London Biotechnology Network merges with its Cambridge counterpart

The London Biotechnology Network (LBN), the business network for London-based life science organisations, is merging with ERBI, its counterpart in Cambridge. The combined group will announce its new name at ERBI’s annual conference on 2nd June.

The new organisation combines ERBI’s 350 plus members with LBN’s network of over 400 organisations across a wide range of life science industry sectors. The network represents a wide base of commercial, clinical and academic interests, with at least 60 per cent of the UK’s life science industry base, four of the UK’s five Academic Health Science Centres and three of the world’s top six universities.

The merger has been driven by a demand from members and will result in benefits including:

• a significantly larger pool of companies to support business-to-business interaction

• membership of a cluster of international size, relevance and visibility

• economies of scale enabling expansion of ERBI’s group purchasing scheme, that already saves millions of pounds for members annually

• an expanded training programme focused on the needs of life science companies.

The newly merged organisation continues to have offices in both Cambridge and London, with Harriet Fear, CEO of ERBI, retaining the post in the merged organisation. Tony Jones becomes Director, Business Development and a member of the senior management team.

Fear said the London and Cambridge networks are highly complementary. “This coming together, in response to requests from our members, recognises that, in reality, London and Cambridge are two parts of a single cluster.”