy and industrial biotechnology (IB) is recognised at National, UK and European level with the overall aim of creating a more competitive resource-efficient economy.
A key milestone of Scotland’s National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology, was the the launch of the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) in January 2014 with a £10M investment from the Scottish Funding Council and a substantive support from Scotland’s enterprise agencies and the Centre’s 3 founding industry partners: GSK, Ingenza and INEOS.
From the beginning, the Centre’s vision has been to accelerate and de-risk the development of commercially viable, sustainable solutions for high-value manufacturing in the chemical and life sciences sectors.
IBioIC is an industry-led Centre which represents the four colours of industrial biotechnology and focuses on three strategic areas identified by industry –
Synthetic Biology
Biocatalysis and Biotransformations
Integrated Bioprocessing
The Centre aims to drive the adoption of IB practices by industry and acts as a single portal to enable industry members to connect to and draw down on the expertise of Scotland’s 17 higher education institutes. Investing
£30m by 2019ExpertiseWorld class HEIsTechnical Network
Equipment£3m Open Access Centres in Scotland
EducationPhD ProgrammeMSc CourseHNC / HNDSTEM
Members
Academic Partners
Overview of IBioIC
Overview of IBioIC06
“It’s great to see how quickly IBioIC has established a high profile across the UK and internationally. IB professionals throughout the world recognise the Innovation Centre as the entry point to the IB community in Scotland. That is a remarkable feat for such a young organisation and a tribute to the efforts of Roger and the team. When we set up the Innovation Centre in 2014, I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly!”
Sandy Dobbie, Chairman, Marine Biopolymers Ltd.
Uniqueness of IBioIC
The map shows the location of the 17 IBioIC higher education institution (HEI) partners, HEI collaborators and all current and potential industry members showing the breadth and range of institutes and companies involved in the Innovation Centre.
AberdeenNCIMBRobert Gordon UniversityUniversity of Aberdeen ArranArran Arromatics
AyrMarine Biopolymers
BurntislandCelluComp DundeeThe James Hutton InstituteUniversity of DundeeAbertay UniversityCellexusCypexDundee Cell ProductsMichelin
EdinburghBenchmark VaccinesBioDetectorsEdinburgh Napier UniversityHeriot Watt UniversityQueen Margaret UniversityThe University of EdinburghAdvanced Microwave TechnologiesCeltic RenewablesDiageoForestry CommissionIngenzaRipptideM Power WorldBouyguesScottish BioenergyBiotangentsSynpromicsThe Scottish Whisky Research InstituteHorizon ProteinsEPPFIOS GenomicsJohnson MattheyConforNandi ProteinsNiTech
07
GlasgowArgent EnergyBiffaBioFilmUniversity of GlasgowUniversity of StrathclydeUniversity of the West of ScotlandRecyclatechBluTestThe Antibody CompanyOptimatOuzman IPScottish RenewablesThermo Fisher Scientific3f bioSCDIDevro PLCAMEC Foster WheelerScottish Leather GroupSistemicEden ScottWilliam Tracey
GrangemouthFujifilmINEOSSyngenta
Inverness Cells UnitedUniversity of the Highlands and Islands
IrvineDSMGSKIrvine BayUPM Caledonia
LewisBASF
LinlithgowAlba gaia
LockerbieE.ON
MontroseGSK
North UistUist Asco
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Outside ScotlandAB AgriACIBAgilent TechnologiesAkzo NobelAlgae Biomass OrganizationAlgenuityApplikonArcinovaArt PhotonicsAurozymesBBIABeaconBIOBiocatalystsBiolineBiome bioplasticsBiopower TechnologiesBiorenewables Development CentreBio-SepBio-ShapeBiotech NorthBioValeBlueSkyBioBritestBroadley JamesBrooks Life SciencesCambridge ConsultantsCelignisChain BiotechCK ScienceCPICrodaEfficiency TechnologiesEnzymaticsEpigemEppendorfGenialisIARIFR
Imperial College LondonInfors HT, UKInvistaKerryKTNLeica BiosystemsLonzaLuciteMarine Bio-Technologies Center of InnovationMBCOIMerckNissan Chemical Industries LtsNovozymesOxford BiotransPennotecPrimordial GeneticsQueensland University of TechnologySartorius Stedim BiotechSeafarmacyShannon ABCShasunSilicolifeSocial Mobility FoundationSynBioBetaTBPFTCITWBTwistUnileverUniversity College LondonUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of NottinghamVeoliaVerdant Bioproducts LtdVTTVWRYSI
Oban PrasinotechLallemandGlycoMarXanthellaFAI AquacultureUniversity of the Highlands and Islands
St AndrewsSasolUniversity of St Andrews
StirlingKerry Ingredients Zero Waste Scotland
Key
Inverness
Lockerbie
Grangemouth
Stirling
Linlithgow
Aberdeen
Dundee
Perth
Montrose
St Andrews
Burntisland
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Ayr
Irvine
Oban
Lewis
North Uist
09Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016Industrial Engagement08
Industrial Engagement IBioIC Industrial Membership
Industrial engagement is central to all activities undertaken by IBioIC. The Centre endeavours to create an innovation ecosystem by which industrial members can grow, gain competitive advantage and generate impact.
This is achieved in a number of ways:
• Upskilling a generation of IB skilled practitioners through bespoke skills programmes
• Offering competitive project funding covering the breadth of IB
• Delivering access to the newly introduced Technical Network
• Providing state of the art equipment centres• Generating collaborative partnerships through a
pipeline of events
A key purpose of IBioIC is to facilitate productive links between industry and academia whilst establishing a world-leading centre in IB that is knowledgeable, internationally recognised and value generating. Whilst much of the industrial membership comes from the UK, 2016 saw expansion into Europe and the Rest of the World.
21+22+12+20+25+A 40+26+12+22+A■ Red (21%)■ Green (22%)■ Blue (12%)■ White (20%)■ Other (25%)
■ Scottish (40%)■ RUK (26%)■ Europe (12%)■ RoW (22%)
Membership by Sector
Membership by Geography
09Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
The Centre’s membership model enables companies to join at the following levels:
LeadingCompanies for whom IB is of strategic importance
Core Companies for whom IB has some value
AssociateCompanies aiming to establish themselves in the IB sector
NetworkCompanies with whom IBioIC form strategic relationships
The Centre’s ambition is to expand the industrial network to over two hundred companies of varying sizes by 2020 and 2016 has been an excellent year for IBioIC’s membership growth.
