MediCity, the health, beauty and wellness innovation hub based in Nottingham, today announces the arrival of its first tenants, after five companies recently signed tenancy agreements to locate within the newly refurbished building on the Boots site in Beeston.
The tenant companies are involved in a range of commercial activities including human performance measurement technology, haircare product innovation, early-stage drug development, health-sector public relations and med-tech business support.
The tenant companies are involved in a range of commercial activities including human performance measurement technology, haircare product innovation, early-stage drug development, health-sector public relations and med-tech business support.
- FitQuest is an advanced technology system designed to measure human performance and therefore help people manage their fitness. A product of Leeds-based MIE Medical Research, FitQuest has chosen Nottingham and MediCity in particular, in order to draw on the regional sector expertise in sports science as well as the flexible space provided by the new innovation hub.
- Co-Formulate occupies two laboratories and an office to allow the team to expand its drug development services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, OTC healthcare, nutraceutical and cosmetics clients. The company currently employs five senior scientists and is looking to recruit again in the next few months. Directors, Huw Jones and Nazim Kanji, have returned to the laboratories they helped design as employees of Boots Healthcare International, before they left to develop Co-Formulate with the support of BioCity Nottingham.
- Medilink East Midlands is the life science industry membership organisation for the region and is taking a virtual tenancy in MediCity in order to support early-stage and growing companies in the sector. In 2013, Medilink helped secure over £700,000 in grant funding for client companies, hosted over 1,000 delegates at events and engaged with over 600 organisations around the East Midlands.
- Mark Hill Hair Cosmetics have worked exclusively with Boots UK for over 10 years, retailing haircare, electrical stylers and brushes. Having a team based in Nottingham will further build on this successful relationship.
- Integra Communications, the public relations agency based in BioCity, has opened a second office in MediCity to give media advice to the senior management team and to tenant companies. Integra will continue to provide free PR Clinics on site to early-stage tenant firms and entrepreneurs.
The tenant companies, as well as several other firms who have already moved into the suite of laboratories and offices, occupy 1,500 sq ft of floor space and are using central services, as well as The Meeting Space to host client visits.
David Browning, Director of MediCity, says: “Just two months since our launch, the MediCity community of innovators is starting to grow. Our team is busy providing the technical and commercial advice these companies need to develop and grow their ideas. It is also a busy time for the Conferencing team which has over 20 events booked into The Meeting Space.”
Mark Chivers, Enterprise Zone Director, Alliance Boots, says: “We are very pleased to welcome the first tenants of MediCity to the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. The progress made at MediCity since its launch in November is extremely exciting and demonstrates the many opportunities MediCity can offer for economic development, not just for innovative start-ups and growing businesses, but also for the wider Nottingham area. We look forward to attracting more innovators in the field of health, beauty and wellness to MediCity.”
ENDS