ShareBiotech partnership

The ShareBiotech project, 2010-2013 Outcomes and outlook

The objective of this position paper is to serve as an inspiration to the stakeholders of the biotechnology sector, particularly in the European Atlantic Area. It highlights policies and practices that will facilitate access to and sharing of state-of-the-art technology, provision of high-standard technological service offers and development of collaborative research projects, notably for the benefit of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) working in the fields of life sciences.

The paper specifically addresses: • the management bodies of the so called Technology Core facilities (TCFs), either public or private; • regional authorities and, as appropriate, local or national governments; • funding bodies and development agencies; • technology providers and technology seekers, either SMEs or research groups.

The conclusions of this report emerged from three years of active commitment of ten major life sciences and technology players in ShareBiotech, a European project aimed at strengthening the biotechnology sector in the Atlantic Area, through facilitating access to and structuring of TCFs, capitalizing on the regions’ niches of excellence particularly in agro and marine sciences and supporting an active entrepreneurial biotechnological landscape in a positive policy environment. This project was co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, under the Atlantic Area European Territorial Cooperation programme.

• analyse technology needs of companies and research centres • connect people to stimulate knowledge transfer and new collaborations in research, development and innovation • audit technology services and identify instruments for their development • identify capacities and needs of the biotechnology sector in the Atlantic Area and highlight key actions for

continuation beyond ShareBiotech • disseminate the projects outcomes

Context

The conclusions

The project mission was to

Technology Core Facilities are a combination of laboratory instrumentation and associated skills which are required in the performance of research and other technical functions, but which are generally too expensive, complex or specialized for individuals and small groups of researchers to use sustainably. TCFs may be public or private and are generally open to a wide range of users.

What are Technology Core Facilities (TCFs)?

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photo Credit : BDI / Emmanuel PAIN

Identifying technology needs

In 2010 and 2011, 143 research groups and 183 companies from the partner regions were surveyed (See Biotechnology Competencies and Technology Regional Needs report). The main needs identified were: bioinformatics, data analysis and biostatistics, genome sequencing, transcriptomics, cell and tissue culture, imaging, and access to biological resource centres. A important barrier identified that impedes SME based R&D is access to information and technologies.

Connecting people

Networking was encouraged by 41 technology meetings that gathered more than 1600 attendees in partner regions. Topics were varied: food biotechnology, nanobiotech, cell and tissue culture, alternatives to animal use in preclinical studies, bioinformatics, confocal microscopy, toxicology… to name just a few of them!The project funded 170 mobility grants for biotechnology stakeholders to attend events, study visits and training courses, mainly within the Atlantic Area.

Networking success stories were numerous and included a speaker at a food biotech technology meeting that linked-up to an expert service provider and applied for a mobility grant to attend a major food event in Europe. Additionally, ShareBiotech stimulated the formation of a consortium (France, Portugal, UK) of Higher Education Institutes for planning of a European Masters’ course. Good practices for networking within Europe from outside the partnership were applied in ShareBiotech by connections established with SULSA (Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance), Stockholm City Science, and the CEBR (Council of European Bioregions).

Developing technology services

A ShareBiotech directory of almost 150 TCFs in the Atlantic Area was developed.

They were first audited and then given expert advice on communication, marketing strategy and quality management, according to their identified needs. Specific actions implemented included increasing visibility by creation of a specific website (www.therassay.com) for a French TCF, which previously was part of an umbrella website. The Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland, audited their equipment and expertise, and used the exercise to define strategic themes for their BioScience Research Institute. In Navarra, Spain, a private and public proteomics TCF, signed an agreement in order to provide complementary services.

The project highlighted the importance of quality management of the TCFs and developed a quality management self-assessment tool (See ShareBiotech TCF Quality Assessment questionnaire). A critical issue in quality management is information management. Guidelines to tackle this aspect can be found in the Laboratory Information Management Systems and Electronic Laboratory Notebooks study report.

16 Technology Core Facilities benefited from tailor-made support in order to improve their service offer.

Importantly, Guiding principles for management and business development of Technology Core Facilities in Life Sciences were issued.

ShareBiotech Deliverables and Outcomes

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Analysing TCFs business models

A study was carried out Analysis of Life Sciences Technology Core Facilities Business models in Europe, based on 15 TCFs across Europe selected through various criteria, including, governance, activity, staff organisation, strategy, partnerships, confidentiality and IP management. Among the 15 facilities, three main categories of TCFs emerged: 1) profit-oriented TCFs, 2) local innovation support TCFs, and 3) research community focused TCFs.

The TCFs apply a mix of business models (routine analyses, tailor made research, consulting, training, access, membership, IP generation). Notably, the TCFs, irrespective of category, were uncoupled from any specific business model (or bunch of business models) and their organisation and services reflected their history and origin rather than a strategic business approach with selection of a specific business model.