Key Statistics
• Current membership stands at eighty-three companies • 89% growth in membership in 2016• 50th industrial member milestone reached in May 2016• 75th industrial member milestone reached in October 2016
Meet the Industrial Member10 11Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Nissan Chemical Industries was founded in 1887 as Tokyo Jinzo Hiryo, Japan’s first chemical fertilizer manufacturer. Through over a hundred year’s development, we are now established as a large global organisation with many business areas over a wide range of fields, from agriculture to life science. Nissan Chemical Group strives to develop new products and businesses with unique, innovative technologies.
We joined IBioIC in 2016 and applied for project funding through the Synthetic Biology Accelerator Programme with Dr Huabing Yin, Principal Investigator at the University of Glasgow. We were very pleased that our IB project application was successful. This will provide us with an excellent opportunity to deepen and expand our collaborations with universities and industries in the UK. We believe these partnerships will help us enter new fields and develop novel products to meet social and consumer needs.
Hitoshi Furusho, Chief Researcher of Chemistry, Nissan Chemicals Industries, Ltd
At Twist Bioscience, our expertise is synthetic DNA. We have developed a proprietary semiconductor-based synthetic DNA manufacturing process featuring a 10,000-well silicon platform capable of producing synthetic biology tools, such as oligonucleotides, genes, pathways, chassis and genomes.
By synthesizing DNA on silicon instead of on traditional 96-well plastic plates, our platform overcomes the current inefficiencies of synthetic DNA production, and enables cost-effective, rapid, high-quality and high throughput synthetic gene production. The Twist Bioscience platform has the potential to greatly accelerate the development of personalized medicine, sustainable chemical production, improved agriculture production as well as new applications such as in vivo diagnostics, biodetection and data storage.
Maria Celeste M. Ramirez, Ph.D.Director, Product Marketing, Twist Bioscience
3f bio has a vision to address global needs for sustainable protein. Our objective is to commercialise novel patented technology for the integrated production of mycoprotein within existing large scale biorefineries. We believe that this zero-waste technology which was developed within the University of Strathclyde can halve the production cost of mycoprotein, the protein component in QuornTM, to unlock its potential to be a genuine high quality protein solution for growing global populations.
Building on successful partnerships with the University of Strathclyde and IBioIC, 3f bio are working to establish collaborative and partnership models with leading commercial operators to efficiently develop and deliver the technology at industrial scale.
2016 has been an exciting year for the company. We have established ambitious technical and commercial programs and have been honoured to receive awards from the University of Strathclyde, EFIB Pitchfest in Glasgow and HiE’s Innovation Challenge in Frankfurt. In addition to this, we are putting in place the funding solutions for the next phase of the business.
We are intensely grateful for the support, infrastructure and network provided by IBioIC to date and collectively this will continue to be integral to how we progress and develop the next phase of our plans.
Jim Laird, CEO, 3f bio
Meet the Industrial Member
NISSAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LTD TWIST BIOSCIENCE 3f bio
Academic Partners12 13Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Academic PartnersIBioIC works in partnership with higher education and research institutes across Scotland and are delighted to have enhanced the existing research expertise further in 2016 by extending the network from 14 to 17 institutions. With capabilities encompassing all four colours of biotechnology, these institutions have been instrumental in contributing to the successful development of the Centre in the following ways:
• Inspiring the strategic development of IBioIC
• Delivering teaching elements of the MSc programme
• Collaborating on PhD studentship applications with industrial partners
• Developing successful projects with industrial partners
• Supporting IBioIC organised events throughout the year
IBioIC aims to provide an environment that supports the development of the next generation of IB innovators through its educational programmes.
These academic partners have provided valuable advice and governance on the Scientific and Commercial Advisory Boards, by appraising technical content of project applications and ensuring maximum commercial impact, whilst enhancing the Centre’s reputation.
Over the past year, IBioIC has widened its network further to include further education colleges focused on developing the HND in industrial biotechnology, such as Glasgow Kelvin, Ayrshire, Forth Valley and Glasgow Clyde Colleges.
The Centre is also pleased to welcome academics from the N8 partnership of Universities, which includes: Manchester, Durham, Lancaster, York, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.
IBioIC has engaged with over two hundred academics from Scottish higher education and research institutes and would like to thank them for their valued advice, support and enthusiasm.
Capabilities of IBioIC HEI Partners across the Four Colours of Biotechnology
Skills Programme
PhD Programme
Currently, thirteen IBioIC member companies benefit from the research conducted by twenty-eight PhD students across nine Scottish universities. 85% of these PhD projects involve an industry member, with 62% in partnership with a Scottish SME.
Students undergo a multi-disciplinary training programme developed in coordination with IBioIC industrial partners, to provide them with the transferable skills required for the future of industrial biotechnology.
November 2016 saw further growth of the skills programme, following the award of a BBSRC Collaborative Training Partnership, which will support a total of twenty-seven 4-year studentships.
STEM Outreach Activities
The Centre is committed to raising awareness of industrial biotechnology and the myriad of STEM career paths available in Schools and colleges across Scotland.
In partnership with the IBioIC PhD STEM Ambassadors, the Centre exhibited at the Ayrshire and Forth Valley Colleges’ Big Bang and contributed an interactive workshop and presentation at the “Inspiring the Future of Food” event.
The increasing number of PhD STEM Ambassadors has enabled greater diversification in the range of initiatives, including contributions to Explorathon 2016 events, mentoring and careers workshops for secondary school students and participation in science festivals.
Other regional initiatives have included a STEM event providing two hundred pupils with an insight into the IB industry and how to attain careers within the sector, with hands-on workshops from IBioIC members Celtic Renewables, Marine Biopolymers and CelluComp.
Doctoral Training and Member
CPD Activities
The Doctoral Training programme continues to expand with the recent inclusion of:
• SysMic Training • Research Fellowship and Grant Writing• Bioinformatics Training • 4 Day MBA - Building a Biotech Business from Scratch
30+30+10+20+10+APhD’s Funded by Strategic
Area
■ Enzymes & Biocatalysis (9)■ Synthetic Biology (8)■ Downstream Bioprocessing (3)■ Integrated Bioprocessing (5)■ Sustainable Feedstocks (3)
Skills Programme14
Skills Programme Skills Case Study
MSc Programme
The Centre developed the UK’s first collaborative MSc in Industrial Biotechnology in 2014. Student recruitment has increased year on year with the second cohort of twenty-one students graduating in November 2016 and a further twenty-eight students registered for the academic year 2016-2017.
