Our Message for you:

• University / Institution Leaders
• Academics / Researchers
• 'Commercialisation Office' staff
• Executive Roles available in 'Spin out' companies
• Professional Services Providers
• Investors

Jobs@SV

About Us

The founders of Science Ventures (UK) Ltd learned a few things and enjoyed notable successes during four years of putting together transparent and sensible university policies; and then successfully implementing the new 'Commercialisation' approach at the University of Glasgow. Pioneering Scotland's 'Proof of Concept' fund in February 1999 (currently £33m) was also a key breakthrough during that period.

Coupled with an earlier period within Scotland's main economic development agency implementing a national 'Commercialisation Initiative' a powerful blend of experience has been brought together. Experience that ensures that each time it makes sense to do so that brilliant research is professionally managed into brilliant economic effect - both regionally and globally.

"Where suitable and always under strict confidentiality the Science Ventures process enjoys the additional input of internationally renowned experts within the Science Ventures ''Commercial and Scientific Advisory Group.' The Group includes scientific Nobel Prize winners and leading Economists."

The Founders:

Billy Harkin is a technology entrepreneur with a mechanical engineering background. He is an alumnist of the University of Glasgow. He has twentyyears international experience in building both his own businesses and businesses for others. Billy has a particular interest in the management of research-institution based technology and of the dynamics involved in the powerful effect in driving local and global economic development.
To this end Billy committed a period in Scotland's national economic development agency 'Scottish Enterprise' within an initiative ('Commercialisation Enquiry') to lift the country's university-based technology transfer activities; including widely reviewing international best practice.
This key Initiative brought together university leaders, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and public agencies in Scotland in a determination to galavanise the required elements for launching top quality technology companies and licence deals.
Billy then moved on to his old university the University of Glasgow to test if his strategies could really be implemented in practice. In December 1997 he created the new position of 'Strategic Business Development Manager' at the University's then 12-week old 'Research & Enterprise' office.
During a four-year period, he changed the policies, assembled and led a new Commercialisation Team and drove the university technologies to optimum commercial effect. As part of the plan in February s1999, Billy conceptualised, proposed and won 'Proof of Concept Fund' (POC) support for accelerating university commercialisation.. This £33m grant from the Scottish Parliament, delivered by Scottish Enterprise, has already funded 80 projects from Scottish universities to date.
During the period at Glasgow Billy and his team steered a wide variety of technologies through the generation and development of intellectual-property-rights phases all the way through rapid product development and into full market exploitation. The full gamut of commercial vehicles were brought into play including licensing deals with existing SME's and Multi-Nationals, the creation of new Start-ups and the setting up of joint-venture companies, to suit each particular project.
The first technology project managed at Glasgow became 'Kymata Ltd' which over a 3 year journey from launch grew to 500 staff and a billion dollar value before finally being sold to the Alcatel Corporation for €134 m. Other spin out companies and licence deals followed in all sectoral areas.
Driven by industry demand and a personal determination to roll the commercialisation process out more broadly 'Science Ventures' was created in December 2001 to offer the winning approach to universities and research institutes generally.
Billy serves as a CEO and founder of the company.

Moe Thuzar
Business Development Director

Whilst technology transfer has been her specialism for the past 5 years Dr Thuzar has enjoyed a mixed and unorthodox background. Originally qualified and practiced as a medical doctor she then followed an academic career in postgraduate study training in the specialism of ophthalmology.
Moe next drove her career towards a commercial role and obtained her MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School in 1997. Since moving into the business arena she has focused on Technology Transfer, including managing university-based projects for 'Scottish Enterprise' (the Government-funded economic development agency in Scotland) and also projects for a number of SMEs seeking the professional assessment and development of intellectual property assets and/or strategic planning towards international marketing of new products.


In 1998 Moe joined the 'Research & Enterprise' (Commercialisation) office of the University of Glasgow where she took responsibility for the business development, ipr-management (including licensing and the negotiation of industrial and government contracts) for a range of projects.
Moe also concluded technology transfer deals that led to the creation of the spin out company 'Audiomedix Ltd' in which the University now holds an equity stake.
Moe has practical business development experience combined with a sound knowledge of the commercialisation process and its drivers.
As a founder Moe has contributed much strategic thinking and energy into the creation and launch of Science Ventures (UK) and joined as the company's Business Development Director in December 2001.

Gordon Macmillan
Operations Director

Gordon is a Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in product design and manufacturing management across a wide range of industry sectors including automotive, defense and electronics.
Primarily a professional Product Design Engineer Gordon has also achieved qualifications in Management and Business from Cranfield Institute of Technology and also Industrial Design qualifications from the Glasgow School of Art.
During his career he has achieved Senior Executive roles in a large number of worldwide projects with major multinational OEM's - including 'Greenfield site' start-ups through to full manufacturing process re-engineering.
Gordon has implemented ISO 9001 programmes across a multinational corporation, held world-wide responsibility for commodity procurement with $billion spend, and served as controller of high volume manufacturing operations generating revenues in excess of $500 million per year.
In the field of economic development he has pioneered the creation of a series of high technology "centres of excellence" providing unique R&D and educational support to the electronics industry in Scotland. Particular success has been achieved in the development of Scotland's semiconductor sector, being directly involved in a number of high profile inward investments from the USA, Asia and Europe.
Gordon joined the Research & Enterprise team at the University of Glasgow in August 1998 where he remained until June 2002. Focused on project-management and business development he has an impressive track record of creating and launching a range of unique and highly successful start-up of companies in the high technology areas of opto-electronics and bio-infomatics.
Gordon as a co-founder joined Science Ventures as the company's Operation Director in August 2002.

The Team:

Elwood Vogt
Life Sciences Director

Elwood was born and grew up in Houston, Texas, USA. He earned Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Rice University in Houston, as well as a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.

Before joining Science Ventures, Elwood was General Manager of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation's subsidiary in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, for nearly 9 years, taking the facility to 75 staff and almost £10m of annual sales, before he was promoted to the post of Vice President for Biotechnology Manufacturing, based in the USA.

Until his promotion by Sigma-Aldrich, Elwood served as a Director for the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and as Chairman of its Scottish Committee. Prior to merger with the BIA in early 2001, he led the Scottish Bionetwork Association (SBA) as its Board Chairman for more than 2½ years. He is also presently a Director of the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Elwood has more than 20 years of proven international operations, marketing, and sales experience, the last 10 years of which have been in the life sciences industry. His qualifications include transferable business and managerial skills, with particular strengths in devising and executing a strategic vision, analysis and problem solving, building a strong and committed management team, and training and developing personnel so they can maximise their own potential, as well as lengthy experience successfully working in multi-cultural environments.

Wishing to play a key role in the creation of new technology companies and the licensing of technologies to existing companies, Elwood joined Science Ventures in November 2002 to lead the Company's Life Sciences team UK-wide.