What Medical Technologies Innovation Facility does

Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) is a private research technology organisation (MTIF Ltd.) operating within Nottingham Trent University, providing facilities, equipment and multidisciplinary expertise to translate medical technology concepts toward commercialisation. Established in 2020, MTIF operates two UK sites — the 2,265m² MTIF Innovation Centre on NTU's Clifton Campus (featuring Containment Level 2 labs, GMP C/ISO Class 6 cleanrooms, an MRI scanner, flow cytometry, and the iSMART Bioactive Surfaces Lab housing the BioXP 3250 DNA/mRNA printer) and the MTIF Development Centre at the Boots Enterprise Zone in Beeston — collectively offering access to over £5 million of specialised equipment including the Hamamatsu FDSS/μCELL kinetic plate reader, Miltenyi Biotec CliniMACS Prodigy cell processing system, Bioquell aseptic isolators, and Oxford Nanopore genomic sequencers.

Its service portfolio spans the John Van Geest Cancer Research Centre, clinical research and trial management, drug development and discovery, bespoke testing and analysis, process development for cell/gene therapy, genomics (proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipid omics, epigenomics), microbiology, imaging (electron, visible light, scanned probe, MRI), and a specialised smart medical textiles and wearables programme. Revenue is generated through equipment and facility hire on flexible lease terms, bespoke contract research and consultancy, UKRI Innovate UK RTO proof-of-concept grants (up to £15,000 per project), and management of large collaborative programmes such as the £2.5M UKRI EPSRC EMERGE RehabTech project. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via a commercial team led by Commercial Director Michael Ward, supported by academic-industry networks, ABHI partnership (Nottingham is one of five ABHI partner cities), industry events with partners such as Catapult Cell and Gene Therapy, and direct enquiry conversion into tailored research packages for MedTech SMEs, pharmaceutical/biotech firms, NHS Trusts, and academic researchers.

Name

Medical Technologies Innovation Facility

Legal name

MTIF Ltd.

Website

https://mtif.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) is a UK research technology organisation within Nottingham Trent University that provides MedTech SMEs, NHS Trusts, and academic clients with access to £5M+ of specialised equipment, cleanroom and Containment Level 2 laboratories, and multidisciplinary contract research across cancer, cell/gene therapy, genomics, microbiology, imaging, and smart medical textiles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Research and Medical Technology Facilities

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO (HLAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Quality Assurance (GCP QA, TMF/QMS oversight) (HLAGAKAI), Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)

Keywords

• Medical technology research
• Contract research services
• Medical device development
• Cell therapy manufacturing
• Clinical research facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Equipment and Facility Hire: Clients lease equipment and laboratory spaces including CliniMACS Prodigy, flow cytometers, BioXP DNA printer, and cleanroom facilities. Revenue generated through hourly/daily/weekly hire agreements with flexible terms.
2. Contract Research Services: Bespoke research and consultancy services spanning clinical research, drug development, microbiology testing, genomics analysis, and imaging services. Revenue from project-based contracts with academic and industry clients.
3. UKRI RTO Grants: MTIF benefits from Research Technology Organisation status with access to Innovate UK grants of up to £15,000 for proof of concept work for SMEs. Over £250,000 in grants distributed to companies.
4. EMERGE Project Funding: MTIF serves as central research institution for the East Midlands Emerging RehabTech Growth Enterprise project, a £2.5 million UKRI EPSRC investment connecting MedTech SMEs with research infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MTIF is a medical technologies research facility providing specialised laboratory infrastructure, equipment hire, and multidisciplinary research services to support medical technology development from concept through to commercialisation. The organisation offers contract research and consultancy across clinical trials, drug development, microbiology, genomics, cell therapy processing, and medical device imaging, hosting clients on-site at its 2,265m² Innovation Centre and Development Centre facilities in Nottingham. As a UKRI Research Technology Organisation (RTO), MTIF also administers Innovate UK proof-of-concept grants of up to £15,000 to MedTech SMEs.

