Life sciences chief hits out at Scottish Enterprise spending on Bioquarter

Published on Saturday 29 May 2010 14:33

SCOTTISH Enterprise is wasting money on the Edinburgh Bioquarter that could be better spent supporting individual companies, according to the chief executive of a fast-growing life sciences firm.

Big DNA chief John March warned the centre being built next to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary would not appeal to many in biotechnology because it lacked basic requirements, such as car parking.

March, who founded his vaccine development firm in 2007 as a spin-out from the Moredun Research Institute, fears the Bioquarter could become like the Scottish bio-manufacturing campus in Midlothian, which has lain empty for eight years as Scottish Enterprise struggles to find tenants.

The UK government's strategic investment fund and Scottish Enterprise are spending 24 million building a "bio-incubator" building in the Bioquarter, which is designed to house start-up life-science companies and encourage them to collaborate with clinicians and academics.

But March said there was already sufficient provision for start-up firms at existing science parks, such as the Roslin Biocentre, Edinburgh Technopole and the Pentland Science Park.

He told Scotland on Sunday: "The Bioquarter is irrelevant to Big DNA. We looked at moving to the Bioquarter but it didn't meet our requirements.

"What is important to us are the same issues that influence any company's decision to relocate: are the premises 'fit for purpose'?

"Is the location easy to get to? Can you park there? And what does it cost? I don't believe that these issues have been properly addressed with regard to the Bioquarter."

March added: "I'm worried that it could end up lying empty like the bio-manufacturing centre, and that we'll end up with the same life science companies moving around rather than new ones being created.

"The money could be better spent on supporting businesses or attracting bigger companies to set up bases in Scotland."

The 600m Bioquarter project is a collaboration between Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh University, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh City Council and US property developer Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

As well as the new ERI and Edinburgh University's medical school, the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine is being built on the site, which is designed to bring together private companies with academic researchers and clinicians.

George Walker, manager of the Pentland Science Park, said: "I think the Bioquarter has great potential. But it's too early to tell whether it will be successful in attracting companies.

"Building a 100,000 sq-ft incubator does raise questions about whether there will be too much space available locally, but only time will tell."

A spokeswoman for Scottish Enterprise confirmed that the bio-manufacturing campus in Midlothian is "currently vacant but is being marketing and receiving active interest". She added: "Despite the current economic climate, there continues to be a growing demand for high specification life-sciences' accommodation in Scotland and the Edinburgh Bioquarter will provide much needed academic and commercial research space which will enable Scotland to nurture and grow the life sciences businesses of the future."