Johnson & Johnson Innovation partnering office comes to campus

04 Mar 2014

The University has been chosen to host a Johnson & Johnson Innovation partnering office at our campus-based Innovation Centre, UMIC.

Johan Verbeeck, Senior Director of Partnership Management at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, will establish a regular presence at the University.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation has four Innovation Centres based in Boston, California, London & Shanghai. The Innovation Centres aim to bring together experts from Johnson & Johnson with local innovators to facilitate exchange of ideas and provide the resources necessary to support translation of research. Through these innovation centres, Johnson & Johnson Innovation can interact more directly with life science “hot spots” across the country by launching regional partnering offices.

By being based at the University, Johan Verbeeck hopes to build strong personal relationships with our leading scientists to facilitate collaboration across pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer sectors. This will lead to identification and investment in pre-clinical proof of concept innovations and, ultimately, accelerate the advancement of healthcare solutions and disease therapies.

“The funding and collaboration arena in academia and biotech has changed dramatically over the recent past”, says Paul Townsend, Associate Dean for Business Engagement, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. “This phenomenal opportunity of working with Johnson & Johnson and having them here in Manchester is a true win/win situation.

"We are excited by the enhanced opportunities for collaboration that this partnership will bring and look forward to building on our existing relationship with Johnson & Johnson."

Further information

Please contact:

• Naomi Sells, Business Engagement Officer, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, at naomi.sells@manchester.ac.uk