MSc Class of 2016/17
The course comprises of core and elective modules, followed by a three month industrial placement.
It delivers a quality student experience, excellent academic outcomes and enviable graduate destination statistics, with many students progressing to PhD studentships or graduate jobs within the industrial biotechnology sector.
In 2016, Hannah Fleming was the recipient of the University of Strathclyde and IBioIC’s MSc Student of the Year, whilst Bárbara Guimarães was awarded the IBioIC prize for Best Student Project.
“We often find that new, undergraduates lack hands-on industrial experience and general lab practice, while postgraduates have that additional experience under their belt and can more easily and efficiently transition into a commercial organisation.
We’ve recently hired two graduates with an MSc in industrial biotechnology from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre. The course also includes a work placement. For a scientific company, this means that we get graduates with the required technical training who are ready to hit the labs and, as an small- to medium-sized enterprise, the industry experience they bring to the company is invaluable.
They come with the added understanding of the commercial nature of science as well as important business skills, such as communication, networking and budgeting. We’ve found that there can be a difference in the pace of work and the goals of graduates versus postgraduates, so although on paper the qualifications may be very relevant, in reality MSc students will most likely be the best performers in the working environment.”
Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director, Ingenza
HND Programme
The HND in industrial biotechnology was successfully validated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in May 2015.
The IBioIC Skills Team continues to work collaboratively with key colleges including Forth Valley, Glasgow Kelvin, Ayrshire and Glasgow Clyde to grow the course initially from the HN in applied sciences student population. The Colleges are supported by the Centre through guest lectures for students, bitesize CPD activities and industry site visits.
15Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Oban based company Xanthella, recruited Barbara as part of the MSc industrial placement.
Barbara’s project investigated the effect of narrow spectrum light on cultures of microalgae and cyanobacteria - the results of which led her to receive the award for Best MSc Project 2015-16.
Employer Experience
“The opportunity to have MSc students working alongside Xanthella’s team has been a very fruitful experience to our company. Being a small-sized enterprise involved in a number of different projects, the contribution of students of such level allows us to reach targets that otherwise would take longer or additional efforts to accomplish. To offer industrial placements of this kind is also a good way to increase our collaborations with other institutions which potentially can result in new research projects and contribute to the further development of our products.
Having an MSc student is also a way to increase interdisciplinarity in our team and that may result in new ideas and improvement of our processes and procedures. We have had two IBioIC MSc students so far and both of them have become involved in our activities after their placements, one as a PhD researcher as part of a collaboration with Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and the other one as our employee. Barbara, now Xanthella’s Algal Technologist. She has been a very motivated and enthusiastic student who performed research and development work of very good quality. The results from her MSc project are going to be included in a patent and published in a scientific journal.”
Douglas McKenzie, Managing Director, Xanthella Ltd.
Student Experience
“I was attracted to the IBioIC MSc degree course since it provided an opportunity to get more involved in biotechnology and associated projects that have more applicability in the industry. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique and challenging course and the opportunity to attend courses at different universities across Scotland meant that we were tapping into the strengths of each university, developing a national network and experiencing the culture and ethos of different institutions.
During my project my industrial supervisor, Ana dos Santos Vejrazka, gave me a lot of freedom to design my experiments and stimulated my creativity and problem solving skills. I was able to attend meetings with the scientific advisors of the project I was involved in which gave me a much better understanding of the impact of my work and improved by confidence. This MSc course has enhanced my career prospects since I was offered and accepted a post at Xanthella as an Algal Technologist and started the role immediately after my placement.”
Bárbara Guimarães, IBioIC MSc student, University of Strathclyde
Project Funding16
Project Funding
The Innovation Centre has had a very successful year in terms of attracting external funding for its activities with £4M awarded in the past year.
In November 2016, the Centre was awarded a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The CTP programme supersedes the Industrial CASE Partnerships (ICP) as BBSRC’s mechanism for the block award of CASE studentships to non-academic research organisations.
IBioIC was one of ten organisations to be awarded a CTP following a highly competitive evaluation process. The Centre was awarded a CTP and will now receive support for twenty-seven 4 year PhD studentships, equivalent to approximately £2.6M, to be allocated across the academic years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. The studentships have been awarded in BBSRC’s strategic areas of Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (IBBE) and World-class Underpinning Bioscience (WCUB).
CTPs are partnerships between an academic institution, a non-academic organisation and BBSRC for the provision of doctoral training supporting BBSRC’s Strategic Plan. The Partnerships are a key element of the UK’s industrial strategy and allows the Centre to continue to grow and expand its existing doctoral programme.
PhD projects must be developed in collaboration with industry and include a minimum 3-month research placement with the collaborating company. Universities eligible to apply for the IBioIC CTP studentships include the Centre’s Scottish academic partners and members of the N8 Research Partnership.
“A highly skilled and trained workforce is essential for the success of the bioscience sector and a driving force for the bioeconomy. BBSRC’s investments in Collaborative Training Partnerships will help ensure that the research base is equipped with the range of skills and talent required for modern bioscience, and provide highly skilled people for the public, private, third and research sectors.”
David McAllister, Head of Skills and Careers, BBSRC
17Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
“Furthering collaboration between government, academia and industry is a key part of the industrial strategy we’re developing. Collaborative Training Partnerships will boost the UK’s world-leading reputation for research and science while increasing the talent and expertise of our workforce in the UK and providing new opportunities for the science leaders of tomorrow.”
The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
“SME’s like Ingenza rely on well-trained staff to enable success with partners around the world. The IBioIC’s skills programme, including its industrially-led PhD, is of critical importance - helping build a pool of talented bio-scientists for UK companies of all sizes. The programme is unique in offering students collaborative projects at the interface between academic and industrial R&D as well as training in entrepreneurship and management skills.
Ingenza is delighted that the BBSRC have recognised the importance of the IBioIC’s PhD programme through a Collaborative Training Partnership award and we congratulate the team on this success.”
Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director, Ingenza
Industrial Biotechnology Network Integrator
At the European Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy (EFIB) in October 2016, Scottish Enterprise announced that the Innovation Centre was successful in winning its tender for role of Industrial Biotechnology Network Integrator. The role will communicate and raise awareness of the potential benefits of industrial biotechnology to Scottish companies and help deliver the ambitious targets and milestones set out in the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology 2015-2025.
The additional resource provided by the Network Integrator affords IBioIC additional scope to engage with business beyond its current membership and focus on specific sectors such as Food & Drink, Waste Management, Oil & Gas and Energy.
