Francis Maude MP, Minister for the UK Cabinet Office, and Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, launched the Bangalore-Cambridge Biotech Innovation Contest, part of the UK’s GREAT roadshow in Bangalore this month.
The contest reportedly seeks to find Bangalore’s most innovative biotech or medtech company looking to expand their business internationally. In a second category, the contest also seeks to find an academic with Bangalore’s best biotech business or medtech idea. The winner in each category will have an opportunity to explore Cambridge and discover why it is a vibrant innovation hub.
While launching the contest, Francis Maude MP, Minister for the UK Cabinet Office said, “The UK is an ideal place to start or expand an innovative business or to find an innovation partner. This is particularly apparent in Cambridge and, through this contest, the best of Bangalore will get a chance to see what Cambridge has to offer.”
Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said, “This is a marvellous opportunity to link the innovation ecosystems of our two great cities by allowing innovators to come from Bangalore to Cambridge.”
The contest is being run by the UK Science & Innovation Network, in association with Accelerator India, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms in Bangalore, the University of Cambridge and ideaSpace, Cambridge, as part of the Bangalore-Cambridge Innovation Network.
The Minister launched the contest during his visit to Bangalore as part of the GREAT Roadshow, a series of niche events aimed at fostering exchange between the UK and India to facilitate trade and investment. The Roadshow seeks to achieve this by building and developing the UK’s business brand in Bangalore, translating Indian business interest by bringing in delegations, encouraging Indian companies to work with and in the UK, and highlighting UK capabilities to Indian companies.
The two winners will receive:
- A fact finding mission to Cambridge – including economy flights, accommodation and a bespoke programme to start their UK discovery in Cambridge in early 2014.
- The chance to experience Cambridge and its phenomenon. Meet and network with world-class researchers, investors, incubators and partner companies.
- Briefing to understand what’s involved, and the support available, to start your business in Cambridge or find partners there.
The competition details, and entry form, are available on the British High Commission website https://www.gov.uk/government/world/india. The deadline is October 30, 2013.
EH News Bureau