Event Description:

We are please to introduce;

 

Exo2 is a company with a unique and exciting technology based around our core FabRoc polymeric heating materials, but also with a chequered history. It was until April 2007 a limited company wholly owned by Adaptive Venture Managers Ltd based in Quarrywood Court, Livingston. A lot of money was invested in the company over a period of 10 years but not profitably as very few products were ever designed and produced. The company was effectively taken over by Adaptive in 2004 and competed for funds along with several other early stage incubator companies and trading companies which formed part of the Adaptive portfolio. Adaptive decided to stop supporting the company in April 2007 and it subsequently went into liquidation. The assets were purchased by one of its key customers, Typhoon International Ltd, which has proved to be a wholly beneficial arrangement whereby the company's growth plans could be properly funded as a wholly owned operating division of Typhoon. New challenges now arise in markets which could potentially offer much larger business volumes than anything previously anticipated, calling for different structural and investment arrangements alongside a distinct approach which will assist in clearing market entry obstacles and addressing the need for much greater awareness of the technology within our target groups.

James Laing Managing Director of EXO2. is married to Linda with one son of 26 years (Jason), who recently joined me in EXO2. Business experience in the office furniture and equipment markets including roles in management covering a number of disciplines but especially sales.

 

Guest Commentator for Exo2 will be Kevin Burd, CEO of Burdica Biomed Ltd

Kevin Burd is an engineer with over 15 years experience in Lifescience technology and operations management. He began work with Baxter Healthcare in the US, moving to Scotland in 2003 as Head of Operations for the Mentor Corporation. Working together with BBL's co-founder (Dr Zhao) at Mentor, they advanced the product and process which led to a successful international launch of Puragen?, an injectable filler for the cosmetic anti-ageing market. Within three years sales grew to over $10 million per annum with distribution in over 70 countries. Recently Kevin has been listed as a global industry leader and expert by the "Society of Industry Leaders" which is part of the Standard and Poors Index of New York. He is interviewed by medical and cosmetic journals on a weekly basis regarding the industry focus and future. 

 

 

Rowan started her working life as a marketing assistant with International Computers Limited, where she assisted with the launch of the personal computer. She then moved to Germany, where she worked for a consultancy company, researching the feasibility of joint venture projects between German and African companies, and prepared associated marketing, financial and economic reports for the World Bank and UNIDO. Subsequently she moved back to the UK where she held a number of roles within Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson company) including Global Project Manager responsible for development and launch of new medical devices and Business Development Manager, with responsibility for analysing markets to identify new opportunities for development or licensing deals. For the past 8 years she has been an innovation and marketing consultant, assisting companies with all aspects of product development – carrying out market research, identifying and evaluating new concepts and market testing of prototypes. Rowan is also a consultant for the Wellness and Health Innovation Project.

Alba Innovation Centre is committed to supporting the development and accelerating the growth of the next generation of innovative, knowledge based, high growth technology businesses in the East of Scotland.

Wellness and Health is one of the newest and most promising global markets, current estimates value the global market sector at more that $200 billion dollars in 2007 and is expected to triple by 2012, thus opening up a significant opportunity for Scottish businesses.  In response to this market opportunity the Wellness & Health Innovation initiative has been developed to help businesses capitalise on the growth potential in this sector.

It aims to support companies who are considering or are already developing applications, products, services and technology to promote 'a healthy state' through preventative wellness and health goods and services which help to avoid crises and increase an individual's 'ability to live independently'.