On 21 June, the University held a conference to showcase the achievements of the University Industry Sector Team (UIST) Health & Pharma and in particular our success in establishing dialogue with our industry sector. This was evidenced by the top ranking industry participants at the conference, including the CEO of the UK’s BioIndustry Association. A number of attendees also came from local SMEs.
The Health & Pharma UIST seeks to optimise university industry interactions in all areas from charitable giving to common response to government policy. However, the main thrusts of our activity are in:
- Ensuring employability for our graduates and post-graduates through engagement with prospective employers in the Health & Pharma area
- Promoting academic-industry collaboration in research with a particular focus on translational outcomes.
From a low-key launch in 2011 (based on the Faculty of Medicine) the UIST has been successful in engaging with industrial partners both large and small. A small core team of just eight individuals in 2011 has been expanded to include representatives of the IfLS (Institute for Life Sciences, a multidisciplinary centre linking several faculties), the Faculty of Health Sciences (nursing, hygiene and rehabilitation) and NES (Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences). We identified 10 key partner companies in the major pharmaceuticals and health sector. This has been complemented by a very inclusive list of SMEs and larger companies located within a one-hour drive of Southampton.
Since the launch of the UIST we have been successful in recruiting senior industry figures to our external advisory board (notably Ian Clark, CEO of Genentech). Large companies such as GSK or Novartis and smaller local companies such as SeraLab, Teccare or Morgan Innovation have expressed an interest in working with the university on a range of projects.
We would encourage staff with activities in research or education to use the UIST Health & Pharma as a point of contact with potential industry partners for collaborative research, employment, philanthropy or concerted action on policy. Get in touch with us at:
Professor Richard Oreffo ([email protected]) Associate Dean, International and Enterprise, Faculty of Medicine
Karl Simpson ([email protected]), Director Health & Pharma Strategy, Research & Innovation Services