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Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleOpening of the new Centre for Molecular Biosciences |
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I am delighted to have been invited here today to see the exciting and extremely important developments at the University of Ulster. In particular, may I offer special congratulations to all those involved in making the new Centre for Molecular Biosciences become a reality. This represents a tremendous vision for the future, and will add to the already high standard of biomedical expertise that exists at the University. I am delighted that Ken Logue is here representing Atlantic Philanthropies and I'm sure we'd all like to thank Atlantic Philanthropies for their generous support. It is also excellent to see Professor Vernon Young is here from MIT. It is extremely important to have an international advisory board and marvellous that you have such a distinguished scientist to head that board. The new Centre for Molecular Biosciences will also greatly enhance the opportunities for technology transfer between the University of Ulster and the growing sector of biomedical and biotechnological companies in Northern Ireland. The University already has an impressive record in technology transfer, working in partnership with academic staff and the private sector to exploit University intellectual property for the benefit of the Northern Ireland economy. However, I think it is important to emphasise that these developments hold promise not just for entrepreneurship and the economy, but also for real improvements in health care. Today I would like to say how greatly the Government values the contributions of those who support and carry out research in Northern Ireland and the rest of UK, and underline the Government's commitment to basic research, the researchers who do it and to encouraging the innovation that flows from it. Ulster Strengths in BioScience The University's School of Biomedical Sciences has made a tremendous contribution to research, and has been rewarded with the highest possible five-star (5*) rating in the Research Assessment Exercise in both 1996 and in 2001. I think that some of the advances being made in the field of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster are extremely exciting. For example, new molecular imaging techniques have been developed to investigate cancer and ageing. Peptides have been identified from the venom of a particular species of frog, which may yield a vital tool in the fight against conditions such as cancer and heart disease. And an exciting new mechanism for delivering drugs to diseased tissue has been developed, using red blood cells as armed mercenaries. In a period of rapid scientific advance, when the application of science and technology are of increasing national importance, we have the advantage in this country that our science is among the best and most cost-effective in the world. In particular, we excel in bioscience research and it is marvellous that Northern Ireland shares in this success. The Role of Universities These developments have only been possible because of the excellence of our universities in basic research and in educating our young people. To enable them to perform their critical role in the knowledge economy, the Government has recognised the need for extra resources for research, education, and especially infrastructure. I am delighted to see first hand the success of the Department for Employment and Learning's £40 million Support Programme for University Research (SPUR), since its launch in spring 2000. The programme will strengthen the Northern Ireland science base in fields of the highest international quality. The projects to be funded by SPUR are diverse and exciting, encompassing subjects such as virtual engineering, biomedical research and Irish culture. Together, they will assist the Universities involved in enhancing further, Northern Ireland's international reputation for research. The new Centre for Molecular Biosciences has received the largest single research grant ever made to a university in Northern Ireland. It will enable dramatic expansion and diversification in the already high profile field of biomedical sciences. Scientists at the centre will investigate degenerative diseases, such as Diabetes and Cancer. It will house the Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health - one of the largest and most productive human nutrition research groups in Europe. The University of Ulster has also been successful in the UK-wide competition for infrastructure funding. It won almost £6 million from EPSRC in the third round of the Joint Infrastructure Fund, for its outstanding proposal to build the Fire Safety Engineering Research & Technology Centre. I am sure that the Centre for Molecular Biosciences will put the University and Northern Ireland in an even stronger position to win further competitive funding from the Research Councils and other sources. People World-class research needs world-class laboratories and I have just highlighted the importance of substantial support for state-of-the-art-facilities. But equally important are researchers of the highest calibre to work in these facilities. Upon completion, the new Centre for Molecular Biosciences will house 80 research staff, rising to about 120 in 2007. A number of new key academic staff will be appointed, in the fields of genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and molecular imaging. There can be no doubt that the new, first-rate facilities will add to the world-class science already being done at the university, to ensure that the new centre attracts and retains the very best scientists. The Government has announced a wide spectrum of programmes and awards, which range from encouraging the teaching of science in schools to the recruitment of internationally renowned scientists. In particular, the Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Awards scheme aims to help universities attract or retain researchers of outstanding achievement or potential. Funding available for the awards will total £20 million over five years. Some is already committed, but applications are still invited to the Royal Society, and I am sure that Northern Ireland institutions will be exploring the opportunity to consolidate their strengths through support of this kind. Innovation New ideas are part, but only part, of the wider process of innovation that is essential to wealth creation, of course, but also, equally, quality of life. In the Science and Innovation White Paper published in 2000, we also set out a range of policies to speed up and support the rate of innovation. These are already beginning to show impressive results. Last year there were 199 spin-off companies from universities, compared to an average of 70 each year for the previous 5 years. There has also been a sharp increase in the number of patents filed, up 22% between 1998/99 and 1999/2000, and the proportion of research income funded by companies in the UK is also up and is now at a higher level than event the USA. The policies I mentioned included providing £30 million to extend the highly successful University Challenge Fund, which gives seed corn money so that ideas from the lab can be developed so that they are of interest to venture capitalists, and Science Enterprise Centres, which are about giving young scientists and engineers access to entrepreneurial skills. There has been strong competition for these funds and I am delighted that the University of Ulster was successful in establishing a £2.7 million fund from the University Challenge competition and received almost £700,000 to set up a Science Enterprise Centre. The forging of a partnership with Queen's University, Belfast, has been key to both ventures. The University of Ulster is also making a very significant contribution to the process of innovation I have just described with the birth of spin-off companies such as Gendel Ltd., and Diabetica Ltd. In fact, over the past 2 years, the University has spun out 16 new high technology companies, half of which are in the biosciences. Science Parks have been established at the Coleraine and Magee campuses and work is ongoing to develop one in Belfast. Through these initiatives, the University has created over 500 jobs and helped attract new inward investment and venture capital into Northern Ireland. Even more important is jobs of the future. This is where jobs will come from in 20 years' time, therefore it is very promising for the future. Together, these achievements highlight the very important contributions being made by the University of Ulster in driving the growth of one of the UK's many flourishing biotechnology clusters. One of my first jobs as a Minister was to do a clusters study of the UK and the world. What we found was that it is crucial for the development of a cluster to have world-class science combined with technology transfer. It is exciting to see that you have the makings of a cluster here. One of the best technology and knowledge transfer mechanisms we have is the Teaching Company Scheme and I am pleased to see that the University of Ulster has an excellent record in this programme too. It not only delivers tangible 'bottom line' benefits for the companies that participate, mainly SMEs these days, and provides business-related training and experience for graduates – the Teaching Company Scheme Associates – but it also helps academics to acquire up-to-date knowledge of business that can then be introduced into their academic research. Many of the spin-out companies being formed at the University are from academic staff, but I was delighted to hear that two have been established by students from the University - one as a direct result of a Teaching Company Scheme programme with an existing Northern Ireland company. Conclusion Scientific excellence is the foundation of a successful economy and helps improve the quality of life for all. In its first term of office the Government made clear its commitment to supporting basic research, providing incentives for knowledge transfer and building a confident relationship between consumers and scientists. In our second term we are determined to build on the initiatives we have taken. I would like to congratulate the University and all those involved in this new venture on their outstanding achievements. I am confident that the new centre will add significantly to the university's world-class reputation in biomedical science, and I am delighted to be here to unveil the foundation stone for the new centre. |
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Other speeches by Lord Sainsbury of Turville
(the following are available from the archive) |
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