Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) has appointed Dr Martino Picardo as its first Chief Executive Officer. Dr Picardo joins from the University of Manchester Incubator Company (UMIC) and will take up his new post in February 2011.
As Managing Director of UMIC since 2003, Dr Picardo has overseen its successful development into a venture that has helped to incubate more than sixty start-ups and SMEs, attracting significant venture capital and generating more than 500 jobs.
With a PhD in biochemistry from Cardiff University, Dr Picardo has 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector. In 2008, Martino was appointed as a non-executive director to the UKBI Board, the UK’s leading professional body for the development and support of business incubation environments that support High Growth and Technology Centres.
Speaking of his appointment, Dr Picardo said: “ I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed . Although I am sad to be leaving friends and colleagues in UMIC after 11 years, I am also looking forward to working with new colleagues in what will be a very exciting and unique opportunity for UK plc in drug discovery and development”.
Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is a joint venture between the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills, GlaxoSmithKline, the Wellcome Trust, the East of England Development Agency and the Technology Strategy Board. The £38m development will be an independent bioscience facility located on the GSK R&D campus in Stevenage. Pioneering a culture of open innovation, tenants will have access to state of the art facilities and will benefit from the networks and expertise of the sponsor organisations.
Allan Baxter, Chairman of the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst Board, commented: “We are delighted that Martino has agreed to join us at SBC. He brings a wealth of experience in nurturing and showcasing entrepreneurial innovation and is ideally qualified to lead this exciting and unique venture.”
Dr Picardo will transition into his new role over the next two months and will be in place full time from February
Contact
Jen Middleton
Media Officer, Wellcome Trust
T: 020 7611 7262
Notes to Editors
About Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst
Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is an independent life sciences facility
for early stage biotechnology companies, pioneering a culture of
open-innovation to drive discovery.
www.stevenagecatalyst.com
