The University of Aberdeen has been ranked 10th in the UK for life sciences spinouts by business analyst organisation Beauhurst.
Beauhurst ranked all UK universities according to the number of successful spinouts and the University of Aberdeen came in at joint 10th place with 11 successful active spinouts in life sciences.
In the analysis, over 1,500 spinouts from academic institutions in the UK were identified and verified, almost a third of which were found to be operating within the life sciences sector. Of these, 62 have gone on to providing an exit to their shareholders, and 77 have folded, leaving 286 active, private, and ambitious life sciences spinouts.
Beauhurst credit the University of Aberdeen with being known for producing spinout companies across a variety of sectors, ‘representing the diverse range of research it supports’. The independent data analysts also acknowledge the Impact and Knowledge Exchange Team within Research and Innovation, highlighting the help it provides inventors to assess the exploitation routes for University IP, either by licensing, collaborative developments with industry, or spinout company formation. The team offers support at each stage of the spinout process.
Elizabeth Rattray, director of research and innovation at the University said: “We are delighted to be ranked 10th place in Beauhurst’s table. The University has an excellent reputation for producing and nurturing innovative spinouts and this is a credit to the research and innovation team who support these businesses to branch out into industry.
“This success provides an excellent foundation to build on, with the aim of increasing the number of spin-outs and starts ups to support our region’s economy. The new BioHub, currently under construction at the Foresterhill Campus through Opportunity North East, NHS Grampian and the Aberdeen Region City Deal is further support for growing the life science sector within our region.”
Two of the most successful life sciences companies within the University’s portfolio named by Beauhurst include TauRx Pharmaceuticals and NovaBiotics. TauRx Pharmaceuticals is a leading pharma company in the field of research in neurodegenerative diseases, specifically, Alzheimer’s. As part of its clinical research, it is currently running a phase three clinical trial to confirm its drug’s role in slowing down the disease. NovaBiotics is a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company, focused on designing and developing treatments for medically unmet diseases in the inflammation, infection, and respiratory space. This year, it was named as one of Scotland’s top ten biotech companies to watch out for in Labiotech.