The Nexxus Bioscience Club has its inaugural meeting at the Glasgow Science Centre today, 3 December 2003.

The Nexxus Bioscience Club is an initiative set to build the West of Scotland bioscience community from the grassroots level, focusing on our managers of tomorrow - our young scientists.

120 young scientists from across all aspects of the bioscience community in the West of Scotland will discover the benefits of networking, and learn more about the bioscience industry in the West of Scotland. This interaction will help their company, research institute or university to be better connected with potential research partners on their doorstep.

The Nexxus Bioscience Club provides the opportunity for postdoctoral and PhD researchers in academia, the NHS and young scientists in industry, to interact in a social setting. There will be three events each year, each focusing on issues of interest to young scientists. The inaugural event on December 3rd includes a taster session by Voice Business on 'Productive Networking'.

Voice Business has developed innovative networking training, addressing the question of why so many people in organisations find networking 'daunting'. In this taster session individuals will explore a range of dynamic techniques designed to enable them to become effective, confident, and perhaps more importantly, productive networkers.

Gillian Cay, Manager of Nexxus, said: "We are inviting young scientists to come and meet their peers from across all aspects of the bioscience community in the West of Scotland, people they would normally not have the opportunity to meet. The West of Scotland has a thriving bioscience research and company base, one of the largest in Europe, but few people know much about it! Its very size creates a real need for a network that can help people working in the West of Scotland to build connections with each other, creating new opportunities and synergies."

Kevin Cullen, Director of Research and Enterprise, University of Glasgow, said "The Nexxus Bioscience Club will help PhD and post doctoral researchers in academia to be more commercially aware, and to build links with the local bioscience community. This interaction will increase their job prospects and help academic research groups to find research partners from the local bioscience cluster."

Nexxus, launched on 24 September 2003, provides a means of connection (a "nexus") across all elements of the bioscience community in the West of Scotland; facilitating communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration between organisations involved in bioscience related activities. Nexxus also aims to raise the profile of bioscience in Scotland by promoting and celebrating local success and talent.

Nexxus is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Scottish Enterprise Network, Glasgow City Council and the University of Glasgow.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

Gillian Cay, Nexxus Manager will be available for comment between 4.30-5.30pm at the Glasgow Science Centre on Wednesday 3 December.

If you would like to attend the inaugural meeting of the Nexxus Bioscience Club at the Glasgow Science Centre, please inform the Nexxus Office by Wednesday 3 December at 12 noon on 0141 330 5381 or info@nexxusscotland.com.

First published: 3 December 2003