Waters Breaks Ground on MS Headquarters


Waters Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Mass Spectrometry Headquarters in Wilmslow, planned for completion in 2014.


The Right Honourable George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, joined Waters for the event and put the ceremonial spade in the ground. A Copper Beech tree was planted onsite to mark the occasion.


George Osborne said: “It is a great honour to be part of this special day. Water Corporation's decision to make this major investment in Wilmslow is a vote of confidence in the Cheshire economy and the British economy”


Brian Smith, Vice President of MS Business Operations at Waters Corporation said: “I am very excited that we now have the ability to move our high technology business forward and provide a world class centre for innovation in mass spectrometry. The new Waters MS Headquarters will be designed to accelerate the rate of innovation with increased access for the world’s scientific thought-leaders. Science is such a major contributor to the history of Manchester and we are honoured to be writing a new chapter in its rich heritage with our custom built headquarters in Wilmslow.”


Terry Shortt, Vice President of Global Quality Assurance and MSHQ Project Director at Waters Corporation said: “We remain committed to the sustainability of the project and protecting the local flora and fauna. The building itself will be constructed to the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methods) ’very good’ standard. We have also recently completed a purpose built home for the local bat population and will refurbish the sunken garden from the original lodge.”


Cash Injection Boosts Global Status of Glasgow Infirmary


Glasgow Royal Infirmary has received a £15 million cash injection which could see its laboratory services compete with the best in the world.


The completion of the new £90 million laboratory at the Southern General marked a significant step forward for the hospital, but after a further £15 million cash injection, health chiefs at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) are touting the lab as one of the leading facilities in the world housing some of the latest laboratory equipment


Right Honourable George Osborne MP and Brian Smith, VP Mass Spectrometry for Waters plant Beech Tree at site of Waters new Mass Spectrometry HQ


The new facility is intended to unite Waters’ existing mass spectrometry operations, consisting of more than 500 employees, currently located on four separate sites in South Manchester and Altrincham.


Vinci Construction UK has been selected as the principal contractor for the development. The works entail the design and construction of the new two storey headquarters including, external services, roads, car parks and landscaping.


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Southampton to Lead National Project to Develop IT as a Utility


As part of a major £1.5 million investment by the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Digital Economy Programme, a consortium of UK universities, led by the University of Southampton, is to establish a research network focusing on the challenge of IT as a Utility (ITaaU).


IT as a Utility is about the provision of information and technology in a transparent and highly usable manner and broadband access applications are increasingly used on both a personal level – social networking, email accounts; and commercial level to support business practices and manage databases.


The three-year ITaaU Network+ project will


work towards simple, usable and safe IT provision from smart services, surroundings and information stores. It will also examine the perceived barriers that inhibit new users of these services.


The consortium is led by Professor Jeremy Frey from the University of Southampton, with co- investigators Professor Mark Sandler (Queen Mary, University of London), Professor Gerard Parr (University of Ulster), Dr Michael Surridge (University of Southampton) and Dr Richard Mortier (University of Nottingham).


Professor Jeremy Frey comments: “IT as a Utility is closely related to Grid and Cloud Computing


with its emphasis on making IT resources effortlessly and almost invisibly available to the end user. Cloud models for access to applications and infrastructure are now well established, and are changing the way users interact with applications, especially where the application is accessible from multiple devices and users.


“Users access not just utility storage but rich and complex utility content, including live sensor data, user participation and ‘just in time’ personalised media. This will be managed and exploited by a wide range of interacting applications and autonomous agents interacting with consumer-usable end-points that aren't always computers or mobile phones.”


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University Collaborates with China Drinks Company


The University of Nottingham has signed a memorandum of agreement to undertake research and development work with the Chinese soft-drinks company Wahaha.


Formed in 1987, Wahaha has 60 production bases in 29 provinces in China, employs 30,000 people and last year achieved a turnover in excess of £6.8 billion. The business has been the market leader in China’s beverage industry for the last 14 years.


Under the five-year agreement, The University of Nottingham and Wahaha will establish joint research centres to work in a number of areas, ranging from bioenergy technology to animal feed, food technologies, electrical motors, and robotics.


The first stage will be the development of a jointly run Electrical Motor Research Institute in the city of Hangzhou, China, where Wahaha is based. This will be opened in the autumn and the intention is that this will be followed by a research centre in Nottingham in 2013.


Mr Zong Qinghou, the Chairman and General Manager of Wahaha, who is also one of China’s most successful entrepreneurs, visited The University of Nottingham with a team of technical specialists from his organisation to explore ways in which the two organisations could work together.


Professor Chris Rudd, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business Engagement and


The University Tower building at the Royal Infirmary will host the new centre, after the health board injected significant funds to pay for state-of-the-art equipment.


Aileen MacLennan, Director of Diagnostics at NHSGGC, said: "This is another significant investment in laboratory medicine which will see NHSGGC with some of the most modern up-to-date laboratory facilities in the world. Laboratory services in Glasgow and Clyde are undergoing significant improvements in both accommodation and equipment replacement."


Their Managed Service Contract also ensures that equipment is refreshed when needed, which could set a good precedent for research facilities in other areas of the country, she added.


The refurbishment is scheduled for completion by mid 2013.


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Charity Highlights Need for New Treatments for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus


Action on Hearing Loss, the UK’s largest hearing loss charity exhibited at the global 2012 Bio International Convention to highlight the need for further investment into research to protect and restore hearing and silence tinnitus.


Over 15,000 delegates from around the world representing pharmaceutical, biotechnology and investors, attended the event held recently in Boston US.


The charity highlighted the commercial opportunities and benefits that exist using Action on Hearing Loss market research reports, helping companies to understand how their technologies and expertise could be used to find treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus.


Action on Hearing Loss held 27 meetings with companies and acted as a matchmaker to bring key players in the industry together to understand the importance and commercial opportunities available in developing new treatments.


Dr Ralph Holme, Action on Hearing Loss Head of Biomedical Research, said: “There has never been so much interest around hearing loss. I really think we are on the cusp of seeing the pharmaceutical industry make a significant change and become seriously involved in the development of treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus.


Professor Chris Rudd, Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Nottingham with Mr Zong Qinghou, Chairman and General Manager of Wahaha, who signed a R&D collaboration agreement.


Knowledge Transfer at the University said: “We are very excited about the collaboration with Wahaha. It is an outstanding business in the food and drink sector, and the University will work with the business to develop a pipeline of technologies that can be developed into products for the Chinese market.


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“Many of the large pharmaceutical companies we spoke to have all reached the conclusion that the field is now mature enough for them to start work on hearing loss and are actively exploring ways to do so. Our job is to now make it as easy as possible for them to invest in the best approaches to protecting and restoring hearing, and silencing tinnitus.”


For information about Action on Hearing Loss visit: www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/biomedicalresearch


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