Since 2001, Enterprise Ireland has invested more than 40m in initiatives and research projects aimed at strategically commercialising biotechnology research, with 10m invested in 2006 alone. This money has been spent to support the tranfer of research into technologies which, it is hoped, will form the basis of new startup companies; or which can be licensed to established companies for use.

Biotechnology is among the most cutting-edge of all research being carried out in Ireland, and the success of our biotech research will go a long way to proving our credentials as a hub of R&D on the global stage. The scope of current EI funded research ranges from the development of nanosensors for diagnosing cardiovascular disease to technology for the treatment of tumours in cancer patients, as well as the development of vaccines for fish diseases.

This high-visibility support of the biotech industry in Ireland is garnering results.

Indeed in 2006 nine EI-supported technologies from Irish Research institutes were licensed in the biotechnology area, and three new high-potential biotechnology companies have emerged.

Stokes Bio from the University of Limerick primarily develops novel technology and biomarkers for the diagnosis of cancer; Neuro Research Services from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is a contract research organisation that allows its clients to access the expertise of world-renowned scientists at the forefront of research in neuroscience;

and Berand from University College Dublin focuses on the evaluation of promising drugs directed against neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Company and technology highlights Last year a significant collaboration agreement was signed between Opsona Therapeutics, an Enterprise Ireland high-potential startup company, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The companies will collaborate to discover and develop new pharmaceuticals to treat inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Enterprise Ireland has worked closely with Opsona from its pre-start-up phase through patenting, research and commercialisation phases.

But Opsona was not the only high-profile success story in the biotech field, and another recent breakthrough was made thanks to a collaboration between an international biopharmaceutical company (Innogenetics) and NUI Galway. Indeed, representatives from Innogenetics were in Dublin last June to celebrate the company's successful partnership with Enterprise Ireland and NUI Galway in developing a technology to test for sepsis (blood poisoning), which is a severe illness affecting over 18 million people each year.

The technology, developed by researchers at NUI Galway, and supported by Enterprise Ireland and Innogenetics, is now the basis for tests that diagnose bacterial and fungal infections in blood. The SeptiFastregistered test can detect the 25 most important sepsis-causing bacterial and fungal pathogens from a single blood sample, significantly reducing the time required to reach a diagnosis and providing accurate information to help doctors choose the right therapy.

A third example is Stokes Bio, a Limerick biotechnology firm founded last year, which is in talks to license its technology to genetically diagnose leukaemia in children with several multinational companies. Stokes Bio also reports having signed research agreements with two hospitals in the US. The company recently secured a research agreement with the University of Manchester for further clinical trials and will work in tandem with Professor Vaskar Saha, a prominent British cancer researcher, on the tests.

Stokes Bio was founded from research undertaken at the University of Limerick (UL).

None of this would have been possible without Enterprise Ireland's commitment to Biotech research and commercialisation. "The commercialisation of applied research is a central component in Ireland's drive to becoming a competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, " said Dr Paul Roben, Director of Biotechnology Commercialisation at Enterprise Ireland. "Companies in Ireland need to access the innovative capacity of the research sector in order to enhance their competitive advantage in the global marketplace. Enterprise Ireland is meeting that challenge through innovative funding and support programs aimed at commercialising research and supporting industry-academic linkages. In the coming year, Enterprise Ireland will continue to develop and expand these programs."

BioIndustry-Led Research Programme Crucial to the cause of biotechnology commercialisation in Ireland is Enterprise Ireland's 2 million "BioIndustry-Led Research Programme". In kicking-off the programme last summer, Enterprise Ireland, in collaboration with the Irish BioIndustry Association, invited leading business managers and scientists, from biotechnology companies in Ireland, to identify key areas for research. The priority areas identified were biodiagnostics and bioprocess monitoring, and the R&D in question is being carried out (on behalf of the companies) by a team of leading academics from Irish Universities with expertise in sensors, microfluidics, microelectronics, biodiagnostics and process engineering.

As part of its development programme, Enterprise Ireland has also opened a number of EI-supported bio-incubation facilities, such as the one opened in October in St James' Hospital, which comprises 172 m_ of laboratory and serviced office space. Two Enterprise Ireland client companies (the aforementioned Opsona Therapeutics, and Cellix) are located at the facility.

The unit is one of six bioincubators which have come on stream and at its opening, Minister Micheal Martin spoke of its uniqueness as the first bio-incubator to be based on a hospital campus.

"The location is synergistic for the hospital and the companies located there, " he said. "The bio-incubator at St James' will facilitate the translation of science and research into products that are used to diagnose and treat disease."

Offering a range of on-site specialist and targeted business services, the facility will provide a nurturing environment for early stage biotechnology companies.

Enterprise Ireland provided funding of 450,000 to convert existing facilities into a bio-incubator. Other EI-supported bio-incubation facilities are located at DCU (Invent), NUIG, TCD (Pearse St. ), UCC and UCD.

There is also recognition that leading-edge R&D can be an international endeavour, and, to this end, October 2006 saw the formation of Biolink Canada-Ireland, which was formed to link scientists, industry, academia and government agencies from the Irish and Canadian life sciences sector. The aim of the Enterprise Ireland initiative is to create opportunities for knowledge sharing, research partnering and commercialisation between the life sciences sectors in Ireland and Canada.

EI Bio has also staged a number of events showcasing the best in Ireland's R&D. These events were attended by the business and venture capital community, and are a key part of EI Bio's research commercialisation strategy. Events included the "Next Wave Technology Showcase" in Galway in May to highlight new commercially orientated technologies emerging from research conducted by the Irish third level sector, while in November, Enterprise Ireland showcased nine Irish biotechnology companies to a panel of US, Canadian and European Biotechnology experts. The companies also exhibited at the BioIreland 2006 international biotechnology conference held in Dublin.