7. World leading research at biomedical centre

A unique collaboration of com­mercial, academic and clinical enter­prises - that's how to describe the Centre for Biomedical Research that is expected to open in 2006.

Seen as a flagship development for Scotland and a leading project for biomedical research, the Centre for Biomedical Research (CBR) is housed on a high quality campus de­velopment near the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a five-star teaching hospital.

The University of Edinburgh's Medical School and Institute for Medical Cell Biology will also be based on the bioscience park built at a cost of 200 million pounds.

"The CBR will bring together world-leading commercial research and development, healthcare delivery, academic research and medical train­ing in an inclusive, optimized envi­ronment said a spokesman for Scottish Enterprise, the organization promoting inward Investment.

"Organizations within the park will have a truly dynamic scientific com­munity on their doorstep. For most companies and scientists Involved in biomedicine, the attraction of working closely with academic exper­tise and clinical practice Is hard to beat. In particular, they will benefit from the research expertise of the University of Edinburgh, recognized as 'world-class' in a number of specialisms including life sciences and medicine."

The CBR Is a public/private part­nership valued at one billion pounds. The centre cost seven million pounds to build and equip and aims to posi­tion Edinburgh as one of the world's top ten areas for biomedical invest­ment. The CBR will also seek to en­tice world-class life science compa­nies and attract and retain scientists and researchers- Furthermore, it plans to encourage the commercialisation of new ideas.

The project is expected to create 6,000 jobs, contribute up to 440 mil­lion pounds annually to the economy and is one of Scottish Enterprise's flagship projects for the coming years.

A range of laboratory and office space will be available, from start-up incubator units to flexible multi-user spaces and strategic sites for single biomedical companies. A variety of facilities will be shared between com­mercial, academic and health service-related research organizations, provid­ing a natural environment for collabo­ration and networking.

In addition, organizations will have access to scientific-support facilities and intensive business-de­velopment support. Plans are also in hand to create conferencing/ meeting facilities, restaurant, nurs­ery and recreation facilities within the vicinity of the park.

The Centre for Biomedical Research is part of the Edinburgh Sci­ence Triangle (EST). The EST project brings together new teaching hospi­tals, health services, academics and the bio-pharmaceutical industry to commercialise leading-edge re­search. An estimated 30 spin-out companies and 120 business start­ups are to be generated by the EST.

The super-campus is already home to more than 3,300 world-class re­searchers and includes companies such as leading anti-cancer therapy company Viragen. The EST will rank alongside Cambridge and London as a top UK research region and is on track to be recognized as atop ten area of science and technology ex­cellence in Europe.

The CBR will help establish Edinburgh as one of the globe's top ten centres for biomedical research, positioning itself with such well-respected institutions as Biosquare in Boston, Mission Bay in San Francisco, Biopolis in Singapore and Kobe.

Professor Shin Ichi Nishikawa is deputy director of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology in Kobe. He is one of the world's most recognised researchers in blood stem cells, and believes the links with Scotland's academic and business community could unlock huge poten­tial.

Particular biomedical research strengths there lie in cardiovascular science, reproductive biology, inflam­matory cell biology, infectious dis­eases, stem cell and advanced imag­ing.

Professor Nishikawa said: "When you work together the process is much smoother. Edinburgh has enor­mous potential and can continue its growth in world-leading research in the field of stem cells and there is mu­tual opportunity for Edinburgh and Kobe."

According to the government body UK Trade & Investment there has never been a better time to invest in the UK healthcare indus­try. The home of many key scien­tific and medical discoveries and in­ventions, the UK remains at the fore­front of research and development (R&O).

Indeed, many investors have es­tablished R&D centres in the UK to take advantage of the, outstanding individuals and facilities .available: Universities form the hub around which centres of research excellence are created, offering a range of fa­cilities to support development such as clinical trials laboratories.

Many multinational corporations have formed strategic partnerships with universities, spin-out companies or contract research teams In the UK. They go to the UK because of its long and highly successful R&D record. It offers skilled research, institutional support, a high-class academic environment, multi disciplinary networking, industrial links and government fi­nancing.

The UK's 100 universities and many research centres are busy working on new developments. That is why hun­dreds of the world's leading indus­trial players have based their own R&D centres there, linking them to UK aca­demic and research teams skilled in scientific and technological innova­tion.

By Richard Maino