Rich Ferrie
CEO, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge.
The UK is recognised globally for the quality of its life science research. Britain has extraordinary scientific assets, but success is also judged on our ability to translate, commercialise and scale.
The UK’s scientific excellence gives it an enviable position in global life sciences, but discovery alone does not guarantee economic or societal impact. The bigger challenge is in creating the conditions where promising science can move rapidly towards commercial application.
“The UK has a strong foundation in discovery research and early-stage innovation,” explains Dr Rich Ferrie, CEO of Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge. “The challenge comes from creating UK companies that can truly scale. High-quality science is essential, but success also requires the right executive expertise, capital, facilities, talent, leadership, networks and time.”
To anchor companies to the UK, driving wider economic and societal benefits, focus must shift from simply generating great science to building the ecosystems needed for scalable commercial success here in Britain.
An ecosystem of innovation
Research innovation centres should focus on the three Cs: connectivity, culture and collaboration. They combine the academic and commercial community in one integrated and supportive environment. “Scientific innovation relies on more than just physical infrastructure,” continues Ferrie. “It requires an environment deliberately designed to connect science, people, expertise and capital.”
Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, is a community of over 60 companies, 2,000 employees and 300 academic researchers — a living ecosystem supporting every stage of the life science entrepreneur’s journey. Ferrie explains: “Bringing early-stage researchers together with commercially successful life sciences entrepreneurs allows us to recycle expertise, experience and networks, helping the next generation learn from those who have already built and scaled great scientific companies.”
Why proximity matters
In an age where remote working is becoming the norm, we might not be harnessing the full potential of working in proximity. “Proximity increases the probability of useful connections occurring and reduces the friction involved in making them happen,” says Ferrie. “Creating that close proximity enables people to share expertise across organisational boundaries, connecting growing businesses with the right networks and people.
Bringing early-stage researchers together with commercially successful life sciences
entrepreneurs allows us to recycle expertise, experience and networks
“As our campus continues to expand, we are increasingly focused on how to curate the entire ecosystem, asking how we can bring in value-added partners, and which organisations will bring the biggest benefits to our community.”
Sustained investment generates wider returns
The greatest long-term impact will come from investing not just in the research itself but in the infrastructure and capital needed to translate it into scalable businesses. Government investment in mixed-use campuses can help to create a foundation for life science success, supporting companies as they grow while leveraging the same facilities and expertise across the wider ecosystem.
Ferrie adds: “To close the proof-of-concept gap, taking robust university-led research and demonstrating its real-world potential, we need sustained growth capital, alongside access to the facilities, expertise and technology companies need to progress towards clinical development. Ultimately, this means getting new therapies and diagnostics to patients faster, improving clinical outcomes and quality of life.”
Creating lasting societal impact
If we get this right, we can create a self-fulfilling cycle: scientific excellence generates new companies and investment; successful companies strengthen the ecosystem; and that ecosystem attracts more talent, science and capital.
“That’s the future we want to build at Babraham,” concludes Ferrie. “If we continue investing in the sector and promote greater collaboration, rather than competition, we can create a more interconnected ecosystem to help companies move from early-stage science to scale. The result will be more jobs, exports, investment and, ultimately, more healthcare innovation, strengthening the UK’s global position as a life sciences leader.”
Explore Babraham Research Campus: https://www.babraham.com/
