Life sciences entrepreneurs who have raised millions of pounds will share their stories at next month’s BioDundee conference.
Professor Andrew Hopkins, the chief executive of Exscientia, and Dr Deborah O’Neil, chief executive of NovaBiotics, have undertaken several successful funding rounds.
They will be among the panellists at the free conference’s first session, which will focus on the funding and legislation landscape.
Sponsored by MHA Henderson Loggie, it will consider the key trends within the life sciences sector and funding strategies.
The session will be chaired by Rod Mathers, corporate finance partner at MHA Henderson Loggie. It will also feature Dr Samantha Atkinson from Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Dr Andrew McNeil, managing partner of Eos Advisory.
Mr Mathers said: “We have a vibrant life sciences ecosystem in Scotland supported by pioneering universities and a very active investor community which has produced some truly innovative companies.
“We will be hearing from the CEOs of two of these exceptional companies, Exscientia and NovaBiotics, on their funding journey.
“We will also be exploring the legislative changes that could impact the sector in the future and how the investor community can support companies to take advantage of the opportunities as they arise as a result.”
BioDundee will be delivered by DC Thomson & Co Ltd for the first time this year and is held in association with AMICULUM and Medtronic.
The title of this year’s conference is ‘Life Sciences and Healthcare: Key Sectors for Economic Recovery’.
Another session will consider how the growth in health technologies has revolutionised patient care.
It will highlight what Scotland has to offer this sector with experts explaining how we can support and attract innovation.
It will be chaired by Peter Ellingworth, chief executive of the Association of British HealthTech Industries.
Panellists include Mark Cook from Medtronic, Professor Emily Jefferson from University of Dundee, Dr Debbie Wake, chief executive of MyWay Digital Health, and Jonathan Cameron, the deputy director for digital health and care at Scottish Government.
Mr Ellingworth said: “Scotland’s HealthTech sector saves and enhances the lives of patients. It is a key contributor to the nation’s economic success, growing at a rate of nearly 10% in recent years.
“NHS Scotland has distinct attributes and when matched with Scotland’s world-class academic and research community, there is huge potential for the sector and, importantly, inward investment.”
People can register for the free event at www.biodundee.co.uk