Norwich Research Park welcomes new tenant set to revolutionise the cosmetics industry with cosmeceuticals free from animal cruelty
Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation at Norwich Research Park, has announced that it has a new tenant moving into laboratory and office space in the Centrum building on campus to set up its global R&D centre.
UK company Vita Hydrokultur Group Ltd (VHK) is set to transform the way that the cosmetics, pharma and biotech industries source their proteins by harnessing the power of plants. Using cutting-edge technology, it is helping companies shift away from sourcing their proteins from animals (including fish by-products) and removing the need for synthetically created proteins.
One of its key markets is the cosmetics industry where its plant-based ingredients will help companies shift from manufacturing cosmetics to what are known as cosmeceuticals.
There is a huge potential market for VHK; the global ‘clean beauty’ market is already worth $22bn. Having first-mover advantage combined with significant barriers to entry for other companies, VHK is in a very strong position to take a large early market share
Changing consumer and manufacturing demands are forcing the cosmetics industry to move away from traditionally sourced ingredients as consumers increasingly look for ethically manufactured products. Cosmeceuticals are seen as the answer.
Cosmeceuticals are different to traditional cosmetics. They contain active ingredients that penetrate the skin and aim to positively impact skin cell function, potentially offering results like anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle and firming effects.
VHK’s next-generation cosmeceutical ingredients are designed to mimic the body’s own signalling molecules: proteins, peptides, enzymes and growth factors. As well as hydrating and soothing, these ingredients also trigger biological responses like collagen production, cellular regeneration and barrier repair. They help the body do what it does naturally, better.
Not only do its plant-derived proteins solve the negative ethical and sustainability consequences of sourcing from animals, fish and synthetically produced versions, but it also offers customers quality and consistency, free from the risk of disease transmission and unwanted immune responses.
The VHK team has significant experience in developing and operating indoor farming operations including both vertical farms and high-tech greenhouses, operating and developing some of the largest in Europe. Whilst Norwich will be its innovation headquarters its vertical farm manufacturing plant will be located in Sweden where renewable energy costs are extremely low. VHK is currently looking to raise £8m to fund the R&D centre and manufacturing plant.
Gary Thorneycroft, CEO, Vita Hydrokultur, said, “Norwich Research Park really does offer us exactly what we need to establish our R&D centre. Its reputation both as a centre for excellence in translational science and the supportive ecosystem it has built for companies like ours makes it a ‘no-brainer’ decision to base ourselves here. We were impressed from the moment we first visited and the Anglia Innovations Partnership team have been hugely helpful in setting things up for us. Having our R&D centre at Norwich Research Park gives our business credibility with investors and
confidence that we will be able to achieve our ambitions in building a proposition that will favourably change the very nature of how cosmetics are made.”
Roz Bird, CEO of Anglia Innovation Partnership, said, “We are delighted to welcome Vita Hydrokultur as a new tenant and are very pleased that they have chosen Norwich Research Park as the best place to locate their R&D centre. Their contacts with the John Innes Centre and access to affordable, top class facilities made it a natural choice for the team. It’s another great example of the excellence in BioTransitions that we are building here where we move away from unsustainable sources such as petro-chemicals and synthetically created ingredients towards plant-based solutions. We wish Vita Hydrokultur the best of luck as they develop their business and anticipate them becoming a key member of our campus enterprise community.”