Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapeutics Innovation Lab at the University of Manchester

Overcoming business challenges with academic collaborations

Date: Thursday, 20 June 2024
Venue: The University of Manchester (venue TBC)

The University of Manchester is looking for businesses active in the Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapeutics field to join a sandpit event aimed at fostering academic-industry collaborations to solve business challenges.

We are inviting businesses to submit a challenge that could benefit from University of Manchester academic expertise. Selected challenges will be matched with relevant academic experts and will be awarded seed funding to initiate collaborations on the day of the event.

Background and Purpose
The University of Manchester is excited to announce the upcoming Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapeutics Innovation Lab. This initiative, organised in collaboration with the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, aims to foster academic-industry collaborations to address business challenges in drug discovery and advanced therapeutics. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, this sandpit event aims to support four new collaborations (up to £20,000 per project) to fund academic expertise in developing solutions to these challenges.

Why Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapeutics?
At the forefront of medical innovation, drug discovery and advanced therapeutics hold the promise of transformative tools and technologies to enhance human health. The University of Manchester is committed to partnering with companies in this sector to drive interdisciplinary research and develop personalised treatments for patients.

Our Expertise
The University is home to a wealth of expertise in drug discovery and advanced therapeutics, spanning multiple disciplines including Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Health Economics. Our track record of successful collaborations and spin-out companies underscores our commitment to driving innovation in this field.

Manchester Innovation Labs: How Does it Work?
The Innovation Lab follows a structured process led by a creative consultancy, facilitating collaboration between industry partners and academics. Projects developed during the event have the potential to grow into larger collaborations.

Benefits for Participants

• Engage in a trusted model for building academic-industry collaborations.
• Secure up to £20,000 seed funding to address business challenges.
• Access university support to develop funded projects into larger research proposals.
• Establish new relationships with researchers across diverse areas of expertise.

Interested? Here's What to Do Next

Complete the form below and return it to [email protected] by Friday 8 March 2024. Submitted challenges will be assessed for compatibility with academic expertise, and shortlisted businesses will be invited to the Innovation Lab.

For further inquiries, please contact [email protected].

We look forward to collaborating with you in driving innovation in drug discovery and advanced therapeutics.

Event is free to attend for invited businesses. To secure an invitation businesses are invited to submit an expression of interest by 8 March 2024 using the form attached.

Participation to the event will provide an opportunity to pitch from funding (up to £20k per proposal)