Answering Technology needs

Answering technology needs, in particular SMEs’ needs, is a challenge. The ShareBiotech partners implemented a “regional technology translator” role with one resource contact person in each region. The technology needs canvassed in the ShareBiotech regions were pooled and the partners worked together to identify appropriate technology solutions, locally or transnationally. An alternative pilot model for matching TCFs’ resources with needs was developed in 2013 and was based on a virtual 3D TCF model. Actually, the potential of virtual worlds to enhance collaborations, networking and access to TCFs was analysed and the outcome presented in a report Development of a Novel Transnational Model of Technology Core Facilities to Promote Effective Access and a Network of Technology Translators.

Training and education needs in biotechnology were identified at the beginning of the project and some “gaps” were filled through the ShareBiotech instruments, local technology meetings and mobility actions. Analysis of the Biotechnology training and education landscape in the Atlantic area revealed several lacunae particularly with regards to vocational training and short “technology capacity training”. The outcome of the analysis was divulged in a report: Biotechnology Education and training needs & offers in the Atlantic area.

Reviewing training and education needs

Disseminating the project results

Three transnational events were organized, with more than 400 attendees in total:• Facilities to speed up R&D and Innovation, on April 12, 2011, in Biocant park, Cantanhede, Portugal• Fostering open innovation in Biotechnology: new approaches in biopharmaceutical delivery, on May 10 and

Building networks in biotechnology on May 11, 2012 in Pamplona, Spain.• Key success factors for Life Sciences Technological Core Facilities, on October 23, 2012, in Nantes, France.

Opening new avenues Last but not least, the report Biotechnology in the Atlantic Area: Recommendations to Support the Growth of a Bio-Based Economy opens various avenues for continuing activities beyond ShareBiotech. One of the main recommendations was to deploy one large-scale transnational project on marine biotechnology.

The above mentioned reports are available at www.imbp.ie/projects/sharebiotech

ShareBiotech Deliverables and Outcomes

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TCF structuring, accessibility and visibility

Despite a variety of organisational models, the TCFs audited within the project share the aspiration to increase their tangible returns and ultimately overcome a sustainability issue – a concern constantly on their horizon.

Recommendations 1) Support the formation of a ‘bio-business manager’ figure, by varying the current education and training offer, and by creating such positions (e.g.: inserting basic business teachings within existing post graduate life sciences courses; creating specific courses at the post graduate level that would address the bio-business area). 2) Stimulate the implementation of the guidelines for quality management and reinforce quality training and benchmarking actions in the Atlantic area; 3) stimulate and support clustering actions for TCFs; 4) TCF physical separation from academia.; 5) stimulate TCF strategies to meet market needs, e.g. development of an integrated technology offer.

Communication and networking for TCFs

The project created awareness of the importance of marketing and communication strategies for TCF overall sustainability. Support to create new tools and strategies, and stimulate new activities for the TCFs, was provided.

Recommendations 1) Create and support dedicated networks, sector-focused associations and specialised smart clusters that will enhance the transfer of knowledge and technology among TCFs, Industry and Universities, and provide a virtuous circle of influence that will enhance accessibility, operability and profitability of the TCFs as well as of the whole sector within which they operate. 2) Atlantic Area led European directory of regional TCFs.

Industry engagement

The project aimed at involving SMEs in various project activities, such as Local Technology Meetings and transnational events. The participation was generally below expectations and identification of causes and mechanisms to overcome this barrier are essential.

Recommendations 1) Provide specific training on the industry-university relationship and on how to create successful outcomes; 2) Design and build up an inventory of biotech SMEs landscape; 3) Procure incentives to the engagement process, such as a innovation voucher scheme.

Transnational network of technology translators

A transnational network of regional technological translators was initiated by the project with the aim to fill regional gaps in the provision of technology and knowledge to industry and research centres. This activity confirmed the certain need for such a service, with many requests reaching the platform.

Recommendations 1) Perfect the figure of the regional translator through ad hoc professional training; 2) creation of a network of regional translators with deep knowledge of the biotech landscape of their regions; 3) provision of a web-based networking infrastructure; 4) creation of a shared decision support system to promote the flow and exploitation of knowledge to SMEs.

Challenges and potential solutions

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Priorities for cooperation in the Atlantic Area

The Atlantic Area, and the ShareBiotech regions in particular, are quite heterogonous in the field of biotechnology and the life sciences. Biotechnology can significantly contribute to the future development of rural and coastal areas because it can promote both supply and demand actions with regional dimension, such as the creation of supply chains for residues and waste and bio-based industries eg. biorefineries and value added products1.