The Centre continues to play a key role in the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and has helped develop a number of proposals in collaboration with industry members and university partners as well as helping to define the 2017 Annual Work Programme and project call topics.
Bioeconomy Accelerator
Also launched at EFIB by the Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, was the Bioeconomy Accelerator joint funding call with Zero Waste Scotland. The funding call benefits from £1M of funding from Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund. The Bioeconomy Accelerator aims to accelerate the uptake of industrial biotechnology as a key enabling technology for the bioeconomy and wider circular economy.
“Zero Waste Scotland is delighted to be working with IBioIC on the Bioeconomy Accelerator call and encouraging collaboration between businesses and academia. We look forward to announcing the winning industrial biotechnology projects in 2017, helping to drive the development of the Scottish bioeconomy and supporting the Scottish Government’s “Making Things Last” Strategy.”
Louise McGregor, Head of Circular Economy, Zero Waste Scotland
Projects Programme18
Projects Programme
19Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
During the course of 2016, IBioIC’s project portfolio significantly increased, demonstrating the strength of the Centre’s commitment to support the growth of industrial biotechnology companies in Scotland.
The centre operates three distinct project types:
- Fact-finding Projects
- Core Projects
- Industry-led Projects
Fact-finding Projects
These small scale projects are used to provide a proof of concept for further work and often lead to larger scale programmes.
2016 saw the completion of three Fact-finding Projects with IBioIC contributing funds of £45,000 toward projects with a total value of £160,000. A further four projects are currently in development, including a novel suite of projects as part of a joint programme with the Oil and Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC).
Core Projects
These larger scale projects are led and identified by IBioIC as key work programmes which fulfil one of the Centre’s core objectives and/or are important to IB in Scotland and delivery of the National Plan.
In 2016, IBioIC initiated its first Core Project to investigate the use of alternative feedstocks for IB processes. This project complements a large scale UK wide project in this field and involves a Scottish academic collaborator and a leading industrial partner.
The funding provided by IBioIC for this project totals £110,000 with the combined project investment valued at £590,000. The outputs of the work will be key to developing the Circular Economy in Scotland.
Industry-led Projects
These collaborative projects are led by industry in partnership with one or more Scottish HEIs and address a defined market need or commercial opportunity through the innovative application of biotechnology. Projects are selected via a competitive process involving scientific and commercial review by the Centre’s Advisory Boards.
In 2016 the IBioIC Project Team efforts were channelled into extending the breadth and diversity of the project portfolio and this is reflected in key outcomes over the period.
Key Successes
• Project portfolio has increased by >100% • Total project portfolio funds have more than doubled• Number of companies actively collaborating on projects
has more than doubled • Number of HEI partners actively collaborating on
projects has increased by 40%
In 2016, the Centre has managed a further three industry-led project competitions, funded a further twelve Industry-led Projects and invested close to £2million of funding.
The Synthetic Biology Accelerator
The Centre’s first international call, focusing on synthetic biology was launched at the BIO World Congress, San Diego in April 2016.
This successful competition led to an investment of £1.2million of IBioIC funding and a total investment of £3million for six projects.
Fact-finding Case Study
Project Partners: Advanced Microwave Technologies – University of Edinburgh
Value: £22,305 IBioIC funding, Total cost £105,447
Project: Improved Recovery of High Value Materials from Biomass
Advanced Microwave Technologies’ unique Microwave volumetric heating (MVH)™ process allows the continuous heating of materials at commercial scales.
This Fact-finding Project in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, assessed the potential application of the process to depolymerise plant biomass using a laboratory-scale instrument.
The project outcomes demonstrated that AMT’s MVH™ process could be successfully utilised to enhance the breakdown of lignin and enable release of soluble phenolic compounds and carbohydrates with potential high value in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
“AMT and Edinburgh University first discussed combined interests in using the company’s microwave technology in June 2015. With the excellent support of IBioiC, Edinburgh University’s Business Development Team and backing from EPSRC, AMT were able to collaborate with Dr Louise Horsfall and her team to demonstrate the powerful effect of this technology. The project was completed in summer 2016, with a joint presentation of the initial exciting results at the annual conference of the European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology.”
Stephen Roe, CEO, AMT
“Applying for funding from IBioIC is open, straightforward and well supported by the project management team. Post-award reporting is focused and having members of the IBioIC team involved in project meetings and contributing to the discussions is also extremely helpful. I would encourage all my colleagues with industry-led projects to consider the Innovation Centre when seeking funding. Funding for our project, which interfaces chemistry and synthetic biology, was critical in establishing what I hope will be a long-term collaboration with Ingenza and Lucite.”
Dr Rebecca Goss, Reader, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews
The Micro Accelerator
The Centre’s commitment to supporting Scottish micro companies was demonstrated in this second call targeting collaborative projects headed up by micro enterprises operating in the industrial biotechnology space.
This attractive funding offering, delivered a record of fourteen project applications as well as engagement from seven new companies and IBioIC investment in a further five industry-led projects.
The Bioeconomy Accelerator
This joint call, in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, was launched at EFIB in October 2016 and provides a funding opportunity for bio-economy projects led by SMEs and supported by Scotland’s academic talent.
The deadline for full applications is 28th February 2017.
Industry Member HEI Partner Project
Nissan Chemicals Glasgow Engineering Microbial Cell Factories for Industrial Carotenoids Biosynthesis
Twist Edinburgh Accelerating Industrial Metabolic Engineering Using YeastFAB
Unilever Edinburgh Accelerating Biotech Production of Saponins
Lucite St Andrews Maximising the Metabolic Efficiency of Cellular Methacrylate Production
Ingenza Glasgow RTMet: Real Time Metabolomics for Synthetic Biology Applications
Synpromics Edinburgh Engineering Tissue-Specific Synthetic Promoters (TSSP) Utilising a Novel High Content Enhancerome In Vivo Screen
Successful Synthetic Biology Accelerator Applications
Accelerator Projects
Projects Programme20 21Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Industry-led Project Portfolio
“As a member of IBioIC, Lucite has partnered on a variety of the Centre’s industry-led projects and it has been great to see the range of collaborating companies and HEIs extended further in 2016. The project programme has provided us with excellent opportunities to work alongside first class academics and build deeper relationships with our partner Ingenza, whilst addressing the many technological challenges in designing complex new biochemical routes using completely novel biochemistry.
