Chippenham-based drug development firm Vectura today strengthened its position in the respiratory diseases treatment market with the €130m (£108m) acquisition of specialist German pharmaceutical company Activaero. Privately-owned Activaero’s proprietary smart nebuliser-based technology targets drugs at particular areas of the lung. It is currently part in seven clinical and several pre-clinical stage programmes. Vectura, which...
Bath’s pioneering Innovation Quay area has been showcased to potential developers and investors at the world’s largest commercial property industry gathering. The 6.5-acre site which straddles the River Avon west of Churchill Bridge, is allowing the city to promote itself as a centre for innovation capable of attracting businesses in the creative and hi-tech...
Specialist manufacturer Fascia Graphics aims to double its turnover in just four years with the support of a Government-backed scheme for high-growth firms. The Chippenham-based firm has recruited six apprentices under the GrowthAccelerator programme, a unique service led by some of the UK’s most successful growth specialists, to spur its expansion. Fascia, a market...
Bath’s world-class expertise in micro-electronics could play a crucial role in the recently-announced Smart Cities Trade Mission to China later this year. The West of England boasts the world’s second-largest cluster of micro-chip design expertise outside of California’s Silicon Valley. The Bath area is home to leading-edge chip design firms such as Picochip, now...
Further evidence of recovery among small and medium-sized West manufacturers emerged today with figures showing ‘significant’ growth over the past six months and plans for increased investment this year. The results, from the latest Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) Barometer survey, show 64% of firms increased sales in the second half of last year. At...
Bath businesses will next week get a rare chance to meet trade experts from the British Embassies in the US and Canada and explore transatlantic export opportunities on a one-to-one basis. The event, at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Bristol on Wednesday, March 5, is the latest ‘meet the expert’ event to be...
Bath is about to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a modern business centre that will position the city at the leading edge for creativity and innovation. The Bath Quays development sites – on either side of the River Avon near the city centre – will give the city a unique chance to attract...
Shares in AB Dynamics, the Bradford on Avon-based automotive equipment manufacturer, rose by nearly 8% today after it released an upbeat trading update. The firm, which employs 50 people designing and making advanced testing systems and measurement products for the global automotive industry, said trading had been in line with market expectations while a...
Bath’s innovative firms in the green, hi-tech and creative industries are being invited to take part in a unique trade mission to China which aims to open up valuable new markets for businesses in these key sectors. Taking the ‘Smart Cities’ concept as its theme, the November visit will give 10 businesses from the...
Innovative businesses in the Bath area working on pioneering research and development projects can apply for financial help through a £4m innovation fund launched today by the University of the West of England (UWE). Grants of between £25,000 and £150,000 will be available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large companies...
