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Background & context
Future proofing growth
The Cambridge cluster is fuelled by excellent research across all disciplines, active knowledge-exchange, entrepreneurship, acceleration and incubation, and has created the most early-stage businesses in the UK.
The potential of the Cambridge cluster to contribute at scale to the UK economy is demonstrated by recent success stories, for example, the acquisition of Onethera by Astellas for $85m, and the partnership of Microbiotica with Roche Genentech valued at $534m in 2018. Through the University’s commitment to fostering strategic partnerships with business, more global companies are establishing research hubs and embedded labs in Cambridge, including Rolls Royce, Dyson, Microsoft, Apple, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Aviva and Google. With a core strength of attracting progressive companies and world-leading talent, the University aims to provide the ecosystem with a world-class, well connected research and development environment that benefits Cambridge, the region and the UK – now and in the years to come.
The challenge ahead is how to future-proof growth of the cluster, maintain Cambridge and the UK’s leadership in innovation, amid increased international sector competition, and avoid potential stagnation due to the multiple threats identified in the recently published 'Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER)'. *
Connect: Health Tech was specifically set up to test models of incubation and interdisciplinary interaction related to real-world challenges in the life sciences and to contribute to sustainable growth of the cluster.
Transforming medicine
Unlocking the power of today's technological advances, such as big data, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, med tech, digital health, bioelectronics, gene and stem cell therapy, requires the convergence of multiple disciplines and sectors to co-create the transformative therapies of the future. The task ahead is to pioneer and embed new ways of working which bring together physics, technology, engineering, biology and medicine, and equip scientists with a common language, entrepreneurial mindset and shared research goals to apply their research in diverse settings. This is particularly relevant in fast growing areas such as therapeutics, digital health, diagnostics and med tech.
Currently, cutting edge research is too far from real life market need and research strengths in different disciplines are often disconnected. There is an opportunity to boost connections across regions, institutions and disciplines, to meet the research and innovation need. Innovative models of research-exchange have been proven locally to work but they are not routinely applied across the ecosystem.
Cambridge, with its rich interdisciplinary environment, is an ideal test-bed for novel models of innovation in the life sciences.