We were delighted to have been awarded funding for our recent application to the Synthetic Biology Accelerator Call. Our project focuses on improvements to a first generation microbial production system currently being developed. If realised, these advancements will create a significant impact on overall process economics and take Lucite closer to its ultimate goal to convert renewable feedstocks directly to their main products using innovative biotechnology processes.” Graham Eastham, Senior Research Scientist, Lucite
“Our understanding of the genetic basis of many diseases has been transformed in recent years. Gene Therapies are becoming a reality where defective or missing genes can be corrected or replaced. However, a key remaining hurdle to the success of Gene Therapies is to be able to control the strength of gene expression specific to a tissue type or environment.
Synpromics’ world leading technology to regulate gene expression has had an incredibly positive response from the Gene Therapy market. This project is at the heart of Synpromics’ technology development and will provide a comprehensive database enabling the design of synthetic promoters to regulate gene expression at specified strength and specific to tissue type.
As an SME in a Global Market, collaboration is essential; the University of Edinburgh team are bringing key knowledge and facilities to help deliver the project and the support and guidance we get from the IBioIC makes for a highly effective project team.” Ken MacNamara, Director of Operations, Synpromics
Synpromics - University of Edinburgh
Engineering Tissue-Specific Synthetic Promoters Utilising a Novel High Content Enhancerome Screen
Synpromics was founded in 2010 to commercialise proprietary and patent-pending technology in the emerging field of synthetic biology.
The company develops patentable synthetic promoters designed to regulate genes in a highly specific manner.
This highly disruptive technology puts the power to control gene expression in almost any condition of interest into the hands of scientists developing next generation technologies, therapeutics and diagnostics.
The Project
Synpromic’s synthetic promoter technology enables the construction of more efficient and specific promoters to regulate transgene expression by leveraging transcription network data from target cells.
This project, in partnership with Matthew Nolan and Christina McClure of the University of Edinburgh, seeks to generate a comprehensive framework for the functional annotation of transcriptional regulatory elements within the human genome and decipher complex tissue-specific gene regulation.
An industry relevant AAV vector system will be used to deliver isolated promoter and enhancer regions in order to identify and functionally assess important transcriptional regulatory elements in distinct target tissue type and will provide a comprehensive data resource for the design and generation of synthetic promoters for gene therapy applications.
Horizon Proteins
Heriot-Watt
3fbio Lucite
GlycoMarStrathclyde St.Andrews
Xanthella
GSKIngenza
Unilever Edinburgh Glasgow
Twist Biosciences
Synpromics
Art Photonics
AberdeenNissan Chemical
Technical Network
“RTMet aims to achieve the ‘holy grail’ of fermentation - the ability to monitor products and substrates, feedstocks and toxins in real time during the fermentation process. Using advanced accurate mass spectrometry techniques, this IBIOIC-funded project will, for the first time, apply the analytical capabilities of today’s high-end mass spectrometers to industrial biotechnology. This project is the culmination of a fruitful collaboration with Ingenza that aims to leverage the capabilities of metabolomics in their bioprocess optimisation. The technology has broad applications and great potential, and I look forward to helping Ingenza achieve its strain optimisation ends.” Karl Burgess, Principal Investigator, University of Glasgow
Ingenza – University of Glasgow
RTMet: Real Time Metabolomics for Synthetic Biology Applications
Ingenza is a world leader in the application of industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology, providing efficient, scalable bioprocesses for the manufacture of chemicals, biologics, pharmaceuticals and biofuels, from sustainable sources.
The Project
Cost-effectively producing synthetic biology-enabled bio-based chemicals requires careful monitoring of microbial productivity during large-scale fermentation. Standard measures of microbial growth, such as acidity or oxygen content, provide some information on fermentation progress. However, for optimal monitoring it would be beneficial to measure chemical products, in real time, as well as other substances in the culture. This would provide information on the quality of growth conditions; an early indicator of process issues.
Dr Karl Burgess of the University of Glasgow has developed a prototype instrument to measure the composition of fermentation using mass spectrometry, detecting dozens of chemicals in real time. As a proof of principle this instrument will be used in a real fermenter to optimise an Ingenza synthetic biology driven biosynthetic fermentation.
“Ingenza are looking forward to working with Glasgow Polyomics on this new and exciting IBioIC project to help improve the understanding of our bioprocesses. Access to this valuable analysis technique in real-time will help assist us in the optimisation and understanding of our fermentation processes. This will enable faster/cheaper bioprocess optimisation and help Ingenza remain competitive in the R&D commercial services area and allow support of our synthetic biology-driven biosynthetic pathway construction, strain optimisation and fermentation efficiency improvement goals. This should ultimately lead to cost-effective production of synthetic biology-enabled bio-based chemicals in large-scale fermentations.” Alison Arnold, Head of Fermentation, Ingenza
IBioIC focuses on bridging the gap between education and industry, in order to facilitate collaborations and guide organisations from concept to industry adoption.
As a further step towards providing a single point of contact for industry seeking guidance on how to utilise industrial biotechnology within their organisations, the Centre launched its Technical Network in September 2016.
It is well recognised that IB is a complex multi-disciplinary sector where no individual organisation has the expertise or capacity to develop and commercialise a bioprocess alone. The Centre’s Technical Network allows member companies access to specialist individuals with expertise covering at least one of the major areas of biotechnology:
• Feedstock supply and processing
• Biochemistry
• Molecular biology
• Fermentation
• Bio-metrology
• Downstream processing
Specialists from Scotland’s existing academic capabilities will work in conjunction with each other to provide techno-commercial expertise across all aspects of IB, providing IBioIC member companies fast access to highly commercially valuable information.
Since its launch, the Technical Network has already been utilised by a number of companies and over the coming months it will be expanded to harness international industry knowledge in areas where Scotland lacks excellence and expertise, with the aim of stimulating growth and success of the IB industry at home.
“As part of our latest collaboration with the Campopiano Lab within the University of Edinburgh, we are delighted to be one of the first project teams to tap into the expertise of the IBioIC Technical Network. Dr Steve Kendrew will provide us with consultancy in the areas of clone design and metabolic pathway engineering”.
Reuban Carr, Head of Chemical Biology, Ingenza
“Access to independent, expert advice in specific areas of need will allow companies to de-risk IB development programmes, thereby increasing the likelihood of investment in such
programmes. The consultants’ knowledge-sharing will help companies rapidly understand the precedent for new projects, the IP landscape associated with new technologies and identifying the routes to market”.
