DUNDEE City Council has signed off plans for the build of a £25 million biomedical cluster as part of the £700 million Tay cities deal.
The local authority said that the project will aid the city’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic through the development of new medicines, innovative medical technologies and the provision of new jobs.
The three main elements of the Biomedical Cluster project are:
- The creation of a Tay cities regional innovation hub where world-class life sciences innovation and entrepreneurial expertise will drive high-growth company formation, providing new treatments and technologies, and jobs for the region.
- The development of a unique clinical R&D innovation environment, which will be incorporated within the new multidisciplinary Tayside Innovation MedTech Ecosystem (TIME).
- An expansion of the Thiel Cadaver facility at the University’s centre for anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID).
Professor Sir Mike Ferguson, regius professor of life sciences and co-lead of the growing the Tay cities biomedical cluster project, said, “The Tay cities deal will make a profound difference to the local area, but the impact of this particular project will also be felt across the globe as companies and collaborations formed in Dundee influence the future of healthcare by developing new drugs, treatments and medical innovations.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has created massive disruption everywhere and demonstrated more than ever the importance of science for public benefit. We have one of the highest-performing and largest life sciences research portfolios in the UK. The Tay Cities Deal will enable us to take our discoveries and innovations to the marketplace and, crucially, to anchor new companies and quality jobs for our citizens in this community.
“The time is right for us to convert our pre-eminence in life sciences research into tangible socio-economic benefit for the region, as well as health benefits for the world.”
