EESCN hosted a meeting for six of India's leading regenerative medicine companies on March 16.  The visitors not only learnt about the Eastern region's world class strengths in stem cell science and regenerative medicine, but its ability to foster international research collaborations and to sustain new businesses.

EESCN aims to foster a world-leading regenerative medicine technology cluster in the East of England.

Director Julian Hitchcock said, "Stem cell science and regenerative medicine offer significant opportunities to increase not only health, but wealth and employment.

"The East of England is in a particularly strong position, because it is already the strongest region for stem cell sciences and regenerative medicine outside the United States (which is one reason why Pfizer Regenerative Medicine opened the pharma world's first dedicated site here). However, to succeed there has to be an openness, not only to the excellent work being undertaken in other centres around the UK, but to that being conducted overseas. Collaboration is very definitely the way forward in such a complex and challenging field. We're therefore delighted to welcome these six Indian stem cell companies to Cambridge."

EESCN gratefully acknowledges the support of its event sponsors, East of England International, UK Trade & Investment (which coordinated the overall mission) and Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP.