Innovation
space or facilities – ‘lab space at the point of need’. This value proposition is at the heart of Unit 9, which has been designed to provide low cost, scalable lab space that start-ups can grow into as needs change. The second factor that is important for success is connectivity because a commonality in many of the challenges clinical entrepreneurs face boils down to how networked individuals are with others. Starting and growing a business alone while continuing to work full time is rarely a strategy for success; growth requires collaboration and co-operation between organisations and the people within them that is often the result of the development of new relationships. Meaningful relationships are developed
largely in person though, and so the adage goes, being in the right place at the right time really can make a difference. Anecdotally, I have been able to make several introductions and referrals for our companies to relevant organisations that can help them to meet key milestones related to funding, research or product development. Connectivity has made a tangible difference in those cases and shapes my view that it’s a really important factor for accelerating growth. Referrals are possible in this example because universities and science parks often play an outsized role in local ecosystems, using their hub-spoke model to help turbocharge connectivity between tenants and other financial, professional and research stakeholders. There are similarities between academic entrepreneurs and clinical entrepreneurs in their needs and ways of working, which is why research parks can make great physical locations for both communities. Thirdly, quality commercialisation support, advice and peer mentoring are factors that can make the difference between success and failure – done right, many clinical entrepreneurs find this kind of support invaluable. We sought to build this into the Unit 9 model by providing access to an experienced in-house entrepreneur who provides structured coaching on value proposition and business model development, because of the impact it has on the success of clinician and academic led ventures. Far from being classroom style, this support and advice is an ’on-tap’ service where tenants can seek support as and when they need it, in a way that they find beneficial. Signposting by local ecosystem partners is also valuable, and something GBSLEP can help companies with.10
Conclusion It is important for everyone that clinical entrepreneurs are able to succeed and bring new innovations to market. It is the
responsibility of stakeholders involved in supporting scientific and healthcare innovations to consider the challenges these individuals and teams face, and how we can best support them to achieve success. As head of the University of Birmingham’s
research park, for me this is about making sure there is affordable, scalable lab space and that we use place to enhance connectivity - making introductions and facilitating support, training and mentoring. We are putting this into action through Unit 9, which is supporting clinical and academic founders to set up and grow businesses. Fortunately, there are many networks, initiatives, groups and programmes out there to help clinical entrepreneurs to commercialise new ideas – whether formally through the NHS England programme or separately – which can only be a good thing. We’ve embraced hybrid home working.
Perhaps it is now time we embraced hybrid entrepreneurs that enable us all to benefit from the creativity within our healthcare system. CSJ
References 1
https://nhscep.com 2
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/ events/
medici2021.aspx
3 Mergental, H., Laing, R.W., Kirkham, A.J. et al. Transplantation of discarded livers following viability testing with normothermic machine
perfusion.Nat Commun 11, 2939 (2020). https://
doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16251-3
4
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/444246/AAR_UK_ Mapping.pdf
5
https://www.midtech.org.uk June 2023 I
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 33
6
https://www.ahsnnetwork.com 7
https://www.theguardian.com/small- business-network/2015/aug/05/overcame- challenges-medical-entrepreneurship-3d- printing
8
https://fallouh.co.uk/innovation/ 9
https://www.chemistryworld.com/ news/uk-firms-face-critical-lab-space- shortage/
4016403.article
10
https://gbslep.co.uk/sectors/health- technologies/
About the author
Angie Reynolds has 25 years of property management experience, and managed several landmark buildings in the Birmingham area before entering the biomedical and healthtech sector in 2015. As Head of Birmingham Research Park at the University of Birmingham, she has grown a community of seventy research based companies and oversaw the BioHub, Birmingham research laboratories from construction to full occupation. Angie has a passion for supporting entrepreneurs and SMES and advises a range of incubators and accelerators in the West Midlands region.
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