Did you know that Liverpool is linked to the biggest bio-manufacturing cluster in Europe? This means we’re helping lead the way in the fourth industrial revolution – which is happening right now! Industry 4.0, as it’s known, sees rapid change to technology and industry, because of our increase interconnectivity and smart automation. It covers a huge range of advances, from artificial intelligence and gene editing to advanced robotics. Want to find out more? Read on…
NEW IN OUR LOCAL INNOVATION SECTOR
Continental Personal Care Research
Unilever is a manufacturing giant you might have heard of; and good news! Not only is the Port Sunlight-founded company a local heavyweight, with its research and development laboratory still over the water, but the company’s global personal care unit Elida Beauty is hunkering down in Liverpool Science Park with a ten-year lease for a research and development hub. Elide Beauty manufactures products for brands such as Toni&Guy, Impulse, V05, Matey, Timotei and TIGI, to name a few. The new hub will be the centre for innovative work of scientific development delivering new formulas for personal care products well-loved across Europe and North America. Andrew Wyrko is the chief R&D officer at Elida Beauty. “Through our connections with Liverpool Science Park and the universities, we’ll be able to identify and bring to life great new innovations – working in partnership with some of the brightest minds in the country,” he says. Read more here…
USA’s Pierian Biosciences opens first UK Lab in Liverpool
Nashville company Pierian Biosciences is a diagnostic development and lab service organisation, focusing on personalised cancer intelligence. And as the company expands around the world, it’s chosen to have its first permanent European laboratory base right here in Liverpool! And it’s no wonder, considering our city region has such top-level cancer research. The opening of the Liverpool lab is expected ted to create new employment opportunities as the team expands. You can find out more here…
Sparking Sensor Science
Liverpool Science Park (new home of Elida Beauty) is brought to us by owners Sciontec Developments, which is continually growing its innovation facilities. The latest is Sensor City, which is in the last stages of the deal to join the group. A global hub for sensor and ‘Internet of Things’ technology development, Sensor City will be redeveloped with investments from Sciontec, returning to its mission and commitment to sensor tech, as well as digitalisation. Read more…
Fighting the Flu
New facility CSL Seqrius in Speke is manufacturing flu vaccines for the entire United Kingdom. Our students have worked extensively with Seqrius, including our Build My Future events, to get a taste of the lifesciences opportunities for them. Now, from the top of the Highlands to the bottom of the Isles, anyone receiving a flu vaccine in the UK this year will get one that has been produced in Liverpool. Seqrius Liverpool is one of the biggest flu jab production sites in the UK, producing over 50 million doses a year with the capacity to make 200 million in an emergency. This comes with many high value jobs as the facility meets the demand for flu jabs, and keeps the UK prepared for any potential influenza pandemics.
A new era for Academic Health
After a successful past three years, Liverpool Health Partners is making a bold relaunch to invigorate our city’s future research system. It is facilitating support for sponsorships, study set-ups and grants for programmes dedicated to transforming the health of our city region. This work is in collaboration with academic institutions such as University of Liverpool, LJMU, the School of Tropical Medicine and Edge Hill University. As well as those, partner organisations involved are in Alder Hey, the Heart and Chest Hospital, Mersey Care and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
“It’s great to see so much strength across the life sciences sector in the region,” says Dr John Dyer, Director of Innovation at Life Sciences UTC. “Elida Beauty will create new jobs working alongside the universities here, which creates huge opportunities in scientific research and innovation. And seeing the capacity of Seqrius to produce flu vaccines for the whole country shows the strength in depth we have here. It’s an exciting time to study life sciences, and our students are seeing that in their work experience opportunities this year.”
OTHER NEWS
Agile Life Sciences at Sci-Tech Daresbury is a start-up that has developed a diagnostic test for monitoring and managing menopause. The pilot programme has recently launched, using at-home urine sample collection tests which can identify various stages of menopause and ensure a path for optimal treatment. Read more here…
Medical material technology manufacturer Algeos supplies products to the podiatry, rehabilitation and orthopaedic markets internationally. Recently, the manufacturer secured a £900k deal to supply products to countries in the Middle East. Find out more here…