Lord Sainsbury, UK minister for Science and Innovation, announces new UK-MVA collaboration programme

Lord Sainsbury, UK minister for Science and Innovation, gave a positive and upbeat description of the European Biotech sector, and particularly the Øresund region, in his opening speech, at the BioTech Forum Science Conference in Copenhagen 5 October. His speech was centred around UK biotech activity, and the initiatives which have made it strong but also the announcement of a joint UK-MVA collaboration.

The UK-MVA Challenge Programme is collaborative initiative which will encourage and facilitate greater cooperation between the UK and the Øresund region in core biotechnology areas such as biotechnology and industry. The Challenge programme will bring together public sector partners in the UK, Sweden and Denmark - at both a local and national level - and other partners, outside of government, to improve collaboration at all levels.

He identified the Øresund region as one of the 'Northern Lights' of European research and development and that it makes a significant contribution to the European biotech sector.

As a example of how the Biotech sector has been developed in the UK, he explained the UK governments support mechanisms for the biotech industry and in particular the strengths of its biotech clusters. Interestingly, he commented that the UK science base has had a history of underfunding and that the UK looked enviously at public and private funding for science in the Øresund region. He also emphasised the need for proper interaction and collaboration between universities, hospitals and companies - the triple helix model.

In conclusion, he identified that the European Biotech industry has faced difficult challenges but the worst was over and that, as a result, it is in a more competitive state. He sees the opportunity for the biotech sector to take off, by such initiatives as the challenge program, and that this will provide a significant contribution to the foundation of the European economy into the new century. He emphasised the role that the sector will play in improving lives across the globe.

The Medicon Valley Academy website will report activity within the UK-MVA Challenge Programme.

Read Lord Sainsbury's opening speech (pdf).