A regular look at the county's bioscience sector with industry consultant DR VAL TATE, head of Oxford-based BioValue.

Doctor Christian Rolff knows better than most that it is what he describes as a scary environment' for small healthcare businesses in the current climate.

As founder and chief executive of Milton Park-based Oxford Genome Sciences (OGS), his job is to attract investors and potential commercial partners in a highly competitive, global marketplace to support the growth of his company.

OGS specialises in the study and use of proteins to diagnose and treat illnesses.

Dr Rolff said: "Grants always seem to end up in regions with critical mass. Go to an international meeting today and you will see big healthcare clusters from India and China pushing hard.

"Healthcare companies gain a clear benefit from finding ways to interact with other organisations, both in the south east and further afield, into Europe and beyond."

Dr Rolff sits on the Board of South East Health Technologies Alliance (SEHTA), a new organisation officially launched on April 10.

SEHTA's mission is to catalyse innovation and international competitiveness of the region's small and mid-sized companies in the healthcare sector.

Dr Rolff added: "The issues faced by smaller start-ups definitely go beyond the boundaries of the local region.

"It was important to have someone like me on the board to represent the interests of smaller companies."

SEHTA, funded in part by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), will be run by its members or companies in the region.

Dr Rolff explained: "Small companies are always busy. I like to think of SEHTA as a kind of biotech Google which I can use to search for anyone in the region that I can work with to make my company a more attractive partner, either for investment or partnership.

"I have recently identified a small local company with whom we plan to deliver a new service to the pharmaceutical market.

"The south east has some of the best clinical centres and biomedical research in the world. Combining that with the academic strengths of Oxfordshire and local businesses makes a potent combination.

"SEHTA will sponsor science task forces to focus on clinical need or a new technology, enabling university researchers, NHS clinicians and businesses to explore better methods of diagnosing and treating patients and to develop business opportunities."

One science task force dedicated to acute brain injury and stroke already meets regularly and includes SEHTA members from the biotechnology, diagnostics and the medical device sectors alongside academics and hospital consultants.

SEHTA's chief executive Dr David Parry said: "This is an example of the culture we want to develop.

"You don't normally find the whole supply chain together. While they are not speaking the same language yet, we are finding ways to build constructive dialogue between stakeholders.

"Oxfordshire is very important to the South East region. We want to support Oxfordshire's healthcare cluster. Many of the planned projects will be particularly relevant to the county."

Dr Parry said companies working in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics industries which address human and animal health needs will be eligible to join SEHTA free, enabling them to drive draw on exclusive sources of finance, advice and support.

SEHTA members will also be able to access a portfolio of services including a new South East Biotechnology Financial Advisory Service (BFAS), offering free and funded expert help to SMEs preparing for investment.

Dr Parry added: "Oxfordshire will benefit economically from local companies forging links with international organisations.

"Right now, we're helping to send a number of medical device and diagnostic companies to MEDICA 2006 in Germany, the world's largest medical trade fair and congress."

Dr Parry sees local organisations like DiagnOx, which aims to improve the commercialisation of the UK's world-class diagnostics research, and the Oxfordshire Bioscience Network (OBN) as crucial to SEHTA's success.

OBN's Network Director, Dr Jon Rees, said: "I am confident SEHTA is on target to meet the sector's needs by committing to sponsor the region's first major healthcare conference in Oxfordshire in about a year's time.

"There are three pillars to healthcare diagnostics, medical devices and drugs. Building on this theme, BioTrinity will become an annual flagship conference attracting companies nationally and internationally."

DiagnOx has also attracted SEHTA funding for its dedicated laboratory at the Cherwell Innovation Centre in Upper Heyford.

Director Lisa Mynheer said: "Oxfordshire can only stand to benefit from this initiative.

"I would encourage all healthcare-related companies to become involved."