Sponsored Content by PHTA LtdReviewed by Olivia FrostOct 23 2024
The UK’s life sciences sector has long been a global leader in research, innovation, and healthcare advancements. Regional centers of excellence play a pivotal role in driving this success, offering unique ecosystems that nurture collaboration, growth, and cutting-edge discoveries.
In this interview, Gino Martini talks to NewsMed about the West Midlands, a region with a rich heritage in both manufacturing and life sciences. With its diverse population, world-class universities, and burgeoning healthcare collaborations, the West Midlands is positioning itself as a key player in the UK’s life sciences landscape.
Could you start by giving us an overview of why regional centers of excellence are vital to the UK's life sciences sector, particularly in the context of the West Midlands?
If you look at the UK's rich heritage and history, it is clear that regional hubs, when they grow and invest back into their communities, yield fantastic outcomes, whether it is in people's standard of living or, in the case of life sciences, patient health outcomes. For instance, in the West Midlands, we have historically been recognized for our manufacturing process, but this region has a long heritage in life sciences as well. When regional hubs like this thrive, the local population benefits and that advantage spreads to other parts of the country.
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Your recent blog highlighted the West Midlands as a vibrant life sciences ecosystem. What unique strengths does this region possess that make it an ideal center of excellence?
The West Midlands has a large and diverse population of around six million people, larger than Scotland, with 40 % being ethnically diverse. It is a fantastic environment for developing and testing health technologies and treatments representing a broad cross-section of patients. Our clinical network is also outstanding. Birmingham Health Partners, for example, is one of the country's largest collaborations of health trusts. We also have world-class research universities like the University of Birmingham and Aston University. A lot is happening here that people outside the region do not realize.
There is a kind of "water cooler effect" at play regarding innovation. During the pandemic, I bumped into someone from Liverpool at the Edgbaston Park Hotel measuring the mobile signal on campus. We chatted, and he mentioned a new technology that could amplify mobile phone signals. That conversation, which would never have happened online, led to us testing and adopting the technology at the hotel, and it is being implemented in the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA). Those accidental meetings are vital for fostering innovation and are a key aspect of what we aim to encourage at PHTA.
How do you see the collaboration between academia, industry, and government in the West Midlands contributing to its success as a life sciences hub?
Collaboration between academia, industry, and government is critical. A great example is what we are doing with the PHTA. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Birmingham, which is working closely with private partners like Bruntwood SciTech to develop innovation spaces like Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, where we're based. Such public-private partnerships are essential for stimulating growth. The government also plays a key role by creating the right environment for these partnerships to flourish, which I believe we need to see more of across the UK.
Image Credit: PHTA
What challenges do regional centers like the West Midlands face in maintaining and expanding their influence within the national and global life sciences sector?
One challenge is that the West Midlands is often pigeonholed as a manufacturing region, and people overlook its significant contributions to life sciences. There is also a tendency for regions to compete rather than collaborate, which can hinder progress. We need to move beyond a silo mentality and encourage supra-regional clusters. We should foster connections with other regions to create powerful, cooperative science clusters rather than competing for resources and recognition.
How does the West Midlands' life sciences ecosystem compare to other regional centers in the UK, such as the Golden Triangle (London, Oxford, Cambridge)? Are there specific areas where it excels or needs further development?
The West Midlands has easily comparable assets to those in the Golden Triangle. We have excellent universities, hospitals, and research institutions, but we do not always get the same level of recognition. The Golden Triangle is well-known to investors, and we must do more to promote what is happening here. One area where we are making a significant contribution is in providing more space for scaling up. There is a shortage of life science laboratories and space for SMEs, but initiatives like the PHTA address that.
We also see unique advantages in how we encourage collaboration. For instance, Oxford Science Enterprises, which translates IP into valuable outcomes, has created a fund for investing in companies. We are adopting a similar approach with a venture capital fund called Midlands Mindforge, which will be transformational for our region.
What role do regional centers of excellence play in driving innovation and economic growth across the UK’s life sciences sector?
They play a crucial role in improving patient outcomes by fostering collaborations between research universities and healthcare institutions. Such collaborations lead to better health outcomes and national resilience. In times of crisis, like the pandemic, having multiple centers of excellence across the UK would have allowed us to respond more effectively.
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How can the success of the West Midlands as a life sciences hub be replicated in other regions across the UK, particularly in areas currently underrepresented in the sector?
The success here can be replicated elsewhere. What is happening in Birmingham is similar to what has been achieved in Manchester or Edinburgh. One of the key factors is co-location.
In the West Midlands, hospitals, universities, and research parks are all within close proximity, creating a tightly knit ecosystem that fosters collaboration. Other regions can study this model and adopt similar approaches to encourage growth in life sciences.
What role should government policy play in supporting and expanding regional centers of excellence in the life sciences sector? Are there any specific initiatives or policies you believe could significantly impact?
Government policy is key, and it needs to provide the right environment for businesses to thrive. This includes more support for enterprise zones, better tax incentives, and a focus on investment zones. I believe sectors like life sciences should get preferential treatment in terms of support because they can generate huge economic benefits. A cohesive strategy, with life sciences parks benefiting from business rate relief and other incentives, would attract more investment and encourage companies to grow and succeed.
How can industry leaders and organizations, such as the BIA, further empower regional centers like the West Midlands to ensure they continue to thrive and contribute to the UK's global leadership in life sciences?
The BioIndustry Association (BIA) is doing a great job of supporting regional centers. They have recognized the need to extend their presence beyond London and are hosting events in places like the West Midlands, which is a significant step. By continuing to promote regions like ours, they can help spread awareness and attract more investment to life sciences hubs across the country.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes and expectations for the future of the West Midlands as a life sciences hub? How do you envision it evolving over the next five to ten years?
I hope that in five years when people think of the West Midlands, they will think of life sciences first and manufacturing second. I want to see young people here have the same opportunities in life sciences as those in London or Cambridge. We also aim to attract international investment and bring life sciences skills back to the UK. We have already seen signs that international companies are looking to the UK’s life sciences sector with renewed interest, so I believe the future is very bright for the West Midlands.
About Professor Gino Martini
Professor Gino Martini is an accomplished academic and industrial pharmacist with extensive expertise in oncology, rare and infectious diseases, and drug development. He is the CEO of PHTA, the University of Birmingham's life sciences research accelerator, where he supports growing businesses through connections with industry leaders and commercialization expertise. PHTA is located within the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC), a new life sciences park which will create 10,000 jobs and contribute over £400 million to the regional economy when fully operational.
About PHTA Ltd
The Precision Health Technologies Accelerator is the University of Birmingham's signature life sciences research facility, providing ~70,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art laboratory, incubation and collaboration space within No.1 BHIC.
Working alongside Birmingham Health Partners, PHTA offers access to a wide range of expertise in clinical research, trials and health data, as well as opportunities to collaborate with clinical-academic opinion leaders. Its bespoke facilities include wet and dry labs, a prototyping and small-batch manufacturing Makerspace, and business incubation space.
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