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Biomedical devices that need to be implanted into the body typically experience the so-called foreign-body reaction: proteins adhere to the surface of the devices, leading to rapid loss of function and, eventually, to a requirement for replacing the device. Between October 2006 and September 2011, The University of Reading, in collaboration with the UK SME BioInteractions Ltd., developed and evaluated a range of new polymers for coating implantable biomedical devices, especially coronary stents and catheters. The result was a coating system that can deliver a drug controllably over a pre-defined period, leading to the commercial biomaterials platforms AdaptTM and AssistTM. This work resulted in capital investment by Biointeractions Ltd and a substantial increase in their research staffing.
The nanobiotechnology research group at the University of Kent (Bruce et al.) has pioneered the ability to control, manipulate and commercially process magnetite nanoparticles. Two spinout companies, EryDel and Dietheva have been formed, with a €6 million venture capital grant, as a direct result of the Kent-led research. EryDel (in collaboration with Philips Healthcare) are exploiting the materials worldwide for drug delivery (Erydex), with US and European approval for Orphan drug designation given in 2013 for genetic diseases, and Diatheva are marketing the technology for forensic diagnostic kits. The predicted five-year revenue is €35 million with a potential market of €17 billion.
Ehiasarian and Hovsepian of the Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI) have achieved significant economic impact through industrial uptake of their innovations in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS). Exploiting these innovations, HIPIMS treatments have been used by manufacturers to enhance the surface properties of millions of pounds worth of products. Applications include industrial blades, components within jet turbines, replacement hip joints, metallised semiconductor wafers and satellite cryo-coolers. Patents based on Ehiasarian and Hovsepian's research have achieved commercial success. In the REF impact period, HIPIMS machines equipped to deliver MERI''s HIPIMS surface pre-treatment have achieved sales of over £5m, and income generated through SHU's HIPIMS-related licences has totalled £403,270. In 2010 Ehiasarian's group established the Joint Sheffield Hallam University-Fraunhofer IST HIPIMS Research Centre, the first such Centre in the UK. This has broadened the industrial uptake of MERI's HIPIMS technologies and stimulated a network of sub-system providers.
The University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry has developed a novel method of incorporating thermally or chemically labile biologically active substances into polymers. This has been achieved by using supercritical carbon dioxide as a medium for the synthesis and modification of polymeric materials. The method has been employed as the basis for new drug-delivery devices whose viability in the healthcare sphere has been confirmed by patient trials. The spin-out company, Critical Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has delivered a range of economic benefits, including job creation, the securing of millions of pounds' worth of investment and a number of revenue-generating research collaborations.
The Thin Film Centre (TFC) group at UWS pioneered thin film materials and processes for plastic electronics with Dupont Teijin Films (DTF) Ltd and Plastic Logic (PL) Ltd over a period of nine years. This work was pivotal to the growth of PL from a start-up position resulting in the first all-polymer e-book reader and was the basis of a world leading position in the supply of specialised substrates for DTF Ltd.
The activities of the Organic Materials Innovation Centre (OMIC) at the University of Manchester generate impact from its research activities through knowledge transfer to industry. This is exemplified by:
Provision of research-based training in the field of printed electronics and sensors to over 250 people from 2008 onwards.
Newcastle research is the driving force behind NewChem, a Newcastle University spin-out company which provides creative molecular design and synthetic/analytical services for the pharmaceutical/chemical industry. During 2008-2013, NewChem assisted Shire, a global pharmaceutical company, in the quest for new drugs for treating a range of therapeutic indications, including pain, cardiovascular disorders, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease. Since 2008, NewChem has provided employment for > 60 FTE's and achieved sales exceeding £1 million per annum.
Surface wear in moving components can endanger human lives and costs the UK economy £24 billion every year. Excellent research in this area — known as Tribology — at the University of Southampton (UoS) led to the foundation of the national Centre of Advanced Tribology (nCATS), which collaborates with over 100 companies and institutions in many sectors. Examples of nCATS impact include research findings forming an integral part of a BNFL/Sellafield Ltd's design guide for the prevention of radioactive slurry leakage. It also enhanced GE Aviation's competitive advantage by supplying novel electrostatic wear debris sensors (the only system in use), which have been integrated into new fighter aircraft engines.
Professor Stephen Russell's fundamental and applied research on the formation, structure and properties of nonwoven fabrics has directly led to the creation and continued success of the Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute (NIRI) Ltd a University of Leeds spin-out company. Formed in 2005 to exploit Russell's research, NIRI has grown annual sales revenue to ~£1 million supplying products and services that have enabled many medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and global public limited companies (PLCs) to launch improved or new products, growing their market share and positively impacting consumers. Additionally, the research has enabled NIRI to independently establish and co-fund new commercial joint ventures that have resulted in the development of new IP (intellectual property)-protected products for improving global health and security. NIRI has grown its workforce to twenty (mainly University graduates) and has been profitable from the first year of trading.
University of Huddersfield research in physical organic chemistry has delivered economic, industrial and societal benefits. It has led to process improvements in chemical manufacturing, most notably in the optimisation of the synthesis of antisense oligonucleotides and in the use of liquid ammonia as a solvent. It has also led to the development of new inhibitors of bacterial β-lactamases for use as antibacterials. The research team's expertise has been reflected in the success of IPOS (Innovative Physical Organic Solutions), a unit established in 2006 to carry out research in process and other areas of chemistry for the chemical industry. IPOS expanded significantly from 2009 to 2013 and has now collaborated with more than 150 companies, many of them based in Yorkshire/Humberside where regeneration is critically dependent on the success of new, non-traditional, high-technology firms and industries. Through these collaborative projects, IPOS has contributed to the growth and prosperity of both regional and national industry.