Mayor backs £4m life science ‘golden triangle’

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced the launch of MedCity, a major new medical research and translation initiative. The £4 million life science plan will link London, Oxford and Cambridge.

MedCity will bring together leading medical research centres in the three cities to produce healthcare applications that can benefit patients and the economy.

The aim is to build a cluster of practical scientific excellence that will rival financial services in its importance to the UK. The new body is modelled on London’s Tech City Investment Organisation and aims to position London-Oxford-Cambridge life sciences sector as world-leading centre.

MedCity has been established by the Mayor of London and Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, King's Health Partners and UCLPartners with cooperation from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

MedCity has been awarded a £2.92 million grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and £1.2 million from the mayor of London’s office.

Speaking in London at Imperial College’s Hammersmith campus, Johnson said: “Together with Oxford and Cambridge we form a ‘golden triangle’ of scientific innovation and we need to channel that intellectual pre-eminence into a positive impact on our economy.

“MedCity will span everything from research to clinical trials to manufacturing, across biotech, med tech and health tech.

“I am in no doubt that having the whole ‘chain’ from small spin-offs to massive companies doing their research, clinical development and manufacturing here in London and the south-east can be as important to our economy as the financial services sector is today.”

Professor Dermot Kelleher, vice-president (health) at Imperial College London, said: “London is a world leader in medical research.

“Our unique combination of great universities and first-class research hospitals, dove-tailed with access to a critical mass of entrepreneurial talent and a diverse population, puts the capital at the heart of medical discovery and its application.

“MedCity will allow us to intensify efforts to turn medical innovations into patient benefits and economic value on a national and international scale.

“This collaboration will lay the foundations for the next generation of medical advances while helping secure the capital’s long-term growth.”

As part of the launch, Johnson visited Imanova, a pioneering imaging company formed by Imperial in collaboration with the Medical Research Council, University College London and King’s College.

The mayor tested a novel device that tracked his movements and generated a 3D image of his head.

The technology was developed to ensure accurate brain scans are obtained from patients who find it difficult to keep still.

Kevin Cox, chief executive of Imanova, said: “We are fully behind MedCity as it will position London as the undisputed leader for translational medicine in Europe, increasing inward investment, expanding collaborations and supporting growth.

“As a leading centre for imaging sciences this will greatly enhance Imanova’s ability to attract business from around the world.”