Sandwich, Kent, UK
Discovery Park Newsletter – Spring 2020 16 June, 2020
Welcome to Discovery Park’s newsletter for the first half of 2020. We hope it finds you, your families and businesses in good health.
As Discovery Park continues to deliver on its agenda of Investment and Innovation, our adaptability and resilience have come to the fore. You can read more about these characteristics below, in our participation in OBN’s digital Biotrinity conference and remaining open for business to support the crucial work of Pfizer UK and others.
As Kate Bingham, Head of the Government COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce said in a recent Biocentury editorial, ‘STEM1 has never been so valued’ and so we are very proud of the impact of our Community Laboratory.
Pandemic or not, our plans to develop Discovery Park into a world class world leading science park are continuing at pace, and we look forward to updating you further in due course. We hope you enjoy the updates below. Do get in touch if you would like to know more about Discovery Park laboratory and office facilities, and we look forward to seeing you virtually or in person soon.
Best wishes
Mayer Schreiber, CEO
Dr Martino Picardo, Chairman
Discovery Park part of domestic and global response to COVID-19 pandemic
We’re proud to say that Discovery Park has been open for business, albeit in a socially distanced way, since the start of the coronavirus epidemic. From Pfizer UK working on a potential antiviral to Wren Healthcare keeping clinical trials going, our community is playing its role. Read more here about the range of activities taking place.
A special thanks to all the Discovery Park staff for their hard work in keeping the site operational.
Discovery Park goes to Biotrinity – virtually
Discovery Park embraced April’s Biotrinity conference in its new digital form, keen to support the six high potential companies we selected for the BioLaunchPad. We were pleased to partner with Ampersand Health, Closed Loop Medicine, emteq, Luminous Ventures, Micrographia Bio and Ori Biotech at this investor and partnering conference.
The companies, active across digital health, AI, deep technology in human health and cell and gene therapy manufacturing, are going from strength to strength.
Martino provided an update of our plans too – you can watch his presentation here.
Potential of Discovery Park recognised by Government Life Sciences Opportunity Zone status
Discovery Park’s strengths and potential in manufacturing, digital and AI in healthcare were recognised by the Government in February when it awarded us Life Sciences Opportunity Zone (LSOZ) status. This exciting news brings our Manufacturing Village vision one step closer, and the opportunity to collaborate with the other five new LSOZs across the UK.
Find out more about LSOZ status means to Discovery Park and our partners here.
Revolutionary advances provided by digital twins – sell out conference at Discovery Park in February
While the definition of a digital twin –
a dynamic, responsive and networked computerised version of a physical asset and/or process, which can be used in the development, design, test, maintenance and delivery of products and processes –
is less than snappy, their power and impact are clear.
Over 300 delegates heard from companies such as Pfizer UK, Microsoft and Holocare as they described the impact of this new approach on medicines development, manufacturing and healthcare delivery at our conference in February. As our discussion here highlights, the insights and improvements digital twins can bring are fascinating.
Hosted by Pfizer UK, the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Academic Health Science Network and the University of Kent, you can expect a digital conference to become an annual feature at Discovery Park, complementing our LSOZ focus.
New report shows impact of Discovery Park Community Lab on STEM education
January saw the first anniversary of the relaunched Community Laboratory, and we took the opportunity to reflect on its impact on STEM learning for local school pupils. At that point over 200 pupils and their teachers had taken part – you can read what they had to say about the scheme here.
Thanks to our partners and fellow volunteers Pfizer UK, Canterbury Christ Church University, the STEM Hub and York Bioanalytical Solutions. We hope to have Community Lab sessions up and running again soon.
News and Events
News from our tenants – an update on recent developments
Wren Healthcare partners with A4PBio for home nursing support in clinical trials
March
Exroid is now registered with the CQC
Growth leads to office move for Firza
Meet us at upcoming conferences
September 23
ELRIG Networking Event: Next generation biologics and the future of cancer therapy, Discovery Park
October 5
OBN BioForward, Oxford
October 15
Medtech Integrates, Leeds
November 16-17
Pharma & Bio Integrates, London
For further information on future events please contact info@discovery-park.co.uk