In the ShareBiotech regions biotechnology initiatives are strong in the health and the agro-food sector and the marine biotech sector is emerging. Opportunities for “Smart Specialisation” exist by strengthening the interface between health, agro-food and nutrition and by increasing interactions with SMEs in these sectors.

Marine biotechnology... a huge potential market

There are still significant obstacles for the transfer of knowledge to SMEs and identification of gaps and solutions for obstacles that exist between the “knowledge suppliers” and the “knowledge appliers” remains a challenge. A still underutilised resource in the Atlantic Area is its extensive marine environment despite the “world class” R&D carried out in the ShareBiotech partner regions. The seas are a major source of novel biological materials, which can be exploited for biotechnological applications. Since marine biotechnology is at an early stage of development the potential global market is more open and accessible to the regions in the Atlantic Area. The discovery platforms available in the biopharmaceutical and biomedical research centres in ShareBiotech regions should be exploited to speed-up process development from the Marine Biotech sector. The area of Marine Biotechnology can significantly contribute and reinforce the strategic importance of the marine environment for the future economic and social development of the Atlantic Area.

Recommendations• Creation of a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), devoted to Atlantic

Area biotechnology.• Promote stronger links within the innovation system in- and outside of the

Atlantic Area, especially trans-Atlantic• Develop and improve TCF and cluster with open access pilot scale facilities and

infrastructures with bioincubator functions. • Stimulate “Smart specialisation” by using discovery platforms available in the

biopharmaceutical and biomedical research centres for other Biotech sectors (eg. Marine).

• Shift the focus of cluster programmes from capacity building towards excellence.• Strengthen Biotechnology in the Atlantic Area by adhesion to ERA-NETs in the

area (that is for funding agencies).• Maximize research impact in Biotechnology/ Marine Biotechnology by establishing

small scale and focused transnational collaboration projects and networks.• Stimulate and reinforce Marine Biotechnology by making it a priority area for

R&D and knowledge transfer to SMEs.

Long term outlook

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Opening Access to R&D facilities

The principle of sharing expertise and facilities for the more effective performance of research is fundamental to the European Commission’s philosophy. The development of the European Research Area (ERA) is specifically designed to enhance mutual R&D cooperation at all levels, including access to required equipment2. The development of a network of TCFs in the Atlantic area will create a critical mass which will stimulate and underpin the Biotechnology revolution. The network could act as a “one stop shop” giving companies and R&D performers easy access to a diversity of resources and experts and surgeries for diagnosis of problems and solutions for the biobusiness sector. ShareBiotech activities have mapped the Atlantic Area TCF landscape, stimulated an Atlantic Area TCF network, and have aimed to increase TCF visibility and functionality. Capitalisation activities have been defined and are outlined in this position paper.

Innovative solutions for a TCF network

The information technology (IT) revolution has caused a paradigm shift in how knowledge is shared. Social networking, eLearning and emerging technologies are being used as tools to enhance business, collaboration and networking. The feasibility and benefits of using Virtual Worlds to increase visibility and accessibility to the ShareBiotech TCF network was explored. Outcomes included:• A visual representation of the geographic spread of TCFs in ShareBiotech

regions.• The 3D content of some TCFs were assembled in a virtual ShareBiotech

campus.• A report evaluating the software systems available for Virtual World

creation.

Biotechnology training in the Atlantic Area

Training is crucial for the development of biotechnology, as it prepares a skilled workforce and educates workers to support the growth of the bio-economy. The Atlantic Area is well served with Universities offering a range of degrees in Biotechnology and associated areas. However, current curricula should be revamped to include additional relevant transferrable skills. There is a deficit of vocational and lifelong training in Biotechnology and dissemination is inadequate and access is not adapted to industrial needs.

A training deficit exists in key Biotechnology areas.• Bioinformatics and Biostatistics• Integrative and synthetic Biology and other cross-disciplinary education programmes• Future important biotech domains such as Bioenergy, Biosynthesis and bioreactor plant cell cultures, etc.• Transferrable skills training in Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Technology transfer, Intellectual property,

Project management, Bioeconomy.

Recommendations

Establish transnational business and science training network programs, taking advantage of established networks of higher education, research and industry partners in the Atlantic Area.

References1Nasto, B. Chasing biotech across Europe. Nature Biotechnology 26: 283-288, 2008.2Challenging Europe’s Research: Rationales for the European Research 3European Commission. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishingHorizon 2020 - The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020). November 2011.

Recommendations

Set-up e-infrastructures to consolidate and reinforce transnational collaborations exploiting this enabling technology, which is a priority of 3Horizon 2020.

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Photo Credit : BDI / Emmanuel PAIN, Fotolia Design: CRITT Santé Bretagne, Nadège Cartier Foucher, www.critt-sante.fr, April 2013