open for business

Highlights from the heart of an expanding Campus

Roslin Innovation Centre has been ‘open for business’  since August 2017, to provide space for companies undertaking strategic, commercial and collaborative research in animal and veterinary sciences, agri-tech and health industriesOur unique business gateway to innovation continues to nurture entrepreneurship, growth and collaboration within the dynamic environment of Easter Bush Campus. 

Occupancy is currently at the optimal target of 85%, with over 30 tenant companies ranging from established local and international organisations, start-ups and spin-outs, to community interest companies.

highlights - year 6 

februaRY 2023

Scottish Lives Sciences Awards 2023 graphic

Midlothian Innovators are business finalists

The finalists have been announced for Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2023, following review by judges who made the selection from a large number of entries.

We are delighted to see such an excellent representation of the innovative science and technology talent from within Midlothian Science Zone. Finalists  include Roslin Innovation Centre tenant companies, featured across three different categories - Carcinotech Ltd (Best Innovation in Business), Cytomos Ltd (SME of the Year), Beebytes Analytics (Best Environmental Impact).

Well done to all, and good luck at the Awards Ceremony & Dinner at The Brunton, Musselburgh Thursday 29th March when the winners will be announced.



LtoR: Kate Cameron, FM Nicola Sturgeon, Ana Stewart, Ishani Malhotra in Roslin Innovation Centre meeting space

pathways to entrepreneurship 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Roslin Innovation Centre and met with tenant company founders Dr Kate Cameron of Cytochroma and Ishani Malhotra of Carcinotech Ltd, to discuss the barriers facing women in entrepreneurship, and how these can be addressed to close the gender gap and boost Scotland’s economy. 

This visit followed the publication of an independent review, commissioned by The Scottish Government, ‘Pathways: A New Approach for Women in Entrepreneurship’ and was led by entrepreneur and investor Ana Stewart.


JANUARY 2023

Scottish Lives Sciences Awards 2023 graphic

SCOTLAND'S LIFE SCIENCEs FINALISTS

Eight prestigious awards recognising a range of achievements including skills development, innovation, investment, innovative collaboration and business leadership were available for nomination and entry for the annual Scotland’s Life Sciences Awards. 

The shortlist has now been announced and we're delighted this features tenant companies based at Roslin Innovation Centre. Dyneval Ltd and Roslin Technologies are finalists in the 'Innovation – Animal Health, Agritech & Aquaculture' category and in ‘Rising Stars: Extraordinary Talent’ Roslin Technologies Chief Executive, Ernst Van Orsouw, and Dr Kate Cameron, CEO and founder of Cytochroma.

Well done to all, and good luck at the Dinner & Awards Celebration at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh on Thursday 16th March when the winners will be announced.



Greengage Agritech COO checking sensor in shed - photo shared by Courteenhall

greengage technology trial

Greengage AgriTech is participating in a technology trial at a broiler farm that will assess three smart-sensor systems and application in poultry production over the next 12 months at Courteenhall Farms.

Greengage ALIS sensors monitor key productivity and welfare attributes and as with their poultry lighting, are designed to cope with the conditions in livestock housing. Sensors provide accurate real time data and 24 monitoring that enables precision livestock farming in response to animal behaviour. 

We look forward in finding out how ALIS sensors compare to others in the trial!

Read full article in Poultry Network

december 2022

Bee on flowers, an example of pollinator in a natural environment - credit Roslin Innovation centre/LP

BBSRC Showcase beebytes  

A selection of the best outcomes and impacts from 2022 arising from BBSRC investments are featured in a new BBSRC Showcase and includes Beebytes, a social enterprise at Roslin Innovation Centre, specialising in honeybee genetics and DNA analysis of pollinators and their environment, founded by two Roslin Institute and University of Edinburgh scientists.

The community interest company helps beekeepers and bee farmers select and breed their preferred type of honeybee. By giving more information about their bees, keepers can breed preferred stock themselves. This reduces the need for imports which risks introducing unwanted traits and new pests and diseases. Beebytes also works with groups looking at issues of genetic diversity, health, forage and habitat for both honeybees and other pollinators.

BBSRC supports world-class bioscience to deliver a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future. 



Beta Bugs team exhibiting at EIT Food workshop at Glasgow Science Centre

Follow-ON Funding for cytomos

Archangels, the Edinburgh-based investment syndicate, invested £13.4 million during 2022 in some of Scotland’s “most promising” early-stage technology and life science businesses. New figures have revealed the total investment for the past year, spread across 11 businesses, marks a 14 per cent increase on the syndicate’s investment activity in 2021.

