UKs ANGLE Technology to develop first bioinformatics incubator in Fairfax County, Virginia

ANGLE Technology, developer of several incubators in the UK and elsewhere, has been chosen by Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to set one up in Virginia.

UK-based ANGLE Technology has been chosen by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority in northern Virginia, USA to design and run that regions first incubator that targets a segment of the biotechnology industry.

ANGLE Technology has offices across the U.K. in Guildford, Manchester, Aberdeen and Glasgow, and its U.S. headquarters is in Herndon, Virginia. ANGLE Technology is one of 35 UK- headquartered technology companies to have chosen Fairfax County, technology centre of the Washington, D.C. region and the U.S. east coast.

The 8,500-square foot incubator plans to open in early 2002 and will accelerate the growth of start-up companies involved in bioinformatics, a field in which computer hardware and software is used to further the study of biotechnology issues such as the human genome and development of new drugs and other biotechnology products.

The centre will be a catalyst for growth of the bioinformatics and biotechnology industry in Fairfax County and northern Virginia, create a new employment base for the local community, and further diversify the Fairfax County economic base, said Gerald L. Gordon, President and CEO of the FCEDA.

I see bioinformatics in the Fairfax County of 2010 to be the same economic force that telecommunications and the Internet have been for the last decade, and the incubator will be central to that vision," Gordon said. ANGLE Technology is a leader in this type of programme management and will be a tremendous asset to this effort."

ANGLE, which has worked widely with a number of British Government departments and the European Commission, will operate the incubator, select companies for the centre and design a work programme for them. The incubator will cost about UK1 million (US$1.5 million) to run over three years and be able to hold from six to 10 companies at a time.

We are delighted to be working with Fairfax County," said Dr Gary P. Evans, U.S. CEO of ANGLE Technology. Fairfax is uniquely positioned to exploit a range of inherent advantages, including the world-class information technology and telecommunications capabilities of its companies, which can provide a platform for the bioinformatics industry; proximity to federal agencies involved in biotechnology and life sciences, and higher-education resources. We believe that the incubator can serve as a focal point for the growth of bioinformatics in Fairfax County."

Ends                                                October 30, 2001

CONTACTS:
                     
Dawson Buck
ANGLE Technology Ltd   
Chief Operating Officer                              
db@angletechnology.com
Office 01483 295830
Mobile 07836777779

Alan Fogg
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org,
00 1 703-790-0600                                            

David Wallen/Ross Clarke
LIVEpr
020 7630 1100
Fairfax@livepr.net

About ANGLE Technology Ltd
Established in 1994, ANGLE Technology (www.angletechnology.com) is a venture management and commercialisation firm with strengths in biotechnology, information technology, environmental and materials sciences and telecommunications. ANGLE develops and manages research parks, accelerators and incubators; creates, manages and finances technology-based companies; and collaborates with companies, universities and government institutes to create companies based on protected intellectual property. ANGLE is based in Guildford, Surrey.

About the FCEDA
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology centre. Domestic and international marketing staffs work with US and foreign companies interested in establishing and expanding operations. A market research and real estate division help clients learn more about property and business opportunities. The FCEDA runs a capital attraction programme to link entrepreneurs and start-up firms with financing sources. Another programme assists small, minority- and women-owned businesses. The FCEDA has marketing offices in London, Frankfurt and Tokyo. It also established an incubator for information technology start-up firms.