Ian Archer, Technical Director, IBioIC
Accelerator Projects22 23Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
IBioIC Technical Network Consultants
• Act as ambassadors for the Innovation Centre and the Scottish biotechnology sector
• Participate in projects providing expert advice in technical areas
• Assist in project monitoring to ensure contributions from partners reflect investment by IBioIC and the commitments of the member companies
• Act as an independent ‘sanity check’ for projects, advising on precedent, competition, position in the IP landscape and possible unforeseen ‘red flags’
Equipment CentresFollowing the successful launch of the Rapid Bioprocess Prototyping Centre (RBPC) at the University of Strathclyde in November 2015, IBioIC’s second open access centre, the Flexible Downstream Bioprocessing Centre (FlexBio), opened at Heriot Watt University in May 2016.
FlexBio is a fee-for-service facility which follows on from the RPBC by taking the most promising bio-processes and demonstrating their feasibility at a scale which facilitates movement to commercialisation.
In addition to expanding the provision of equipment in 2016, a full technical support team is now in place including: onsite Facility Managers with fermentation and process engineering expertise, a dedicated IBioIC postgraduate research associate and an experienced technician.
2016 witnessed a welcomed increase in the use of both Centres and a significant increase in enquiries. The team at IBioIC aim to maximise the potential of the facilities and work with industry partners to ensure their continued utilisation.
As part of the ongoing development and promotion of the Centres across the UK, IBioIC is actively engaged with the BioPilotsUK initiative. BioPilotsUK was launched at EFIB 2016 in Glasgow and is an alliance of five established biorefining open-access centres in the UK who recognise the importance of partnerships to develop UK bio-based value chains.
“FlexBio has been invaluable for Horizon Proteins over the last 6 months, offering scale-up and developmental space and access to equipment. Through FlexBio, we have been able to carry out feasibility tests with leased equipment that have allowed further development of our processes, with a significant reduction in both cost and challenge of operation”
Professor Nik Willoughby, CEO, Horizon Proteins
RBPC
The Rapid Bioprocess Prototyping Centre enables customers to rigorously assess the potential of new cell lines, bio-products or novel approaches to bio-processing, in terms of actual industrial potential. The RBPC is focused around bioprocess stages up to an industrially compatible scale (15 litres STR reactors).
RBPC EquipmentOmnilog Phonotype Microarray System
DASGIP 8 x Parallel Bioreactor System
Applikon 15L Biobench Fermenter System
Kaiser RXN2 Raman Spectrometer with a MR filtered probe
YSI 2900 Biochemistry Analyser
Agilent 1290 UHPLC
FlexBio
The Flexible Downstream Bioprocessing Centre provides scale-up facilities at the semi-tech scale (15-100 litre) combined with a highly flexible, integrated approach to total process development on a single site.
FlexBio EquipmentBacteria cell culture laboratoryLaboratory fermenters ranging from 0.7-7LShaking incubators5L photobioreactors with LED/Xenon light sourcesMammalian cell laboratory4-14L Eppendorf Celligen Blu disposable stirred tank systems2-20L GE Wave systemStatic incubatorsDownstream bioprocessing laboratoryAKTA AvantGEA high speed continuous disc stack centrifugeSartorius sartoflow advanced filtration systemApplikon 30L Biobench Fermenter SystemAnalytical laboratoryGCHPLCQTOF LC Mass SpectrometryProtein/carbohydrate/lipid analysisPlate reader for ELISA/general rate assay
“For 3f bio, as a new micro-SME spin-out company, accessing world class expertise, guidance, facilities and support is an essential element in building our potential for success. Based within University of Strathclyde, becoming part of the IBioIC community and accessing IBioiC’s Rapid Bioprocess Prototyping Centre has been an essential part of delivering our ambitious development program.
3f bio have been operating within RBPC facilities for several months delivering our Proof of Concept program whilst commissioning the equipment and operating systems. Operating on the scale range of 1 to 15 litres allows us to both deliver Proof of Concept demonstration and develop a 2 year forward plan to use the facility as a commercial development base.”
David Ritchie, CTO, 3f bio
Equipment Centres24 25Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Events
Events
26
IBioIC’s 2nd Annual Conference Realising the Opportunity, January 2016
Formed over two days, with a networking dinner and attracting over 400 registered bio-based professionals, academics and students from across the UK and Europe, “Realising the Opportunity” set the theme for 2016 and showcased the latest market and technical developments in IB.
“You did a stellar job in delivering this quality of event in every way. The energy last year was obvious and this exceeded that by far. It offered great new contacts and opportunities for Ingenza as well as providing a platform to put our messages across to potential new customers and academic enablers. This is exactly what we envisaged as members of IBioIC.”
Ian Fotheringham, Managing Director, Ingenza Ltd.
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & San Diego Trade DelegationApril 2016
The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology is a US based conference providing a forum for business executives, government officials, academic researchers and industry leaders to share the latest advances in renewable chemicals, synthetic biology, enzymes, food ingredients, biofuels and more. A key showcase event for IBioIC was the launch of the Synthetic Biology Accelerator, an open call for projects at regional, national and international level, which resulted in £3 million of investment across six game changing synthetic biology projects.
27
“With the global synthetic biology market estimated to grow by more than 40% by the end of the decade, it is no wonder that synthetic biology is high on the agenda of organisations worldwide; we’re proud to be accelerating innovation in the area and of the academic capabilities Scotland can offer the world.” Ian Archer, Technical Director, IBioIC
Skills for Industry Day, May 2016
Now in its third year, the Skills for Industry Day brings together industrial members and key academic partners from the biotechnology sector in Scotland, to identify the continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of both industry and other IBioIC partners in order to deliver a successful and innovative bioeconomy.
“The day gives a valuable opportunity to network with employers in industry, academia and the public sector, and at the same time keeping abreast of future developments. Hearing first hand employers’ experiences, it’s great to understand the challenges and opportunities that we all share, ensuring that we have people with the right skills to support our business needs.”
Dr Hilary Jeffreys, Technical Transfer and R&D Manager, Actavis
Events
Events Outreach and Events
28
FlexBio Opens, May 2016
The second of IBioIC’s open access facilities was officially opened by Bob Tooze, Managing Director of Sasol UK Ltd. in May 2016. The Flexible Downstream Bioprocessing Centre (FlexBio) at Heriot-Watt University fills the current UK wide gap in the provision of scale-up facilities at semi-tech scale and is sufficiently flexible to work for all aspects of bioprocessing to maximize the breadth of industrial applications.
Making Connections, September 2016
Following the success of the first making connections event, IBioIC held its second speed networking event, Making Connections, designed to bring together over forty key decision makers from across the Centre’s industrial membership, to provide an environment for new collaborative discussion to take place.
