Incubator launched to support Greater Birmingham & Solihull medtech firms
The Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership is launching a project to help support medtech and life science companies.
The Unit 9 incubator provides short-term incubation for medical technology companies that need appropriate space, equipment and facilities but do not have the funding for initial capital equipment or otherwise have not yet confirmed what type and location of space they will need for the longer-term.
The unique facility is a collaboration between University of Birmingham Enterprise and GBSLEP Growth Hub, and directly supports the aspiration of the region to lead in innovation and creativity and to grow industries around these activities by retaining IP, talent, and the infrastructure to commercialise.
Companies will benefit from the location at the Birmingham Research Park, which has conference and meeting facilities, an equipment-sharing agreement with the University of Birmingham, and facilities for cell culture or microbiology work which are available at the BioHub Birmingham.
Companies pay a licence fee, which starts at £150 net per month and rises annually to a commercial rate by year three. This pricing model provides a realistic timeframe for resident companies to meet development milestones.
Companies will also benefit from a business support programme that will share business knowledge and networks, and the University of Birmingham Enterprise and GBSLEP Growth Hub will work with companies so they can transition their operations to a new base within the West Midlands region at the end of the licence period.
Criteria for companies applying for Unit 9:
- Unit 9 will support companies that are looking to develop innovative devices, medicines, procedures, or systems to solve a health problem or improve quality of life.
- Companies will need to be able to articulate their plans and ambitions on entry and will be asked to engage with business support programmes provided and attend a minimum of one mentoring session per month.
- Companies will be asked to participate in stakeholder group meetings to discuss progress of project milestones and evaluate enquiries and help develop case studies, to support promotional activity and follow requirements, including brand guidelines, of any funding bodies.