UKSPA Breakthrough Issue 3 SPA03.ebook_hr | Page 81

277 cell fusions were carried out to produce Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell Feeding demand Roslin Innovation Centre, an environment for growth R oslin is internationally known in the field of life sciences and benefits from global recognition as the birthplace of Dolly the sheep, the first animal to be cloned from an adult cell. Roslin Innovation Centre is a new £30 million multi-purpose and multi occupancy gateway development on the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus in Midlothian, on the outskirts of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. The opening of the Innovation Centre, in August 2017, offers opportunities for leading innovation companies to be part of an integrated and collaborative community and is ideally placed for the natural development of business collaborators, with laboratory and office space situated close to science and clinical livestock expertise. Synpromics Ltd, a leading synthetic promoter and gene control company, was the first mid-size tenant to occupy customised office and laboratory space, to facilitate the development and commercialisation of synthetic promoters for gene and cell therapy products and bioprocess applications. “Our move to Roslin Innovation Centre is the result of two incredibly successful years for the John Mackenzie CEO, Roslin Innovation Centre John is CEO of the Easter Bush Innovation Centre as well as the Roslin Biocentre company,” explained David Venables, CEO of Synpromics. “We look forward to working in our new high-tech facilities as we continue to build the company for the future.” ROSLIN TECHNOLOGIES Roslin Innovation Centre facilitates access to company growth opportunities to aid business development and acceleration, and the arrival of Roslin Technologies, a new agriculture biotechnology company, will offer opportunities for investors looking to capitalise on the growing demand for food and agricultural products. The agritech startup was set up to maximise the commercialisation of on-campus research, and offers one of the world’s largest investment opportunities in research projects aimed at improving animal health and increasing agricultural productivity. Formed as a joint venture between the University of Edinburgh, two external investors, and commercialisation partners with strong global industry networks and a track record of successful commercialisation in animal agriculture, Roslin Technologies aims to commercialise the intellectual property and know-how of The Roslin Institute and The Royal (Dick) School of  Veterinary Studies, the UK’s leading vet school, revolutionising agricultural productivity on a global scale through ground-breaking science. Glen Illing, CEO of Roslin Technologies, explained: “The Easter Bush Campus has the largest concentration of animal science related expertise in Europe. Being in the midst of a burgeoning community of animal health spin-out and spin-in companies that are attracted to the Roslin Innovation Centre is the perfect place for us to locate.” ■ Roslin Innovation Centre lies at the heart of the Midlothian Science Zone R e a d o n l i n e at: u k s pa . o r g . u k / b r e a k t h r o u g h W i n t e r 2 0 17 | U K S PA b r e ak t h r o u g h | 8 1