Big science supporting small business

Carrying out research and development can be very costly for new or growing businesses, especially at the proof of concept stage.

As a by-product of STFC’s large-scale research projects on synchrotron radiation, spacious laboratories with more than £3 million of state-of-the-art scientific equipment are now available at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus for use by small high-tech start-up companies and academic researchers.

STFC’s Innovations Technology Access Centre (I-TAC), located at Daresbury Laboratory, offers businesses and researchers the ideal environment to carry out high-tech research and development by providing flexible and affordable access to fully-equipped biological, imaging, materials and physical science laboratories.

Businesses can either lease their own exclusive-use, ‘lock and leave’ laboratories or opt for access to low commitment, multi-user laboratories available on a daily basis. A total of 1,400 sq m (15,000 sq ft) of laboratory space has been made available, with half of it accessible on demand for short-term use.

As well as providing access to high-end laboratory sample preparation and analysis facilities, I-TAC uniquely offers businesses the opportunity to work alongside STFC’s own highly skilled scientists and leading north-west academic institutions as they carry out their work. As part the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, I-TAC tenants are part of an environment which encourages knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking between different businesses, scientists and academics – a unique recipe for success.

The Innovations Technology Access Centre (I-TAC)

Case studies – Byotrol and BioEden

Two companies on Campus already benefiting from the I-TAC facility are Byotrol and BioEden.

Manchester-based Byotrol is the first long-term tenant at the Centre following the relocation of their principle microbiology R&D operations to the North West. The company has developed a patented, next generation hygiene technology, described as having the characteristics of the ideal biocide. Byotrol is using I-TAC to develop specific versions of the technology for the healthcare, food production, animal welfare and consumer markets.

Bioeden, based in the Daresbury Innovation Centre, is an international business with an innovative process for collecting stem cells from children’s milk teeth, and is using the space within the ITAC facility for storage of their backup cell bank.