The Business of Healthcare: A call for collaboration

BUSINESSES working in the life sciences sector and the advisers who work with them have called for a more collaborative approach to promoting the area as a centre of excellence for medtech and biotech companies.

At a round table debate organised by TheBusinessDesk.com – in association with DLA Piper and Catalyst Corporate Finance – Marketing Birmingham inward investment manager Martyn Mangan said: “We have a huge history and wealth of experience in medical devices. It is viewed as a very important sector.

“And Birmingham has always wanted to do something with its large hospitals and campuses and research where it is thought there could be high growth.

“But abroad they don’t see us as anything other than medtech. We are slightly hampered by that. The pharmaceutical companies and research companies coming here are always pulled to the Oxford and Cambridge areas whereas we have a wealth of experience here that we should be selling abroad.

“We are at the moment giving a clear message about medtech but not about our research capabilities.”

C7 Medical founder Peter Dines, who set up and sold a medtech company and now invests in up and coming businesses in the sector, said: “I’ve had some frustrations from people whose criteria is London, Oxford or Cambridge. It is a hurdle.

“We have a very good infrastructure here. We are big in professional services and have good universities, good hospitals and strong funding.”

DLA Piper corporate partner Jim Lavery said:  “I still get the impression we are all still a little bit disparate and not rowing in the same direction. If you say healthcare you have got too many interested parties pulling in too many different directions.

“There is a lot of, industry expertise here and knowledge of the sector. We need to make sure that support is given to the start-ups and the incubator firms. Collaboration is critical. R&D driven from academia is going to be the driving force behind any medical cluster.”

Justin Crowther, a director at Catalyst Corporate Finance, said: “I am incredibly encouraged that in the West Midlands there is a significant focus on medtech and biotech as a sector.

“The likes of Medilink are very important in driving those businesses forward and there is a strong infrastructure for healthcare businesses in this area.”

This story is part of a 20 page supplement on the Midlands healthcare sector, produced in association with DLA Piper and Catalyst Corporate Finance. To read more click here