“The member-member event was surprisingly interesting and successful for me. In the space of a few hours I met some 20 members. The 5 minute pitch restriction was a challenge at first but quickly became a focused way to exchange core capabilities and offerings. From this speed networking exercise I discovered 7 companies I didn’t know existed, found 3 possible development partners and customers for ongoing and future business. Let’s do it again!” Trevor Whittley, Art Photonics
European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the BioeconomyOctober 2016
Glasgow played host to EFIB this year, attracting over 600 biobased professionals from across Europe. IBioIC used this opportunity to launch a number of exciting initiatives including a joint call with Zero Waste Scotland, IBioIC’s conference programme and a new alliance between UK based open access facilities – BioPilotsUK.
“The UK biotechnology sector is growing year on year and Scottish companies are at the forefront of this movement. We were delighted to bring EFIB to Glasgow, providing excellent business opportunities for the Scottish economy and demonstrating how innovative we are as a nation.” Roger Kilburn, CEO, IBioIC
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016 29
Q1IBioIC 2nd Annual Conference 28th-29th January 2016 Hosted
Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner & Awards, Edinburgh 4th February 2016 Attended
Forestry Commission Symposium, Dalkeith 17th February 2016 Attended, Presented
IBLF Skills Meeting, London 23rd February 2016 Attended, Presented
Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, Edinburgh 25th February 2016 Attended
Scottish Renewables Annual Conference, Edinburgh 1-2nd March 2016 Attended
BioWales, Cardiff 1-2nd March 2016 Attended
Energy Transfer Partnership Bioenergy Workshop, Glasgow 8th March 2016 Attended, Presented
Britest Workshop, Glasgow 18th March 2016 Hosted
BioChar Workshop, Birmingham 22nd March 2016 Attended, Presented
North of Scotland Graduate Recruitment Fair, Aberdeen 29th March 2016 Attended, Exhibited
Q2SynBioBeta, London 6th-8th April 2016 Attended
IB World Congress, San Diego 17th-20th April 2016 Attended, Presented, Exhibited
Trade Delegation, San Diego 21st-22nd April 2016 Attended
BioBased Industries/BioIndustries Consortium Workshop, Glasgow 26th April Hosted
Institute of Chartered Foresters Annual Conference, Newcastle 27th-28th April 2016 Attended, Presented
BBIA Workshop on Policy in the UK Bioeconomy, York 28th April 2016 Attended, Presented
KEP Seminar on Bioeconomy challenges for the EU Regions, Brussels 29th April 2016 Attended, Presented
Skills for Industry Day, Glasgow 4th May 2016 Hosted
All Energy Conference, Glasgow 5th-6th May 2016 Attended, Presented
IBLF Skills Conference, Manchester 18th-19th May 2016 Attended, Presented
Biobased Chemicals World, Amsterdam 24th-25th May 2016 Attended, Presented
Making STEM Work Conference, Dunfermline 1st June 2016 Attended, Presented, Exhibited
TEDxGlasgow, Glasgow 3rd June 2016 Hosted
College Development Network Food and Drink Conference, Dunfermline 14th June 2016 Attended, Presented, Exhibited
UK Research Office Annual Conference, Glasgow 30th June-1st July 2016 Attended
Core Team
Roger Kilburn CEO
Jill Paterson Finance Manager
Louise McKean Legal
Maria Andrus Centre Administrator
Lynsey Muir Modern Apprentice
Commercial Team
Ashley Jackson Marketing & Communications Manager
Judith Huggan Business Development Manager
Paul Hudman Business Development Manager
Projects Team
Ian Archer Technical Director
Andrew Stewart Project Funding Manager
Catriona Clark Project Manager
Johann Partridge Project Manager
Rachel Moir Project Manager
Samantha Reilly Project Co-ordinator
Laura Volpati Facility Manager - FlexBio
YingYing Li Facility Manager - RBPC
Lorris Fossier Marchan Post Doctoral Research Associate
Skills Programme Team
Susanne Boyle Skills Programme Manager
Kimberley Jolly Skills Programme Administrator
Meet the Team
Q3ECB, Krakow 11th-14th July 2016 Attended, Presented
Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences Visit, Glasgow 12th July 2016 Hosted
REF Impact Workshop, Glasgow 31st August Attended
SRUC Presentation, Edinburgh 1st September 2016 Presented
Scottish Life Sciences Intern Celebration, Glasgow 5th September 2016 Attended
Creating Innovation, Glasgow 8th September 2016 Attended
Bitesize Agriculture & Land Event, Edinburgh 9th September 2016 Attended
Construction Scotland IC Conference, Glasgow 13th September 2016 Attended
Bioindustries Consortium Programme Meeting, Brussels 13th September 2016 Attended
Making Connections, Edinburgh 14th September 2016 Hosted
CBM Net Early Careers Workshop, Sheffield 15th September 2016 Attended, Presented
Ayrshire Schools Workshop, Irvine 16th September 2016 Hosted
Scottish Learning Festival, Glasgow 21st September 2016 Attended
Building Bioeconomy Partnerships, St Andrews
21st September 2016 Attended
SCDI Productive Places, Glasgow 28th September 2016 Attended
Q3Blue Economy Science & Innovation Meeting, Oban 28th September 2016 Attended
LBNet Lignoceullolose Workshop, York 29th September 2016 Attended
Explorathon, Glasgow 30th September 2016 Attended and Exhibited
Zero Waste Scotland Circular Economy Workshop, Glasgow 30th September 2016 Attended, Presented
Q4Kyle Acdemy Careers in Life Science, Ayr 3rd October 2016 Attended, Presented
SynBioBeta, San Francisco 4th-6th October 2016 Attended, Presented
Scottish Resources Conference 4-6th October 2016 Attended, Presented
Lloyd’s Register Foundation, London 13th -14th October 2016 Attended
EFIB, Glasgow 18th-20th October 2016 Hosted, Presented, Exhibited
Algae Biomass Summit, Phoenix 23rd-26th October 2016 Attended
Largs Academy Breakfast Careers Workshop, Largs 25th October 2016 Attended, Presented
Influencer Insight Teacher Event 26th October 2016 Hosted
IET/Synbicite Engineering Biology Conference, London 13th-15th December 2016 Attended
Building Bioeconomy Workshops, Glasgow 15th December 2016 Attended
Outreach and Events30 31Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016
Governance32 Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016 33
Committed to effectively shaping IBioIC’s strategic and commercial direction, the Centre’s governance operates on three levels:
• The Governing Board• The Commercial Advisory Board• The Scientific Advisory Board
In 2016, each of the Boards convened at least four times for face-to-face meetings, with numerous telecoms between times when urgent decisions, approvals or advice were required.
