Useful links
Economic Impact Report
The John Innes Centre contributes over £170M annually to the UK economy, demonstrating the impact and relevance of the excellent scientific research we undertake, and validating the investment of public funding to support this (2008 data from an independent report by DTZ)
Economic Impact Brochure
This document describes some of the applications born of discoveries from basic research at the John Innes Centre and its antecedents. It attributes an estimated value to some of those applications, providing a snapshot of the economic impact of the institute’s research since it was first founded as the John Innes Horticultural Institution in 1910.
Recognising the contributions made so far gives us conviction that high-quality basic research at JIC will continue to contribute to knowledge generation and to economic advancement for UK plc and world-wide. In this document we also speculate on the future impact of our current research.
JIC Business Development
Business Development at JIC is designed to promote, identify and capture promising scientific breakthroughs and to link to both the private and public sectors via networking and business development activities. Intellectual Property Management and technology transfer is led by Plant Biosciences Ltd (PBL) in partnership with JIC.
Our key objectives are to promote the uptake of JIC research by industry and to promote the formation of new ventures based on JIC science.
Business Development at JIC utilises our international standing and our alumni to foster research networks and commercial links in key areas of economic development such as China, India, SE Asia and Latin America. The Norwich BioIncubator and the new NRP Innovation Centre provide further scientific integration by attracting research based companies to the Norwich Research Park.
Working for Business
JIC supports knowledge exchange and commercialisation through collaborative and sponsored research with industry. Collaborative R&D grants are available through the BBSRC and the Technology Strategy Board.
Spin-outs
One of the key objectives of the Business Development at the JIC is the promoting the formation of new ventures based on JIC science.
Professor George Lomonossoff has won “Most Promising Innovator” and the overall “Innovator of the Year” prize at this year’s national BBSRC Innovator of the Year Awards, for his work with Dr Frank Sainsbury on the development of a system for the rapid production of vaccines and pharmaceutical proteins in plants.
“The uptake of JIC research by industry is crucially important, and this is a shining example of how we have been able to translate fundamental research to combating a pressing problem facing society,” said Dr Jonathan Clarke, Head of Business Development at JIC. “This innovation demonstrates that fundamental research in plant and microbial biology can lead to enabling technologies with wider medical and industrial impact.” Full story...
Our Impact - latest news 
The world’s favourite fruit only better-tasting and longer-lasting
23 May 2013
Tomatoes, said to be the world’s most popular fruit, can be made both better-tasting and longer-lasting thanks to UK research with purple GM varieties. “Working with GM tomatoes that are different to normal fruit only by the addition of a specific compound, allows us to pinpoint exactly how to breed in valuable traits,” said Professor [...] Read full story
Q&A with Professor Mervyn Bibb
03 May 2013
The enthusiasm of a school biology teacher helped fuel Professor Mervyn Bibb’s own curiosity. Today, as antibiotic resistance nears a crisis point, his work to understand how soil bacteria produce antibiotics is more vital than ever. What sparked your interest in science? I have always been interested in the “natural world”, but it was [...] Read full story
Q&A with Professor Mike Bevan
03 May 2013
Receiving his first microscope hooked Professor Mike Bevan on biology. He has pioneered insights taken up by the crop biotech industry and with his current work aims to increase food production. Did an outdoorsy upbringing in New Zealand help spark your interest in science? I was brought up on a remote sheep farm [...] Read full story
Royal Society elects two new Fellows from the John Innes Centre
03 May 2013
Two scientists from the John Innes Centre have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the premier scientific accolade in the UK. Their breakthroughs in fundamental research have pioneered advances in antibiotic discovery and in crop improvement from which we all benefit. Professor Mike Bevan pioneered methods for expressing foreign genes in plants that [...] Read full story
Hidden map in growing buds shown to control leaf and petal shape
01 May 2013
How petals get their shape Why do rose petals have rounded ends while their leaves are more pointed? In a study to be published in open access journal PLOS Biology, John Innes Centre and University of East Anglia scientists reveal that the shape of petals and leaves is controlled by a hidden map located within [...] Read full story
Beer brewed from Victorian barley variety
12 Apr 2013
For the first time in nearly a century drinkers will be able to taste beer made from Chevallier, the classic heritage barley from the Victorian period. Old varieties are a rich source of new genes, and scientists at the John Innes Centre revived Chevallier from the institute’s Genetic Resources Unit as part of a barley [...] Read full story
Contact details
Head of Business Development: Jonathan Clarke
Business Development Officer: Becca Holland
Contact Us
@Jic_Bus_Dev