Fresh identity unveiled for bioscience hub
The National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC), a hub for bioscience in Yorkshire, has rebranded to become ‘York Biotech Campus’.
The change is designed to represent its evolution from an agri-tech site to all-encompassing biotech.
The campus has attracted a wide range of leading science organisations to its site over its 20-year history, including Labskin and Covance, who joined anchor tenant, Fera Science Limited.
It has played an integral role in pioneering science innovation.
Most recently, the campus has performed a key role in the fight against COVID-19, with a number of tenants involved in research efforts to fight the virus.
These include Abingdon Health, which is working as part of a nation-wide consortium to develop effective at-home antibody tests.
Further notable work includes: Fera Science’s research in 2013, which revealed the presence of horsemeat in commercially available meat products; the development of an entirely artificial skin for testing purposes by Labskin; and the collaborative work between CHAP (Crop Health and Protection) and Fera to create Europe’s first E-Flows mesocosm.
To champion its foundations in Yorkshire and celebrate its role in supporting innovation in bioscience, the brand design incorporates a molecular White Rose to illustrate both sides of the campus’s story.
Liz Cashon, innovation campus manager at York Biotech Campus, said: “As an organisation at the front and centre of such a vital industry, this new brand is a fantastic reflection of the innovation fostered on campus, as well as our home in Yorkshire.
“The new direction of the campus has been met with positive responses from our tenants as the all-encompassing use of ‘biotech’ provides a unifying identity for everyone onsite.
“At York Biotech Campus we are gearing for growth, not only for our site, but for the rapid expansion of the biotech industry as we see it today, as, now more than ever, we are seeing innovative organisations growing out of the region to contribute vital research to the life science economy.
“We want businesses in the region to be able to respond to these ever-evolving challenges at the rate necessary, so have therefore created a unique environment onsite with them in mind.”
David Kerfoot, chairman at York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The work and research which is being undertaken at York Biotech Campus is not only vital to addressing international scientific challenges but is also a key contributor towards developing York as a hub of innovation.
“Therefore, this repositioning of the site comes as an effective aid to this venture. We are pleased to see the ecosystem which has been built on campus go from strength to strength and we look forward to seeing how it develops moving forward.”
