Biotech community built on shared Autonomy

Liverpool’s MerseyBIO has developed a web-based information community for its members in the biotechnology business. Esymbio is the online heart of the MerseyBio, the business incubator service for biotechnology entrepreneurs, and utilises Autonomy and OpenText technology.

Working with the University of Liverpool and local development agencies, MerseyBIO promotes biotechnology development. “This environment supports the members with information on patents and raising finance,” said Dr Geoff Wainwright, MerseyBIO manager. From its headquarters on the University of Liverpool campus, MerseyBIO created the esymbio network for the 12 business members.

Competition between business incubators to attract biotechnology entrepreneurs is fierce. Dr Wainwright believes esymbio will attract scientists to Merseyside: “It’s our unique selling point.”

Registered members can share knowledge with other members of MerseyBIO through the esymbio repositories on scientific research, business development, R &D, manufacturing and grant applications.

Autonomy was selected as the pattern-matching and search technology, which enables esymbio to learn the needs of the members. “There is some initial manual profiling and then Autonomy takes over and learns about the user,” said Dr Wainwright.

Esymbio was developed using the Autonomy IDOL platform and OpenText enterprise content management applications. “Information in this sector is generated at a phenomenal rate. Members tell esymbio what content sources they use and these are spidered for use by the wider community.”

At present, no subscriber content sources are connected to esymbio. Users create and share content via the OpenText application, which enables each member to create workspaces for members. “All members of the community are able to submit content, peer-review it and chose between keeping it private or making it searchable.”

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