Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) has hosted a business showcase in collaboration with Arup and Bruntwood SciTech as part of Birmingham Tech Week 2024.
The Tech Week fringe event was held at Arup’s Birmingham city centre offices. It was attended by around 60 guests from industry, academia, investors and local government. Arup, a global engineering consultancy, and Bruntwood SciTech, a leading science and technology property provider, are key partners in the AIME vision.
AIME is a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel biomimetic membranes, set up with a major grant of £10m from Research England. The AIME team will focus on the development of bioinspired, highly selective polymer structures for applications in water purification and waste remediation, nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic molecules to treat disorders ranging from chronic wounds to neurological injuries, and the purification of individual membrane proteins with polymers to study them as drug targets, amongst others.
Guests at the AIME Tech Week showcase were welcomed by AIME manager Paul Knobbs, before a presentation by co-director Professor Paul Topham, director of training Professor Alan Goddard, and marketing and communications lead Dr Matt Derry. The presentation explained the science behind AIME, the differences between biological and chemical membranes and the benefits of combining their properties, and the industries and sectors likely to be impacted, including water purification, sustainable chemical manufacture and fully recyclable batteries.
A panel discussion looked at the importance and opportunities for the West Midlands of membrane bioengineering research and knowledge exchange. The panel was chaired by Professor Andrew Dove from the University of Birmingham and consisted of Rob Valentine, regional director at Bruntwood SciTech, Dr Lisa Smith, chief executive of Midlands Mindforge, a patient capital investment firm specialising in science, and Professor Goddard.
Professor Goddard explained that the West Midlands is currently lacking in biotech facilities and investment. AIME will help to develop a network and partnerships to start building the sector in the region, and build its reputation nationally and globally. One of the main remits of AIME is to train the next generation of membrane scientists, and while some will stay, some will leave for institutes around the world, extending networks and developing new opportunities for academic collaboration and more significant research awards.
Valentine said that Bruntwood SciTech plans to build a dedicated lab space for AIME to develop the platform technology. He believes that AIME has the potential to be a major part of the economic renaissance of Birmingham.
Dr Smith said that from a venture capitalist point of view, the world-changing technology that can save lives, vastly increase energy efficiency or improve access to rare and vital minerals, is an ideal investment opportunity, particularly for patient investment, like that from Midlands Mindforge, with time to see the research come to fruition.
Hugely important for AIME will be collaboration with industry. Professor Goddard said that AIME will go out to industry to find the real-world problems and solve them. One example could be working with mining companies to find out exactly what substances they need to be separated and developing a bespoke solution. He invited any interested parties to get in touch.
All speakers emphasised the importance of the scientists, the city, the existing investors and industry coming together to promote the work of AIME, to attract attention from industry and investors. Hugely important will be engagement, messaging and communication, with industry, government and the public, as well as identifying suitable commercial pathways and attracting the right talent.
Professor Goddard said:
“We need to make sure the institute is sustainable at the end of five years. By the end of the next five years, I would hope that we’ve got a blockbuster drug coming out of the research and some novel biomembranes with the technology spun-out into a new company in its own new premises. That’s at least two significant projects that are commercialised and making a real difference.”
Valentine said:
“The Aston Institute of Membrane Excellence (AIME) is a game-changer for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region. This first of its kind facility will drive global innovation in membrane science, an emerging sector with vast potential across industries including healthcare, energy, and manufacturing. AIME will attract leading talent, foster collaboration between academia and industry, and provide the infrastructure needed to accelerate research and commercialisation. By placing Birmingham at the heart of this transformative field, AIME will strengthen the region’s position as a key player in the global knowledge economy.”
