CONRAD ENERGY ACQUIRES TGG SOLUTIONS

Conrad Energy, the Abingdon-based portfolio company of investment manager I Squared Capital and an independent power producer focused on flexible power generation, battery storage and energy management services, has bought leading software provider in the flexible power generation market, TGG Solutions.

TGG is one of Conrad Energy’s major software providers that specialises in solutions for the management of flexible power assets in a dynamic energy environment.

Its flagship product, iON, has already been deployed across the Conrad Energy portfolio of power and battery storage assets.

It is the main Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that links Conrad Energy’s commercial desk to the sites that it manages, by communicating in real-time with all the assets.

The product will be combined with Conrad Energy’s in-house algorithmic trading and asset management capabilities.

Conrad Energy is the UK’s largest flexible power producer with over 600MW of generation across 45 sites, and over 200MWh of battery storage in construction to add to their existing 40MWh storage site.

Conrad Energy works with commercial clients to maximise the potential of on-site generation and energy import arrangements.

Native Antigen Company moves into new home at Oxford Technology Park

The construction of a purpose-built research and manufacturing facility, which will be a vital hub for one of the world’s leading suppliers of reagents enabling research into diagnostics and vaccines for emerging and endemic infectious diseases, has been completed at Oxford Technology Park.

The new 49,000 sq ft two-storey building has been let to The Native Antigen Company, on a 10-year lease.

The Native Antigen Company is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality reagents for infectious diseases. Its portfolio of antigens and antibodies provides customers with the critical components needed to build in vitro diagnostic tests, support vaccine development, and further academic research.

The company was awarded ‘Best COVID-19 Responder at the 2020 OBN Awards’, for their efforts in supporting the research and development of diagnostics and vaccines for COVID-19.

OBN (UK) Ltd is a membership organisation that supports the UK life sciences industry, Nick Roesen, COO of The Native Antigen Company, said: “The new facility provides us with the perfect opportunity to expand our operations, following the acquisition of The Native Antigen Company in July 2020 by LGC.

“The building has been designed to meet our exact specifications, which will enable us to work more efficiently and effectively. We are also excited about being part of a new science and technology community at Oxford Technology Park.”

Angus Bates, owner and developer of Oxford Technology Park, said: “We are thrilled to be working with The Native Antigen Company and looking forward to growing the science and technology community around them.”

Nano fibre skin substitute technology could treat chronic wounds cost effectively

A Bicester company which has developed an advanced but low-cost nano fibre skin substitute technology to treat chronic wounds, is seeking angel investment to continue development.

Partners in Global Wound Care (PGWC), which has previously also won Innovate UK funding, aims to improve global equity and access in healthcare by providing economically accessible and practical solutions to universal needs.

Globally, approximately 116 million people suffer from chronic wounds with the healing process often impeded by multiple factors including diabetes, poor circulation and infection, says the company. Growth in this patient population is driven by increasing rates of diabetes, obesity and circulatory diseases and the vast majority of patients outside the US do not have access to the most effective treatments due to cost and lack of accessiblity.

PGWC says its nano-X is a revolutionary skin substitute technology for chronic wounds. Its developers say it is lowcost and manufacturable at scale, antimicrobial and practical in nonhospital settings. It is also easy to store and transport, avoiding the need for low-temperature storage.

PGWC says it is not attempting to gain market share through competing with existing technologies. It plans to create an entirely new market segment with a product developed specifically to address the issue of accessibility of advanced wound care at a fraction of the cost of existing products.

Last year the company, which has two patents with further IP protection through patents pending and trade secret proprietary manufacturing methodology, won a prestigious Eureka Eurostars grant.