Birmingham’s BioHub is celebrating ten years of supporting cutting-edge medical innovation – and bringing a £16 million investment boost to the region.
Based at the University of Birmingham, the BioHub was the UK’s first purpose-built biomedical incubator when it launched a decade ago.
While Birmingham already boasted top universities and major hospitals, there was a lack of suitable space for start-ups in health and medical technology – resulting in talent and investment leaving the region. The BioHub sought to change that.
Ten years on, the impact is clear. Twenty-eight companies have been ‘incubated’ at the BioHub, with 20 still operating in the Midlands.
The nine tenant companies currently based there have developed 21 healthcare products, ranging from antimicrobial wound care to NHS-used diagnostic kits, and have raised £16 million in investment. Around 70 people, mainly in specialist scientific roles, are employed across the site.
“laid the groundwork for a really strong ecosystem in the region”
David Coleman, CEO of University of Birmingham Enterprise said: “The BioHub has and continues to be a huge success and has laid the groundwork for a really strong ecosystem in the region, supplemented by support we see through the likes of the West Midlands Innovation Health Accelerator, and very shortly, the new Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA), to be housed in the first building of Birmingham Health Innovation Campus.”
“growing interest and confidence in the region”
Angie Reynolds, COO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, whose team includes the qualified laboratory staff who work in the BioHub, said: “The BioHub attracts a steady stream of enquiries from companies all over the UK, without being actively marketed, which demonstrates the strong reputation of the incubator and the support it provides. The tenants and stakeholder community are our best ambassadors and it is their vocal advocacy of the facility, its community and the support of Enterprise team that is driving growing interest and confidence in the region.”
And the team behind BioHub aren’t stopping there. Many BioHub companies are seeking to grow yet further with opportunities to expand into the new Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) opening later this year on the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus.
“a pool of the most gifted life sciences graduates”
Gino Martini, CEO of the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator, said: “On behalf of PHTA I would like to extend our congratulations to the BioHub on this milestone anniversary. It’s vital that innovative life sciences companies are given the support they need to stay in the West Midlands region, and this goes far beyond providing lab space for them to scale up their businesses – both the BioHub and PHTA enable access to expert clinical-academics to help develop, validate and commercialise their health solutions, as well as a talent pool of the country’s most gifted life sciences graduates.”