Product overview

MTIF is a research facility offering a comprehensive portfolio of medical technology services and facilities, not a unified software product. The core offering comprises specialized research services organized across multiple domains: the John Van Geest Cancer Research Centre for cancer research; Clinical Research Services for trial management; Drug Development and Discovery featuring Hamamatsu FDSS/μCELL high-throughput screening; Bespoke Testing and Analysis for customized laboratory work; Process Development Suite with cell processing equipment (CliniMACS, flow cytometry); Genomics Research with Oxford Nanopore sequencing; Microbiology Research in Containment Level 2 facilities; and Imaging Services including MRI and electron microscopy. The Innovation Centre (2,265m² at NTU Clifton Campus) and Development Centre (at Boots Enterprise Zone) provide the physical infrastructure. Smart Medical Textiles and Wearable Technologies represent a specialized research focus area. RTO Grants provide proof-of-concept funding up to £15,000. The EMERGE RehabTech Project is a collaborative regional initiative. The facilities span from initial concept through to GMP-ready development, offering both equipment access and expert consultancy services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• John Van Geest Cancer Research Centre Purpose-built cancer research facility focusing on diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, offering services in cancer cell signalling, OMICS technologies, brain tumour research, non-coding RNAs, cancer vaccines, and genomics-guided immunotherapy.
• Clinical Research Services Comprehensive clinical research capabilities encompassing clinical trial management, regulatory compliance, patient and clinician access through NHS partnerships, and advanced imaging and diagnostics for medical technology development.
• Drug Development and Discovery Comprehensive drug development services including partnership with Hamamatsu FDSS/μCELL for high-throughput kinetic screening, Containment Level 2 labs certified by Human Tissue Authority, and DNA/RNA printing capabilities.
• Bespoke Testing and Analysis Services Tailored research solutions spanning advanced genomics, tissue culture, flow cytometry, electron microscopy, DNA/RNA printing, and chemical or material property testing delivered in an integrated facility.
• MTIF Innovation Centre 2,265m² facility at Nottingham Trent University's Clifton Campus featuring multiple laboratories, clean rooms (GMP C/ISO Class 6), and collaborative spaces across two floors for medical technology research and development.
• MTIF Development Centre Single-storey building at Boots Enterprise Zone providing long-term rentable laboratory and cleanroom spaces for commercial tenants, located two miles from the Innovation Centre.
• Process Development Suite Comprehensive cell processing capabilities including CliniMACS Prodigy, AutoMACS Pro Separator, MACSQuant Analyzer 16 flow cytometer with 16 fluorescence channels, and CliniMACS Electroporator for CAR-T and regenerative medicine manufacturing.
• Smart Medical Textiles and Wearable Technologies Development of smart medical textiles integrating wearable technologies into healthcare solutions, including wearable respiratory sensors, smart mattresses, intelligent wound dressings, and textile-based systems for cancer monitoring and lymphedema management.
• Genomics Research Services Full-spectrum genomic sciences including proteomics, transcriptomics, pharmacogenomics, metabolomics, lipid omics, and epigenomics, supported by Oxford Nanopore instruments (GridION, MinION) capable of sequencing up to 1,000 samples daily.
• Microbiology Research Services Comprehensive microbiology services including antiviral and antibacterial assays, standardised biofilm testing, cytotoxicity and immunological assays, genomic analysis, and bespoke method development in Containment Level 2 certified facilities.
• Imaging Services Integrated imaging suite offering electron microscopy, visible light microscopy, scanned probe microscopy, and MRI scanning for detailed medical device testing and analysis during prototyping.
• Research Technology Organisation (RTO) Grants Proof of concept funding service benefiting from Innovate UK grants of up to £15,000 for small and medium enterprises, with over £250,000 worth of funding provided to UK companies.
• Bioquell Aseptic Qube Isolator Service Bioquell Qube M-4 Aseptic Isolator with hydrogen peroxide vapor technology providing GMP grade A environment for sterility testing, gene and cell therapy work, small batch production, and cytotoxic drug preparation at MTIF's cleanroom facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Flexible textile-based capacitive respiratory sensor achieves 98.68% accuracy compared to manual breath counting
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• University of SouthamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on wearable sensor research including School of Electronics and Computer Science partnership. Joint work on respiratory monitoring sensors achieving 99.39% accuracy.
• University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration for wearable sensor validation and respiratory monitoring research. Provided clinical expertise and patient access for sensor testing.
• KymiracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner on stretchable electronics research resulting in patented 3D helical strip design for medical wearables. Collaboration on smart medical textiles for healthcare applications.
• University of NottinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led the EMERGE project alongside NTU, with both universities working together on rehabilitation technology innovation.
• Loughborough UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in EMERGE project consortium focused on establishing East Midlands as RehabTech Valley.
• University of DerbymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university in EMERGE project consortium supporting rehabilitation technology development.
• Medilink MidlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for clinical trials support and MedTech industry connections in the Midlands region.
• Miltenyi BioteccoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partnership providing CliniMACS Prodigy, AutoMACS Pro Separator, MACSQuant Analyzer, and MACSQuant Analyzer 16. MTIF researchers received specialized training at Miltenyi facilities.
• Normax Biomed LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership enabling access to BioXP 3250 system from Telesis Bio at MTIF Innovation Centre. Normax provides prototypes, laboratory testing, regulatory filing support, and clinical trial assistance.
• HamamatsucoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership providing access to FDSS/μCELL kinetic plate reader. MTIF is one of few research institutions offering public access to this equipment.
• Blue Zone ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBSRC-funded consortium bringing researchers together for healthy ageing solutions. MTIF Fellow Dr Samantha McLean serves as Director.
• Catapult Cell and Gene TherapycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Cell and Gene Therapy Discovery Events to showcase capabilities and advance the cell and gene therapy sector. Partnership connects MTIF with CGT Catapult's industry network.
• Electra Polymers LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner for smart textile sleeve project developing electrical stimulation garment for lymphoedema treatment.
• Haddenham Healthcare LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner for lymphoedema smart textile sleeve project providing healthcare product expertise.
• medi GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner for lymphoedema smart textile sleeve project providing compression and medical device expertise.
• Anthony NolanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cell and Gene Therapy Discovery Event showcasing ATMP development capabilities.
• University of SheffieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Cell and Gene Therapy Discovery Event and lateral flow brain tumour test development.
• MetalloBio LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst grant for understanding mechanism of action of ruthenium-based antimicrobial compounds.
• Association of British Healthtech Industries (ABHI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership making Nottingham one of only five ABHI partner cities in England. MTIF provides university facilities and supports ABHI's national policy work and international engagement.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lonza: Global CDMO dominating cell and gene therapy manufacturing at scale. Significantly larger and broader than MTIF but directly comparable on cell therapy process development and GMP manufacturing services, representing the consolidator endpoint for MTIF's current niche.
• Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG): University of Warwick research and technology group providing advanced manufacturing, materials, and medical technology R&D services. Operates an analogous UK university-affiliated RTO model with strong equipment-facility access and industry collaboration footprint.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO/CDMO providing preclinical, discovery, and manufacturing services across the drug development lifecycle. Comparable on contract research, lab services, and cell therapy support, though at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic reach than MTIF.
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC): UK Catapult-affiliated RTO providing advanced manufacturing R&D, process development, and contract research services. While broader in scope beyond MedTech, the operating model — public funding, SME access, fee-for-service project work — closely mirrors MTIF.