One of the businesses to receive follow-on funding included Roslin Innovation Centre-based Cytomos, to enable the development and qualification of Cytomos Dielectric Spectroscopy (CDSTM) to move forward at pace and address the biopharma industry’s unmet needs.

Archangels comprises of 120 members and an 11-strong board and executive team and currently has 21 companies within the portfolio. Read full article in The Scotsman

november 2022

Beta Bugs team exhibiting at EIT Food workshop at Glasgow Science Centre

the benefits of bugs

Beta Bugs Ltd has been out and about raising the profile of bugs. The insect genetics company develop and distribute breeds of Black Soldier Fly for the insect farming industry.

As part of Innovate UK’s Sustainable Impact Investment Programme cohort of impactful startups, they pitched at Demo Day where Investors met with the startups pitching their impact innovations to raise  first round of capital. 

The team also participated in EIT Food ‘Future of Food’ workshops for children and families, hosted at Glasgow Science Centre, providing an introduction to insect farming and the use of black soldier fly breeds as an alternative protein source for animal feed and to break-down agricultural and food waste. 



AccelerateHER, an network supporting and encouraging female founders hosting annual awards and trade missions

female founders go global

Ishani Malhotra, founder and CEO of Carcinotech Ltd was a panellist on the 'Empire State of Mind' breakout session during The Scotsman Life Sciences Conference 2022 which focussed on the theme of 'Growing Global'.

Carcinotech is a MedTech company with expertise in manufacturing 3D printed living tumours using patient-derived biopsies, primary cells, immune cells and cancer stem cells. The company has established significant international partnerships to advance the provision of personalised drug testing platforms to help those suffering from cancer. 

Ishani was also part of an AccelerateHer trade mission to California this month, together with Dr Kate Cameron, founder and CEO of Cytochroma Ltd, giving these female entrepreneurs direct access to some of the leading figures in the US tech sector and global investment community.

october 2022

AskBio/ESGCT graphic re participation and contribution at Congress 2022

contribution to advancing gene therapy

The annual European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) congress took place in Edinburgh 11th to 14th October and is an ideal opportunity for facilitating scientific exchange, disseminating knowledge and increasing the awareness of gene and cell therapy among scientists and the society.

Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio)  a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, with research and development facilities at Roslin Innovation Centre, presented 14 company abstracts at the Congress. 

The full company presence highlights the breadth of the AskBio contribution to advancing gene therapy and includes an oral presentation on the role of empty capsids in overall AAV immunogenicity and toxicity risks, 12-month data from ongoing Parkinson’s and congestive heart failure studies and data on synthetic DNA material from wholly owned subsidiary TAAV Bio-manufacturing Solutions, SL. 



Dr kate Cameron, Cytochroma in the lab facilities at Roslin Innovation Centre - credit Roslin Innovation Centre/LP

supercharging scotland's entrepreneurs

Dr Kate Cameron, Founder and CEO at Cytochroma, an award-winning entrepreneur and expanding company based at Roslin Innovation Centre, was featured in The Herald 'Supercharging the next generation of scale-ups in Scotland'. 

Securing the company's first round of investment was critical to success, and Cytochroma leveraged seed funding to secure a large Innovate UK grant, bringing non-dilutive funding to around £1 million. The most recent grant to manufacture ethnically diverse mini-hearts has effectively doubled the company's product offering.  

The team has since expanded in both size and facilities, transforming operations and the funding has enabled Kate to focus more on business development providing a new challenge.

September 2022

BBC Click visit Roslin Technologies lab at Roslin Innovation Centre

inside the laboratory

Growing sausages from animal cells. Technology show BBC Click visited the Roslin Technologies laboratory at Roslin Innovation Centre to find out how the company has found a way to grow sausages from animal cells. 

The animals don’t need to be slaughtered in the process. Instead a biopsy is taken which can be reprogrammed, meaning this could be a greener way to generate meat. This type of lab-grown meat is yet to receive regulatory approval for human consumption in the UK, but in Singapore, people have been eating lab-grown chicken meat for two years.



Beta Buzz, insect farming publication by Beta Bugs, a Roslin Innovation Centre tenant

new appointments to support growth 

We welcome a new executive team at Cytomos. The life sciences venture company, based at Roslin Innovation Centre, has developed a new approach to analysing cells. 

The company's cell platform has potential applications in drug development, bioprocessing, cell and gene therapy manufacturing and vaccine production.

As the company gears up for this next stage of growth, David Rigterink joins the scale-up as the CEO and is appointed to the Board. Lindsay Fraser joins as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Gordon Sharp has been promoted to interim Chief Technology Officer (CTO).



Year Five Highlights

Year Four Highlights

Year Three Highlights

Year Two Highlights

Year One Highlights

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