Inward investment part of plan for new clinical training centre
SURGICAL Innovations is confident its new manufacturing and clinical training centre will not only be a catalyst for the region, but will also drive inward investment.
The specialist in the design and manufacture of creative solutions for minimally invasive surgery has set out plans to build a state of the art research and development centre at Thorpe Park, Leeds. The centre is expected to create more than 300 jobs in the Leeds City region over the next 12 years.
The site is being developed by Scarborough Development Group and Leeds-based Surgical Innovations hopes to gain planning permission this summer.
Graham Bowland, chief executive of the group said: “This centre will be a catalyst for the region.
“The idea of having a clinical training centre for the region is phenomenal. I’ve been to many other centres in Europe and this will be the best of the best.
“The Leeds City Region already has many other medical companies to attract people here. Inward investment is part of the plan with the new centre and I think people from abroad will want to visit.”
Bowland said the group has already employed someone to manage the new facility and revealed plans to offer a unique simulation training process at the centre.
Mike Thornton, chief financial officer, added: “All the parts are coming together. We are hoping to gain planning permission by June/July which will then be a real catalyst to getting on site and building in quarter three.”
Surgical Innovations said it aims to get the facility operational by the second half of next year.
Yesterday, the group reported a 12% increase in revenues to £8.55m. It saw revenue of its branded products increase by 22% to £6.5m and a 73% increase in revenue to the US of these branded products.
Bowland said the group has embarked on a plan of driving the Surgical Innovations (SI) brand as there is “far more value” in that side of the business.
He added that the business is now focussing on the development of 3mm laparoscopic surgery.
“We are going smaller to drive our growth,” Bowland said.
“We see surgery in the laparoscopic sector growing smaller. We aim to have a unique 3mm offering and that will drive revenue going forward. This is a big opportunity for us.
“We have to have a unique proposition and want to have something no one else has, so smaller surgery is what we are doing.”
