By encouraging increased innovation and entrepreneurial aspirations in
academic laboratories, the BioInnovation Institute (BII) spawns dozens
of startups and nurtures their development. The new BII & Science Prize
for Innovation will inspire even more advances.
In Copenhagen, Denmark, nearly 70 startup companies began
at BII. This nonprofit institute funded by the Novo Nordisk
Foundation “supports life-science innovation,” says BII CEO
Jens Nielsen. “We are particularly interested in taking excellent
science, typically in academia but in some cases at hospitals
and other research institutions, and helping to translate it into a
business idea with a life of its own, specifically through market
investment to build a company.” In short, BII builds connections.
Nielsen describes that work as “being a bridge between academia
and early-stage companies in order to help them attract
financing.”
This year, BII played a partnering role in a new connection,
the BII & Science Prize for Innovation. “We started this prize with
Science to increase the emphasis on the need for innovation in the
academic setting,” Nielsen explains.
With more than 20 years of experience in academia, Nielsen
developed an interest in translating university research into
catalysts for new companies. “We need to empower that science
and introduce it into society in order to address numerous large
societal challenges.” He adds, “Our goal is to emphasize this, and I
cannot think of a better partner than Science, which is a symbol of
excellence.”Lessons from life science
BII focuses specifically on the life sciences, in which Nielsen
says, “We have seen a lot of innovation.” New medicines area critical example, with those innovations depending in large
part on research initiated in universities. “Today, many of the
big pharmaceutical companies are sourcing new drug leads
through the acquisition of biotech startups that, in many cases,
can trace their roots back to academic research,” Nielsen says.
“This has resulted in the establishment of a very nice ‘food chain.’
For example, oncology treatment has been revolutionized by
expanding on ideas that started in universities and hospitals and
promoting their growth and application in the market.”
Today’s achievements in the life sciences represent only the
beginning of what lies ahead. “Life-science innovation allows
skilled scientists to not only express their passion within their
field of work academically but also bring their ideas to market
for the benefit of people and societies around the globe,” says
Robert Langer, Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and holder of more than 1,400 patents being used
in over 400 companies.
As the chair of BII’s scientific advisory board, Langer knows the
innovation environment in Denmark. “The innovation potential
there looks promising, based on a long academic tradition and
many new patent filings every year. I know from experience in
the U.S. that raising the entrepreneurial capacity in society takes
a strong collaboration between dedicated organizations in an
ecosystem.”
The collaboration between BII and Science promises even more
innovation. “The interest and passion for life-science innovation
are currently gaining momentum among scientists, and the new BII
& Science Prize for Innovation supports this progress,” Langer says.
The description of this prize states: “We seek scientists who
can show that they have reached across field boundaries.”Advertorial
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