Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme

This month Cardiff University attended the Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (Biotechnology YES) with a representative team arranged by Ian Horton (REIS) and lead by Dr D Houston (PHRMY).

The scheme now in its 19th year, is an innovative competition for postgraduate and postdoctoral scientists which raises awareness of the commercialisation of ideas from the biosciences.

The Cardiff University team at the BBSRC Biotechnology young entrepreneurs scheme regional competition, Medicity Nottingham. 

Participants enter as teams and develop a business plan for a company based on a hypothetical but plausible idea based on real markets over the course of a three day residential workshop. The workshop encompasses presentations and mentoring sessions from leading figures in industry and culminates in the presentation of the business plans to a panel of 'equity investors' drawn from industry and academia.

In addition to the general Biotechnology YES workshops there are several themed workshops which are run in conjunction with industry: the Plants, Microbial and Environmental Workshop, hosted by Syngenta; the Biomedical Workshop, hosted by GSK and the Stevenage Biosciences Catalyst; and new for this year, the Food Workshop, hosted by Leatherhead Foods. The Royal Society of Chemistry is also sponsoring a Chemistry YES workshop for the second year.

Next year David Houston and James Blaxland are hoping to get a PHRMY team together... watch this space, or get in touch if interested!