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The vision of this formal framework collaboration is to be the conduit to preclinical animal studies from Wales, UK and possibly Europe for Texas A&M’s facilities with Swansea University providing access to Human Trials facilities and human biologic material. This will provide a throughput from preclinical to human and access to the US market for companies from UK/EU and conversely for US companies to the UK/EU ( [link] ). Texas A&M’s National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing would conduct low level therapeutics development for usage in FDA/EMEA preclinical trials and then scale up for FDA/EMEA Human Trials.

Other outcomes include:

• The development of collaborative academic program MOU between UT Health Science Center and MD Anderson Cancer Research Center (Number one Cancer Research Center in the USA) for MSc NanoMedicine and Swansea University's Schools of Engineering and Medicine.
• Joint Research Program with Dr. Bert O’Malley of Baylor College of Medicine and Prof. John White&Dr. Steve Conlan on Endometrial Cancer.
• The development of a collaborative Research Center MOU with the Baylor College of Medicine NIH Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology Research. (One of nine NIH Research Centers in the USA).

A number of high profile visiting speakers were involved in the program:

• Dr . Malcolm Gillis (Former President Rice University and Chair of Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas).
• Dr. Wade Adams (Director Richard E. Smalley Institute, Rice University).
• Prof. Andrew Barron (Charles W. Duncan - Welch Chair of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, Rice University).
• Prof. Mauro Ferrari (MD Anderson Cancer Research Center and President – Alliance for NanoHealth).

All of the collaborative Research Bids have given an Induced Investment to Swansea University of ~£10 million.

Huggins and Johnson present the case that in more heavily relied on in economical deprived regions of the UK such as Wales, universities are more heavily relied upon for value generation, both intellectually and through translational discoveries. This means that initiatives such as the Texas/United Kingdom Collaborative which give regional researchers access not only to world-class expertise and facilities, but also to new markets and opportunities for creating the needed value generation. Their thesis therefore suggests that such activities should not only be merely encouraged, but actively supported to realize their wider regional benefit.

Prof. theresa fossum

Was not involved directly in Phase I or Phase II but via the Bioengineering at Texas A&M. The importance of access to facilities are a key driver in the fact of the difficulties within the UK in conducting Phase I Clinical Trials where as in Texas is quite easy. It was identified that the access to Phase II Clinical Trials was much easier in the UK; we identified an opportunity for building off one another to gain advantages for both locals, Texas for access to Patients and Human Trials in Swansea and for Swansea the Phase I animal trials. Interestingly, other colleagues of mine that are in more into the Texas/United Kingdom Collaborative have given their endorsement, Dr. Mauro Ferrari, the author of the US National Institute of Health’s; National Cancer Institute: Novel Technologies for Non-invasive Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cancer, Special Emphasis Panel (Chair); Executive Office of the President of the United States of America: Nanotechnology Research Directions: National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Technology, Interagency Working Group on Nanoscience, Engineering and Technology, President of the Alliance for Nano Health informed me that Swansea was the first international member to the Alliance and that he knows first hand that the people and facilities are putting out world class science. For Texas A&M it id the opportunity to build and increase the universities R&D and assist in the universities 3 ^rd mission of engaging in economic development. We see a great opportunity for companies in Wales, UK, and Europe to work with us through Swansea University as it gives us a complete regulatory pathway for approving medical devices and therapeutics in two of the world’s largest markets. It also is a benefit to have the capable people in place in Swansea to allow this facilitation and framework to be put in place. For us its about the People, Science, and Economic out puts, while keeping the over arching Governance flexible enough to allow room to breath on both sides of the pond, yet staying within the boundaries. Framework is the word I will choose with capable people like Theresa Fossum and Mike Pishko on our side and Jim Abbey, John White and Steve Bain on the Swansea side.