Case study: Birmingham Dental & Biomaterial Testing Services

The duo have worked together for six years and share an interest in developing and testing new dental materials. As academics, they are often called upon to independently investigate and test newly commercialised materials and technologies.  

However, because the industry relies on quick turnarounds for a competitive edge, "companies are put off by university bureaucracy, and the time it can take to generate contracts,” Palin explains. "This is one of the big positives of the Operating Division.”

Called Birmingham Dental & Biomaterial Testing Services, or BiMaTS, the service mitigates the long waiting times, and can generate and agree contacts within a matter of days. Working with Enterprise directly, template contracts are generated which can then be amended by either party to speed up the process significantly.

BiMaTs provides testing services and expertise for dental and biomaterials companies, covering a range of areas across dentistry, materials, including quality control and innovation. Support from Enterprise has been essential in allowing them to expand their services commercially whilst maintaining their primary roles. “We are both academics” says Camilleri. “Although we dedicate time to the industry, we still want to continue to innovate”.

The Operating Division manages their finances to support them in straddling academic work and industry engagement. “It was one of the prime motivations for starting the company” highlights, Camilleri, with Palin noting “the service from Enterprise has been excellent, they’re always on hand and fully supportive”.