Direct peers

• CPI (Centre for Process Innovation): UK-based Catapult-style RTO providing contract R&D, process development and scale-up services across life sciences and industrial biotech. Operates an almost identical business model to MTIF: publicly funded facilities, equipment access, and fee-for-service research for SMEs and large pharma.
• Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult: UK cell and gene therapy accelerator explicitly partnered with MTIF (joint Discovery Events). Both serve as central UK infrastructure for CGT process development, manufacturing capability building, and SME ecosystem support, with overlapping academic and industry client bases.
• Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst: UK life sciences incubator providing lab facilities, equipment access, and innovation support to early-stage MedTech and biotech companies. Operates a similar SME incubation / co-location model to MTIF's Development Centre at Boots Enterprise Zone.
• Sygnature Discovery: UK-headquartered CRO providing drug discovery and contract research services. Overlaps with MTIF in medicinal chemistry, biology services, and DMPK capabilities; together they define the UK contract life sciences services landscape supporting SMEs and pharma.
• RoslinCT: Scottish cell therapy CDMO providing process development and GMP cell therapy manufacturing services. Direct competitor to MTIF's CliniMACS Prodigy-based cell therapy and CAR-T process development offering, with overlapping CGT sponsor customers in the UK and EU.

Regional players

• BioCity Nottingham: Nottingham-based life sciences business incubator providing office and lab space to early-stage MedTech and biotech companies. Co-located with MTIF in the East Midlands life sciences cluster and competes for similar SME tenants, though does not offer fee-for-service research or CDMO capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtif_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mtif
• Instagraminstagram.com/mtif_medtech

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medical Technologies Innovation Facility