NEW funding for regenerative medicine projects between academic and industry collaborators was launched at an event at the University of York.

The Medical Technologies Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) launched a call for expressions of interest in five proof of concept awards of up to £100,000.

John Fisher, executive director of organisers Regener8, a partnership of academics from the eight leading research-intensive universities of the north of England, known as the N8 Research Partnership, said: “By providing this funding we hope to encourage collaboration between the world leading research strengths of the N8 universities and the outstanding regenerative medicine companies in the north of England and in the UK in general. We have a wealth of expertise in regenerative technologies at our fingertips, and this new scheme will further encourage these experts to work together in order to create commercially viable therapies.”

The N8 Research Partnership also announced a new project to map research equipment available to industry across the N8’s universities of Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York, which is expected to pave the way to greater collaboration between universities and improved research links with industry.

The group published a report “Sharing for Excellence and Growth”, which has identified opportunities for sharing research equipment, including the Bioscience Technology Facility at the University of York.