The North triumphs through covid pandemic

Blog by Jen Vanderhoven, Director, National Horizons Centre

The last year has shown that the ‘north’ really does know how to throw a punch when it comes to biosciences. And when, I say the North, I mean anywhere from Darlington to John O’Groats!

Whether it’s the Novovax vaccine being manufactured at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies in Billingham, with clinical trials across Teesside and the vaccine being filled into vials at GSK in Barnard Castle; the Valneva vaccine being manufactured in Livingston, Scotland; the UK RNA library being developed at CPIs National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, or the vaccines manufacturing workforce being trained at the National Horizons Centre, the light is well and truly being shone on the biotech capabilities of the North!

The pandemic really has shown that collaboration is key – and this sits at the heart of both the National Horizons Centres (NHC) core values, as well as that of IBioIC.

In the last few months, we have been working hard at the NHC to further join up the capabilities of the North. We launched our Northern Bio-Accelerator Partnership, a partnership between the NHC, CPI’s National Biologics manufacturing Centre and FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, which creates a bioprocessing, biomanufacturing and biopharmaceutical hub, making the North East a centre of innovation, with expertise in the full life cycle of biopharmaceuticals, from basic and applied bioprocessing research, through to biopharmaceutical scale up and ultimately, the commercial manufacture of life changing medicines.

We have also developed a strategic partnership with the NHS, through the Durham and Tees Valley Research Alliance, providing the opportunity for clinicians and other healthcare professionals to collaborate with academics and researchers on a wide range of healthcare issues including Biomarker identification and screening, clinical trials and digital healthcare and imaging. Collaborative work will include clinical and biomedical research, joint grant applications, supporting research fellowships, co-supervising PhD studentships, and access to the NHC’s training courses for healthcare professionals.

It is not only research that we are partnering with industry on, but also on all our training courses. The NHC was recently announced as the first UK National Training Centre for Advanced therapies, vaccines and bioprocessing, and we have just launched our industry-approved training program, which sees us working alongside IBioIC and Roslin CT. IBioIC members can help us further develop our training offering by completing our Skills survey, to share your current employee training needs, and future workforce requirements.

We are always looking for new partners to work with across the UK, to translate research into products and processes that benefit industry and the public, and we would welcome conversations with IBioIC members who have an interest in disease research, biomanufacturing and digital technologies – please get in touch with us to find out more!

Jen is the Director of the National Horizon Centre, where she is responsible for leading its establishment and development as a centre of excellence for the biosciences sector, representing the NHC nationally and regionally. She works with industry to ensure that provision is driven by current and planned needs for skills, research, innovation and talent and to ensure the commercial success of the NHC.

Previously to this, Jen has been a senior leader at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), a Biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation, sitting on their global Leadership Team (GLT), where she was responsible for the execution of the FDB growth strategy and business change portfolio, ensuring the company meets its global vision, mission and our challenging business objectives. 

Before joining FDB Jen spent four years as Network Manager of a UK Government (BBSRC) funded industrial biotechnology network made up of academia and industrialists. Prior to this Jen has worked in the bioscience industry in business development, sales and marketing, and lab management roles after gaining her doctorate from Sheffield University in metabolomics in 2007.