51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Torsten Bell, Minister for Pensions in HM Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions, visited 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Department of Bioengineering.

Hosted by , Vice-Provost (Education and Student Experience), and Amanda Wolthuizen, Vice-President for Communications and Strategic Engagement, the visit coincided with the of pension sector reforms aimed at doubling the number of £25bn+ funds to boost investment in businesses and infrastructure. Increased investment in science and technology is expected to support startups and spinouts across the UK, including those originating from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.

To see how scientific research fuels the businesses of the future, the Minister toured the labs of , Academic Lead for Engineering Biology for Sustainability and Director of the $30m . Dr. Ledesma Amaro demonstrated cutting-edge work on sustainable production of food, medicines, and biological processes, showcasing advancements in space food, sustainable blue fabrics, and yeast-based vitamin and antioxidant production.

After seeing 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s research, the Minister joined a discussion on access to capital for deep-tech innovation for growth, including Cai Linton, CEO and co-founder of biotech startup Multus, Louis Taylor, CEO of the British Business Bank and Andrien Meyers, Chief Proposition Officer from London CIV.  

is a biotechnology company helping create lab-grown meat, by developing an animal-free alternative to blood serum used in these ‘clean’ meats. Founded by four students who met while studying at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, the co-founders came from across degree programmes and from across the world to build a business addressing a significant challenge in the cultiavted meat industry. Based at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's White City campus, Multus won a highly prestigious European Innovation Council grant worth €2.5m in June 2022, which has been followed by successfully raising £7.9m of investment in early 2023. The company opened the world’s first pilot manufacturing plant, greatly increasing the growth potential for the global cultivated meat market.

Images: HM Treasury / Simon Walker