Bringing you the latest Business News updates from the science industry
by Heather Hobbs STFC and IBM Collaboration on Major HPC Development
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and IBM announced a major collaboration that marked the launch of the International Centre of Excellence for Computational Science and Engineering (ICE-CSE) at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire, UK. The Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced its e- infrastructure initiative in October 2011, with £145 million funding to create the necessary computer and network facilities for the UK to access this potential benefit. £30 million of this was earmarked for HPC at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, located at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus (Daresbury SIC). This was in addition to an earlier government investment of £7.5 million into HPC when the creation of an Enterprise Zone at Daresbury SIC was announced. Following a rigorous tender process as a result of these investments, IBM was named as the successful bidder to form a unique research, development and business outreach collaboration with STFC. Under the initial 3 year agreement, STFC will invest in IBM’s most advanced hardware systems, most notably the BlueGene/Q and iDataplex. Professor John Womersley, Chief Executive at STFC, said: “The ICE-CSE is a key component of the government’s e-infrastructure initiative. It is also essential to the UK maintaining its
position as a major innovative economy and a global scientific research leader. Our collaboration with IBM will allow industries to bring their problems to this centre, and to design, optimise and test new solutions on the UK's largest Supercomputer. We are very excited to be working with IBM, and together we will establish a hub of innovation development to stimulate R&D based investment. By hosting some of IBM’s most advanced supercomputers, we will develop the urgently needed software applications of the future, and support the economic and societal benefits we all wish to see from our work.”
Stephen Leonard, Chief Executive, IBM UK and Ireland said “The challenge facing many industries is to understand how to use the power of supercomputers. The IBM collaboration with the STFC will give UK industry exceptional access to world class researchers to help unlock the potential of HPC as we look to solve key technical challenges faced by a broad range of sectors. By making HPC easier to use and more directly accessible to these industries, they will become more innovative and competitive. This will drive a rebalancing of the economy and an increase in revenue to the UK Treasury.”
John Womersley CEO STFC and Simon Pendlebury Vice President Storage, Europe, IBM Systems & Technology Group
TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 542
Successful Asia Visit for Sistemic
Surrey NanoSystems Completes Latest Funding Round
Surrey NanoSystems has raised third round funding of £4.5 million (~US$7.1 million) - one of the largest amounts secured by any UK semiconductor-focused company in the last year - from a consortium led by New Wave Ventures. The funds will be used to commercialise innovations in materials to support the continued scaling of integrated circuits. These include an advanced dielectric thin film for insulation applications, and a process for growing carbon- based interconnections or 'vias'. Progress in both of these back-end-of-line semiconductor fabrication areas is critical if manufacturers are
to continue silicon's evolution to next-generation geometry sizes, operating speeds and power conservation. "The new funding will be used to take our proven technology to the next stage - to demonstrate it at a scale compatible with the lithography and wafer sizes used in today's high volume semiconductor manufacture," said David Wong, CEO of Surrey NanoSystems. "We are cooperating with leading players in the semiconductor industry, and within the next two to three years we expect to be able to offer the technologies in forms suitable for commercial use."
TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 543 Business participants enjoy success in Asia
Sistemic Ltd, Glasgow, concluded a successful trade mission to Japan and Korea earlier this year where Verna McErlane, Director of Commercial Operations, presented the company’s miRNA-based approach to a receptive group of businesses and research institutions in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Seoul and Jeonju. The Japan portion of the trip was planned by the Scottish and Japanese offices of Scottish Development International (SDI). During the visit, Sistemic met with both existing and potential clients, and participated in a number of seminars and partnering sessions. Verna McErlane explained: “As the trade mission progressed, it became clear that the partnership model for drug development features highly in the plans of the pharma industry there. It was exciting to have the chance to present how the
world’s second largest pharma market will benefit from Sistemic’s unique miRNA profiling products and services.” Sistemic is pursuing an active global expansion plan for the business. Jim Reid, Sistemic’s CEO commented: “Pharma companies are looking to access technologies on a global basis, so it’s important Sistemic is recognised at this level. We are proud to have customers all over the US and Europe, as well as in Australia and Asia Pacific and we look forward to working closely with a number of new partners in Japan and Korea as a result of the trade mission.” Verna McErlane added: “The people we met in both countries were very welcoming and interested in innovative tools that can help them in their work. We are following up with a number of companies and planning return visits in June and September.”
TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 544 TO FIND OUT MORE CIRCLE NO. 545 Epistem Signs TB Partner Agreement
Epistem (Manchester UK) has signed a sales and marketing agreement for its rapid molecular test for Tuberculosis (TB) with Xcelris Labs, one of India’s leading Genomics research and Diagnostic testing companies. Following the completion of clinical testing, Epistem will prepare regulatory submissions in advance of the launch of its first molecular TB test including patient assessment for antibiotic resistance using its novel GenedriveTM platform. The Genedrive handheld instrument provides a rapid (less than 30 minutes), low cost, simple to use ‘Point of Care’ testing device with high sensitivity and DNA specificity applicable to a wide range of viral, bacterial, fungal and somatic mutation disease areas. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has publicly recommended that nations incorporate new rapid molecular tests for tuberculosis into their disease testing programs.
Designed as a handheld device, Genedrive™ brings a new and disruptive approach to diagnostic testing across a broad spectrum of infectious diseases such as TB, Dengue Fever, HIV and a wide range of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s). India has the largest number of TB sufferers in the world, more than twice the number in China, which has the second highest infection rate. According to the WHO, every year 2 million new patients in India develop TB, with the highest incidence of fatalities occurring in remote rural areas. Xcelris will be the channel partner for distribution of the Genedrive technology across India and the Indian sub- continent. Following regulatory approval, Genedrive will be positioned to be included as part of the Indian Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP).
To be included in our next issue, send all your Business and Financial News stories to
heather@intlabmate.com
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