Benefits of being a business tenant at AberInnovation
Strategic partnerships and location play an important role in the growth of businesses. Learn how being a business tenant of AberInnovation can help.
Rhian Jones, office manager and marketing coordinator at Techion.
What is Techion’s product or solution?
Techion is a full-stack information company that integrate several modes of technology, including hardware, software and data together, to deliver solutions for complex disease problems.
Our platforms are patented and include innovations in sample preparation, imaging, cloud computing, analysis, and decision support. Microscopic-related data can be gained from any location and be analysed in real time. Information is then instantly available to relevant stakeholders.
The key product in the UK at present is the revolutionary FECPAKG2, which is a testing solution aimed at enabling on-site diagnostics for vets, retailers and farmers to use. By using the system as part of a regular livestock management routine, farmers can find out when and why parasites are having an effect on animals, and what drugs will be appropriate for treatment.
Why did you make the choice to move to AberInnovation?
Although we’re an established company globally, we knew we needed to expand to be able to grow our UK projects and offering.
We were based locally at Innovis for several years, but outgrew the space we had there, and eventually took the leap of faith and moved offices.
AberInnovation was on our radar when it was in its planning stages, which was when Eurion Thomas, general manager at Techion UK, went along to an open day and was subsequently involved in concept meetings. This meant we had the location in our awareness until we were ready to make the decision to grow and move premises, which we eventually did in 2021.
Why is the location important?
For us as a business, the opportunity to be able to stay local to our original UK office at Innovis was imperative especially as our core UK office team comprises eight full-time staff members, six of whom live locally and are office-based.
The work we do here in the UK at our AberInnovation base is primarily agricultural, however at Techion’s headquarters in New Zealand they are developing the Micro-I imaging device for use in other areas of testing including digital diagnostics for people and also our environment.
Why is it valuable for you to have close links to Aberystwyth University?
We already had a good working relationship with Aberystwyth University and the move to the AberInnovation tenant community is a huge plus for us as it strengthens this link.
Furthermore, we benefit from the full circle of the relationship because we work with the university in terms of growing projects and learning from others, as well as accessing their facilities in other departments, such as photonics.
So far, we have supported two PhD research projects, one of which was a thesis that validated FECPAK for fluke testing – this is one of the key projects we‘re working on now as a company. The knowledge gained from the PhD meant we could commercialise it as well as provide a research opportunity and space for the student.
We have also supported a Masters student with a project which looked into using the FECPAK kit in the companion animal market by testing it in dog faeces; again we helped this student with the technology, and they gave us useful research insights which helps us grow as a business.
We also collaborated with Aberystwyth University on an artificial intelligence-based computer engineering project to enhance the capabilities of the imaging device we use for testing faecal samples.
Is the location beneficial as an employer?
Many of our staff are Aber alumni – and we now attend the Aberystwyth University careers fair to build contacts with future alumni.
We have benefited from the ABERForward scheme at the university, which is a placement opportunity Aberystwyth students can apply for. We’ve kept people on, both long-term and part-time, through this connection.
During our last busy period (July to September), we had three of these students working part-time in our laboratory to help us, enabling the students to gain valuable hands-on experience in a lab environment.
Some of the work they can also do is cloud-based, such as marking up samples, so they can do it outside of college and pick and choose what suits them. This works well for both sides.
It’s another benefit to being local to the University – they help us and we help them gain a competitive edge, especially when it comes to graduates finding employment because they have credible work experience.
Where do you see the relationship with AberInnovation taking the business next?
The future for us as a business realistically is that we will take up a permanent lab space here, but at our current size it’s fantastic that we can pay for space during our peak season, then as and when we need it during the quieter months.
This flexibility is really unique; having access to the facilities, even though we don’t own them, means we can bid for future project work or research which is really important for us to grow as a company.
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Find out more: Techion: digital diagnostics for animals, people and our environment | Techion
Learn more about AberInnovation’s members and tenants: Virtual and Resident Members of AberInnovation | AberInnovation