GovernanceThis year saw the Centre’s two year anniversary and so, in line with the Boards’ Terms of Reference, a review of membership took place in order to evaluate their purpose and composition with the aim of strengthening expertise and experience in key areas. As a result, a number of members recently stepped down from their positions.
To this end, a number of members elected to step down from their positions. IBioIC would like to thank Marcel Jaspars, Gary Loake and Alan Wolstenholme for their valuable contributions to the Governing Board and their support of the Centre since its opening in 2014. The Board has since welcomed Ted Chapman - GSK; Joyce Tait - University of Edinburgh and Claire Halpin - University of Dundee as new members.
As the activity of IBioIC’s project programme has increased, the Centre has now welcomed additional Board members to its Scientific Advisory Board, namely Frank Sargent - University of Dundee; Christine Edwards - Robert Gordon University; Ian Watson - University of Glasgow and Nicola Crowhurst - GSK.
The success of the Centre has undoubtedly been boosted by the diligence and experience of the Board Members and the IBioIC Team would like to thank them for their voluntary service, expertise and advice given over the course of this year.
Scientific Advisory Board
Board Members Affiliation
Michele Stanley (Chair) SAMS
Ian Archer IBioIC
Dominic Campopiano University of Edinburgh
Reuben Carr Ingenza
Nicola Crowhurst GSK
Christine Edwards Robert Gordon University
Ian Hodgson Fujifilm
Alan Kennedy Diageo
Samantha Law NCIMB
Douglas MacInnes Marine Biopolymers Limited
Frank Sargent University of Dundee
Derek Stewart James Hutton Institute
Nicholas Tucker University of Strathclyde
Ian Watson University of Glasgow
Eric Whale CelluComp
Nik Willoughby Heriot Watt University
Commercial Advisory Board
Board Members Affiliation
Roger Kilburn (Chair) IBioIC
Jeremy Gillespie Enzymatics
Andy Gunn GSK
Jim Laird 3f bio
David Mackie Marine Biopolymers Limited
David McElroy Ingenza
Douglas McKenzie Xanthella
Martin Tangney Edinburgh Napier University
Observers
Andy McLauglin Scottish Enterprise
Karen Skene Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Governing Board
Board Members Affiliation
Ian Shott (Chair) ShottTrinova
Roger Kilburn IBioIC
Ted Chapman GSK
Sandy Dobbie Marine Biopolymers Limited
Claire Halpin University of Dundee
Ian Fotheringham Ingenza
Ian Little INEOS
David Littlejohn University of Strathclyde
Mark Simmers Celtic Renewables
Joyce Tate University of Edinburgh
Bob Tooze Sasol
Dave Tudor GSK
Observers
Sophie Lowry Scottish Funding Council
Caroline Strain Scottish Enterprise
James Cameron Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Looking Forward
Looking Forward
34 Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016 35
“I am delighted to see IBioIC have another successful year and I am fantastically excited by what the future holds. The way in which the centre continues to mature is extremely impressive , its combination of technology with application puts us at the cutting edge of change. The presence of an integrated capability and clear demonstration of support for the industry is giving us confidence to invest in biotechnology R&D at our Irvine facility. GSK are proud to support the continued growth of IBioIC and its contribution to the life sciences in Scotland.”
Dave Tudor, VP Primary Supply Chain, GSK
• Expand IBioIC industry membership to 120 by end of 2017
• Deliver 1st year of Network Integrator programme for Scottish Enterprise
• Enhance use of Equipment Centres through increased marketing
• Attract FE students to study an HND in Industrial Biotechnology
• Increase number of international students participating in the collaborative MSc in Industrial Biotechnology
• Start 4th cohort of PhD students, including CTP funded doctorates
• Deliver 1st IBioIC Core Project investigating alternative feedstocks
• Progress the IBioIC and OGIC joint project programme
• Award successful projects for Bioeconomy Accelerator Joint Call with Zero Waste Scotland
• Launch the 9th IBioIC Industry-Led competition
• Build on existing successes in sourcing external funding
“As newcomers to this fast moving and potentially disruptive technology field, membership of IBioIC has been invaluable for us. We have benefitted from many of IBioIC offerings, including networking, expert consultancy and participation in projects. We believe that IBioIC has made great progress in a relatively short period of time. The whole IBioIC team is focussed on growing the IB sector to the benefit of all stakeholders.”Bob Tooze, Managing Director, Sasol UK Ltd
“Industrial biotechnology is a key sector in the Scottish Life Sciences, and SULSA is very much looking forward to working together with IBioIC to drive forward this important agenda.”Allison Jackson, Executive Director, Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance
Looking Forward36
Financial Summary
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre Annual Report 2016 37
All information supplied within this document is correct at time of printing, January 2017.
32projects awarded since start
of IBioIC.
IBioIC Investment
£3.8MTotal Investment
£8.1M
Industry Led Projects
7 Competitions59 Applications27 Successful
ProjectsTotal Investment
£7.3M
MSc Students56 MSc students
17 graduated in 201521 graduated in 2016
28 are completing the degree in 2016/2017
PhD students28 PhD students 8 started in 201411 started in 20159 started in 2016
Projects
Skills
Outputs AY15/16
Financial
25+35+40+A 32+35+33+A56 28
Number of engagements with companies
159Number of Jobs created
37Number of business to business collaborations
36Number of academic to business collaborations
41
IBioIC Spend
Funding for a further 27 PhD studentships of 4 year duration (approx. £2.7M) has been secured from BBSRC.
“The University of Glasgow and the Industrial Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology Cluster in particular have been working more closely with IBioIC over the last 18 months and we are now reaping the rewards of that partnership. IBioIC have enabled us to join up with the academic IB community across Scotland and, critically, establish links with the IB industry in Scotland and further afield. The funding available from the Centre has been key for catalysing those relationships with industry and has allowed us to leverage funding from other agencies such as Innovate UK.”
Gordon Meiklejohn, Business Development Manager,University of Glasgow
£7m
AY16/17
AcknowledgementsIBioIC wish to pay thanks to the Governing, Scientific and Commercial Advisory Boards as well as industry members and the HEIs who all contributed to the content for the annual report.
Prepared by:The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC)
For further information, please contact:[email protected]
www.ibioic.com
