Who are involved with the event presentations?

 

Two "spin-out" companies from different industry sectors will present their businesses and future funding requirements:

 

 

NGenTec Ltd - Markus Mueller

NGenTec Ltd. is a spin out from the Institute for Energy Systems within the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. The founders are Dr. Markus Mueller, Dr. Alasdair McDonald (both University of Edinburgh) and Derek Shepherd (formerly MD of Aggreko International). The spin out has been established to commercialise the so-called C-GEN concept, a lightweight permanent magnet generator for direct drive wind energy converters. C-GEN has been developed with Scottish Enterprise funding under the Proof of Concept Programme. In comparison to conventional direct drive technology, C-GEN is expected to be up to 50% lighter.  It is modular and hence safer and easier to assemble. At the same time it is capable of conversion efficiencies, 90% -95%, over a wide range of loads. To date two prototype generators, 20kW and 15kW, have been tested successfully in the lab at the University of Edinburgh. The 15kW generator is currently operating on a commercially available wind turbine. NGenTec is currently raising investment to scale the technology to the MW size in order to sell into the large wind energy market. 

Dr Markus Mueller was awarded a PhD by the University of Cambridge in 1991. He then spent 3 years at Cambridge as a post-doc working on a project sponsored by Brook Crompton, whom he joined for a period of 6 months. In January 1995 he joined SR Drives Ltd as a Senior Development Engineer, but decided to return to academia in 1997 as a lecturer at the University of Durham. He spent 7 years at Durham working on direct drive machines for wind and wave energy converters. In 2004 he was appointed to a lectureship in the Institute for Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, and to Reader in 2009. 

 

He is building a research group specializing in the development of integrated electrical, mechanical and thermal design tools for electrical machines for renewable energy applications, with the focus on optimized, lightweight machines for direct drive systems. The IMechE recognized his work in linear generators for direct drive wave energy converters by awarding him the Donald Julius Groen Prize. 

In 2009 he was a founder member of NGenTec Ltd. (Novel Generator Technologies), a spin out from the University of Edinburgh, to develop a lightweight permanent magnet generator for direct drive wind energy systems.



GT Biologics Ltd - Graham Bell

 

GT Biologics Ltd is a spin-out from the Rower Research Institute which is part of Aberdeen University. They are a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Products will include use of novel bacterial therapy and derived proteins as biologic therapies in inflammatory gut disorders. The platform will be further developed providing potential opportunities for treatment of systemic disease. An active research and business development vision will seek to add additional products based on exploitation of biological insights into treatment of chronic inflammation.The team includes Dr Denise Kelly, Dr Graham Bell and Dr Howard Marriage.  Dr Graham Bell will present.

 

 

  

 

Who are our Guest Commentators for the event?

Greg Herrera will give his comments and views on NGenTec Ltd.20 years of Oil & Gas experience and knowledge. Former VP at Simmons & Company, Investment bank focused on theenergy industry. Advisor to Management teamleading University spinout MTEM. Previous oil and gas experience with Hydril, Rototec, Gyrodata and Noble. B.Eng Engineering Robert Gordon University & HND Mechancal & Offshore Engineering (RGU) Board member of Sigma Offshore and Ziebel. Former Board member of Pangeo and Caltec. 
Phone +44 1224 628 282 

 

Professor Andy Porter FRSE will give his comments and views on GT Biologics Ltd.  Andy Porter is the Professor of Biotechnology and Deputy Director of the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.  He was also the academic founder and Chief Scientific Officer of  Haptogen Ltd, which was acquired in October 2007 by the pharmaceutical company Wyeth. Andy was also one of the founding academics and Research Director of Remedios Ltd, Aberdeen which was named Scottish biotechnology company of the year in 2000.   Andy serves on the Steering Committees of the Biotechnology Industry Association, Scotland and the Life Science Alliance, Scotland.  He is also a member of the Protein Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board for Wyeth Inc., as well as the Scottish Science Advisory Council that advises the Scottish Government on all aspects of science policy. Together with the founding scientists of Haptogen, he established a small venture fund, Grampian Bio-partners, that invests in early stage companies focused on immuno-technology and biologics platforms.  Over the past four years Andy has been named the Ernst and Young Plc, Scottish and UK Science and Technology Entrepreneur of the Year and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2006. 

 

 

Who are our Co-sponsors who help make these events happen? 

 

Hall Morrice are a firm of Chartered Accountants whose Corporate Finance Division is highly regarded in particular they had enjoyed a significantly success in fundraising for technology led companies. Their client base is made up of Oil & Gas Service Companies and technology led companies (be it Biotech or Oil & Gas Technology). In 2008 they were finalists in the Team to Watch by the Scottish Business Insider and the Head of their Corporate Finance Department, Siomn Cowie was a finalist in both the Dealmaker of the Year by the Scottish Business Insider and Accountant of the Year in the Scottish Accountancy Awards. In 2009, they are finalist for the Best Small Firm and Team to Watch in the Scottish Accountancy Awards and Simon Cowie is a finalist for the Young Accountant of the Year. For more information contact either Simon Cowie, Partner (01224 647394 or email s.cowie@hall-morrice.co.uk) or Scott Taylor, Director (01224 647394 or email s.taylor@hall-morrice.co.uk). Alternatively, visit their website www.hall-morrice.co.uk).

 

MBM COMMERCIAL LLP are co-sponsors of this event of Business Forum Scotland.  MBM Commercial is a specialist firm of commercial lawyers who focus on business spin-outs, start-ups and fundraising for technology companies.  Their clients are made up of successful entrepreneurs and investors.  In 2008 they were awarded Law Firm of the Year in the Scottish Legal Awards and they are have received independent recognition of their corporate finance work in the Chambers Guide for law firms around the world.  For more information please contact Stuart Hendry, Partner (0131 226 8203 or email stuart.hendry@mbmcommercial.co.uk) or visit www.mbmcommercial.co.uk. 

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