Proposed life sciences innovation district

A NEW life sciences innovation district for the Dundee region could come a step closer next week.

Councillors will be asked to kick-start discussions that will explore and agree joint marketing, development and governance arrangements with the University of Dundee, Scottish Enterprise (SE) and private sector landowners to market land and property assets that would make up the proposed district.

Mark Flynn convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “Life sciences is one of the most important high value growth sectors for the greater Dundee area and currently employs more than 1700 people.

“We have an internationally recognised reputation for excellence and attracting significant venture capital into new companies, which we want to build on by exploring with our partners how we could create an innovation hub.

“A facility like that could offer greater opportunities for collaboration and economies of scale to accelerate commercialisation of research, attract new private sector investment into life sciences and create jobs.”

Innovation Districts are defined zones in cities where public, private and academic partners work together to attract entrepreneurs, start-ups, business incubators and others with the aim of assisting and transforming under-used areas and grow key industry sectors.

A life sciences innovation district in Dundee could be centred on the current Technopole, between Hawkhill and Blackness Road. Other potential assets that could be marketed include SE owned land at the Medipark, public and privately-owned land and property at the Technology Park and the new Tay Cities Region Deal funded facilities at the James Hutton Institute.

Councillors will be told that the university has commissioned specialist property advisors with significant experience in life sciences to carry out initial market testing and the early response has been positive.

Professor Iain Gillespie, principal of the University of Dundee said: “The outstanding depth, breadth and quality of life sciences research in Dundee and the Tay Cities region is generating new companies in biotechnology, therapeutics, medical technology, informatics and artificial intelligence. This is happening at pace and bringing with it significant investment.

“The Life Sciences Innovation District concept is designed to support all our private and public sector stakeholders and to make our region one of the ‘go to’ places for life sciences innovation and commercialisation. The opportunities to improve the regional economy and to bring and sustain quality jobs for our citizens are very exciting. I believe our future is very bright.”

Early discussions have also taken place with SE who have indicated they are keen to be involved at the earliest stage in supporting the development of the proposed Innovation District.

This recognises the importance of the sector to the Scottish economy, and SE’s land assets in the wider area at the Medipark.  It also allows partners to draw on SE’s expertise and experience in developing Innovation Districts in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Scottish Enterprise’s Director or Place Elaine Morrison said: “The pandemic has really shone a light on the importance of life sciences, not only on a human level, but also to our economy. Scotland has a thriving and rapidly growing life science industry that is on track to achieve the Life Science Scotland ambition of £8bn turnover by 2025.

“The life science innovation hub will catalyse the transformation of Dundee’s world leading life science research into new life science products and companies, and will strengthen the growth of the Scottish Life Science cluster and further enhance Dundee’s reputation on the global life science stage.”

Professor Colin Campbell, CEO of the James Hutton Institute said: ‘Critical mass is a factor and an attractor for businesses and organisations. Co-location and interaction drives invention and impact, so joined up thinking to market and develop existing and additional hot spots of activity is vital across the breadth of the sector locally.”

If the plans are approved by the city development committee, which meets on Monday (January 24), council officers will continue to work through options with the University of Dundee, aiming to agree terms on the appointment of specialist property agents and any associated multiagency governance arrangements.

Since 1997, BioDundee, a partnership between public, private, academic and third sector organisations has sought to build on the strength of the local life sciences sector through knowledge exchange and skills development, building partnerships and collaboration.

The partnership continues to promote and position the region as part to Scotland's world class Life Sciences and Healthcare sectors.

 

Dundee City Council

Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.

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