HRH The Princess Royal officially opened the new Life Sciences Innovation Centre last week, and ICC member iDE8 is its first tenant!
The new Centre, located in Inverness Campus, is a partnership project between University of the Highlands and Islands and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Designed for collaboration, the building is split between industry and research, allowing businesses to work alongside academia, with access to state-of-the-art laboratories and scientific equipment.
Walking around the beautiful new building, you could almost believe you are in Stockholm or Copenhagen, with high ceilings, airy open spaces, and a stunning window feature providing plenty of natural light. The collaborative element is clear; the open plan design, modern meeting rooms, and the communal coffee space naturally encourages co-working.
As connecting is at the heart of ICC, we are delighted to see our members working together: the Centre is a joint project of ICC member University of the Highlands and Islands and our Executive Partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise; it was built by member Robertson Northern; the first tenant is member iDE8; and member Fraser Signs even installed iDE8’s signage!
iDE8 is a medical device consultancy; formed in 2017, the team has grown to 7 employees, with over 150 years of combined experience. They are a small, local business with global ambitions; they help clients worldwide design, develop, validate, quality assure, and regulate their medical product. As the first business to occupy the new Centre, they have leased two laboratories and an office, providing cutting-edge technical support to their clients.
Managing Director David Howarth is particularly enthusiastic about promoting Inverness as a hub for Life Sciences, and hopes this innovative Centre will attract other industry professionals into the Highland capital.
Thank you to David for showing us around iDE8’s new home; we are very excited to see what comes next for the team and any future neighbours!
For more information on the new Centre, click here.