Edinburgh BioQuarter

Situated at the heart of Scotland's life sciences community, Edinburgh BioQuarter brings together three leading research institutes, a teaching hospital and the bioincubator building.

 

World-class facilities

Edinburgh BioQuarter (EBQ) links a broad range of leading companies and research institutions providing world-class facilities with one-stop access to the unique combination of pre-clinical and clinical excellence.

Queens Medical Research Institute (QMRI) – The QMRI employs some of the UK's best researchers, with particular strengths in diabetes, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory and respiratory research.

Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine (SCRM) – Opening November 2011, this new institute will research conditions such as stroke, heart attacks and diabetes.

Clinical Imaging Centre – Opened in November 2010, this facility house some of the best clinical imaging and scanning equipment in the world, and is available to companies working at BioQuarter or those involved in collaborations with on-site researchers.

Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) – This 870-bed training hospital offers emergency and long-term care to patients across the whole spectrum of healthcare.

Bio-incubator Building – Due to open in June 2011, this £24 million 10,000 square metres facility is dedicated to housing start-up companies and established pharmaceutical companies within 500 metres of the RIE hospital and QMRI and SCRM research institutes. The Roslin Institute is also nearby.

Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) Vet School – These are world-renowned centres for animal biology and veterinary medicine – perhaps most famous for the world's first cloned mammal, 'Dolly' the sheep. Roslin works with research institutes and pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments to improve the lives of people and animals.

Ideal location for start-up companies

BioQuarter is the ideal location for start-up companies seeking to establish and grow their business thanks to its unique combination of low-cost lab space, high-quality research, business services and financing all in one location, as well as the benefits of belonging to the world's leading life sciences community.

Commercial companies spun out of BioQuarter to date include:

  • Lab901, which now employs neraly 50 people producing RNA screening devices
  • Arrayjet liquid handling company
  • FIOS Genomics, a bio-statistical and data analysis company
  • ImmunoSolv, a company producing products to inhibit the death of cells in samples
  • TPP Global Development, a company that develops drugs based on innovative early-stage research
  • NeuroORG and i2eye diagnostics have also recently joined the growing start-up commmunity at EBQ

BioQuarter is a joint venture between Scottish Enterprise, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc, the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian.