Johnson & Johnson has stepped up its collaboration efforts with plans to open four ‘innovation centres’ for life sciences in the California, Boston, London and China.
US-based J&J said it has targeted “the world’s leading innovation hotspots” with its planned locations for the hubs, which will aim to accelerate early-stage innovations and establish local partnerships.
Each centre will employ science and technology experts and have flexible deal-making capabilities that will take into consideration the technology on offer.
“It’s likely these will be a combination of different types of deal,” a J&J spokesperson told PMLiVE, adding agreements would be tailored to the specific development opportunities on offer.
However, all will focus on very early-stage development, with academia, scientists, entrepreneurs and emerging companies touted as potential partners. They will have the opportunity to work with J&J’s experts to develop innovations across the pharmaceutical, medical devices, diagnostics and consumer fields.
“The innovation centres allow us to be closer to where the innovation occurs, to access and invest in the best early-stage science and technology, and to fuel our business as well as the health of the innovation ecosystem overall,” said Paul Stoffels, managing director and worldwide chairman, pharmaceuticals, at J&J.
“Together with innovators and entrepreneurs, we can more rapidly deliver value and make a difference in the health and lives of people worldwide.”
The four centres are expected to be operational in the coming months, although a J&J spokesperson said a final decision was still to be made on where the exact location of the China and California sites would be, with both Beijing and Shanghai an option for the former, and San Diego and San Francisco choices for the latter as J&J already has operations in both cities.
J&J named the head of the London centre as Patrick Verheyen, who is currently the company’s VP of new ventures, while the California centre will be led by Diego Miralles, current managing director and site head for the West Coast Research Center of J&J subsidiary Janssen.
Verheyen said: “The innovation centres will help to deepen our relationships with the communities in key innovation hotspots and better support local entrepreneurs.
“Ultimately, they will serve to help us more quickly identify and tap into technological advancements that have the potential to benefit the health of people in the future.”