TMC Life Sciences: a new business cell filled with experience, ambition and idealism
January 1st 2018 doesn’t just mark the beginning of the new year, but the birth of TMC’s newest Business Cell as well: TMC Life Sciences. ‘As of January 1st, 20 of our Employeneurs will officially be working under the wings of Life Sciences,’ announces Marjolein Berkers, Director Incubators. ‘We’ve brought together a wonderful, enthusiastic team - a great mix of ambition and experience. Over the last few months, we’ve put a lot of energy into building up the new cell - now it’s just a matter of a few finishing touches. We can’t wait for our hard work to pay off.’
TMC Life Sciences wasn’t built from scratch: the new business cell is a transformation of TMC Chemical West (theoverarching cell of which, TMC Chemical Netherlands, continues to exist). Life Sciences focuses on regional growth around the area of Utrecht and the Randstad in the Biotech, Pharmaceutical and Food industries. ‘The Employeneurs come from all kinds of backgrounds,’ Marjolein says. ‘In Bioprocess Engineering, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Clinical Sciences - to name just a few.’ They work in development, research and transfer clinical trials to production. From the development of new vaccines to product formulation in food, Life Sciences’ Employeneurs work on a broad variety of cutting-edge projects.
Growing demand for experts in Life Sciences
‘Over the last few years,’ Marjolein explains, ‘these activities took place within TMC Chemical. Gradually, we noticed that our clients were looking for a new kind of profile, with a specific combination of key competencies. We also saw that schools and universities were offering new programs, closely related to Biochemical fields, but branching off in a slightly different direction. We decided to kill two birds with one stone: by forming a new business cell, we would be able to answer the new need in the market and we could offer the new university graduates a great place to start their careers.’
Kathryn Sisson, Life Sciences’ new Cell Director, also noticed the growing demand for experts in Life Sciences. ‘With the birth of the new business cell, our Employeneurs will be able to fully devote their attention to their preferred field - and it will be easier for them to help one another. The Life Scientists used to be spread out over different cells. Now, they will be working together much more closely, which gives them the opportunity to truly benefit from each other’s expertise and networks.’
Strong drive to actually make a difference in society
A few key questions remain: what exactly does Life Sciences entail? And which characteristics best describe a Life Sciences Employeneur? ‘Most importantly, Life Sciences is focused on living matter. Chemical research is often dedicated to materials - for example, to the most efficient composition of a specific kind of plastic. Life Sciences Employeneurs, however, focus on people, on animals, on viruses, on cells - on any kind of organism. This requires a whole different set of rules and guidelines, a different way of working and a different way of thinking too.’
As for the second question: ‘Often, Life Scientists are idealists,’ Kathryn says. ‘They have a strong drive to actually make a difference in society. Of course, the way they put their goals into practice differs wildly: one Employeneur might look for new ways to diagnose a certain type of cancer at an earlier stage, while another might research ways in which a lab can function more sustainably. As different as our Employeneurs are, most of them are driven by a desire to make a difference, both inside and outside of their field - and from January 1st onwards, they will be fully able to commit themselves to their goals.’