Nexxus

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Nexxus - Connecting and communicating life sciences in Scotland

Nexxus, central Scotland's network for life scientists, was launched in September 2003 with the aim of promoting and supporting research excellence, innovation and knowledge transfer within the life science community in the West of Scotland. In the summer of 2008, Nexxus was successful in achieving further funding of around £1.3M for the third phase of the project which allows it not only to continue its activities in the West but, in collaboration with the Edinburgh Science Triangle, to expand its services to life scientists across central Scotland by the setting up of a second network hub in the East. "Nexxus" was chosen to reflect the key role of the organisation ie to be the hub of a connected group with the use of a double XX symbolizing the double helix.

The idea for a network organisation for the life science community in the West was first talked about however in the late 1990s and results of a survey conducted to establish what industry, academia and the NHS needed to support the growth of the life science cluster in the area confirmed a compelling need to generate increased connectivity and a desire to raise the profile of life science in the West. From this, Nexxus was established.

A non-profit making organisation, Nexxus provides services such as regular networking meetings; a quarterly newsletter with articles of interest to those in industry, academia and the NHS; a monthly e-bulletin containing local life science news over the last month and a round-up of forthcoming life science events at home and abroad, plus a website providing a wealth of information on the area's life science capabilities, expertise and key players.

An independent evaluation of Nexxus' activities commissioned by Scottish Enterprise in 2008 revealed that up to £2.3M net additional GVA in the West of Scotland and up to £2.9M across Scotland as a whole was estimated as being directly attributable to Nexxus. Furthermore, every £1 of Nexxus funding was thought to have created £3.65 of net additional GVA. It was also estimated that the organisation was responsible for up to 51 net additional FTE life science related jobs in the West of Scotland and up to 64 Scotland-wide.

Nexxus has many targets to achieve over the next 24 months, including holding an increased number of events to ensure attendance by, and participation of, an increased number of life science and life science related SMEs in the network. Nexxus is also charged with providing high level support and encouragement to those SMEs - both generally in undertaking innovation and research projects and, more specifically, in helping them to achieve milestones of their own. These include development of products, processes or services; generation of cost savings; increased turnover; energy savings; and creation and safeguarding of jobs. Over the next few months however, one of the most important tasks for Nexxus is to build its contacts in the East so that the network may flourish there, as it has done in the West.

To play your part in promoting research excellence, innovation and knowledge transfer within the life science community and also expand the Nexxus East network, please visit www.nexxusscotland.com now.

Reproduced courtesy of Young Company Finance (www.ycfscotland.co.uk)