UK-MV Bioscience Alliance Initiatives

Initially the UK-MV Bioscience Alliance will focus on the following key activities:

• From 2007-9, a Post Doc exchange programme for 16 Post Doc scientists will offer a unique high profile international research opportunity. The focus is on medical treatments of tomorrow and during three years the scientists will work in the UK and in Medicon Valley. At least one university, one hospital and one business entity will be involved financially and where otherwise possible with the aim of generating a unique triple helix synergy.
• A VIP Bioscience Executive Club will offer key executives a rendezvous platform for informal high level networking with other executives in the biotech industry. The annual meeting will have high profile speakers.
• Twice-yearly events - one in Medicon Valley, one in UK - for biotech companies to have the opportunity to present to venture capital companies. These will  showcase excellence and aim to broaden the companies’ access to private risk capital, whilst also enabling an easy access to potential investments for VCs.
• Thematic bioscience workshops will bring together researchers, companies and clinicians to discuss advances in science and technologies. There will be a slightly broader focus from existing science workshops to encourage new multi-disciplinary partnerships and facilitate a knowledge-sharing dialog that could lead to new treatments within serious disease areas. The themes for the first workshops are diabetes, CNS, oncology and inflammatory diseases.
• A joint council of up to 30 key life sciences stakeholders from universities, hospitals and industry will ensure that the Bioscience Alliance is broadly embedded in the UK and in Medicon Valley.