Curious case of the scientist looking for government support

BELFAST BRIEFING:A proven high-tech entrepreneur appears unlikely to get state backing for next project

IMAGINE THIS scenario – an award-winning scientist who helped create a multimillion-pound Northern Ireland business that employs nearly 300 people knocks at the door of a government agency.

He has an ambitious plan to establish another start-up venture that could create a significant number of high-tech jobs. What he would like is a little assistance from this government agency whose remit is to help grow the Northern Ireland economy.

He has committed quite a sizeable amount of his own money to the business and he has also got a number of investors on board.

Just remember this is an entrepreneur with an established track record. So you might imagine the response from a certain government agency, for example Invest Northern Ireland, might be one of delight. After all, it’s not every day that one of the North’s top scientists presents such an opportunity to create what could be the next big start-up. More often than not Northern Ireland has to chase this type of opportunity and spends quite a lot of money and time wooing overseas investors to even consider the North as an investment location.

But in a curious twist when it comes to the case of the scientist, there appears to have been no sudden rush by government agencies to embrace it.

In fact, the scientist in question, Dr Hugh Cormican, a co-founder of Andor Technology, now finds himself in the middle of a conundrum that would give Schrödinger a run for his money.

Cormican quietly set up his business, Cirdan Imaging, in Belfast a few months ago. The company intends to focus on the design, development and manufacture of medical imaging equipment.

Cormican’s vision is to pioneer new tools to help detect and manage cancer.

He hopes one day that Cirdan Imaging products will be used by surgeons, radiologists and pathologists throughout the world.

Cormican, who studied physics at Queens University Belfast and is a fellow of the UK’s Institute of Physics, is not unknown when it comes to the field of scientific imaging.

He was part of the team that took Belfast-based Andor Technology, which manufactures high-performance scientific digital cameras, from start-up to stock market.

After he resigned from the board of Andor in 2007 he moved to America to become the president and chief executive officer of Bioptics, a US company that specialises in digital mammography.

Cormican has won several honours and awards from both Queen’s University and the Institute of Physics for commercialising physics – clear evidence that he knows what he is talking about when it comes to creating a business that works.

But he appears to have been unsuccessful at persuading government agencies in the North to get on board with Cirdan Imaging.

Discussions are understood to have taken place but to date neither party appears to have reached any agreement.

It may be a case of red tape but there could be a danger that if Cormican does not secure the support he needs in Northern Ireland then his business address in Belfast might be temporary.

It is understood that he has also been in talks with the IDA about a potential site in Dundalk where the research and development operation and the manufacturing side of Cirdan could be located.

There are no guarantees that Cormican can create and grow yet another successful company like Andor Technology, which today sells to 10,000 customers in 55 countries. But he has a vision and his previous one turned out pretty successful, so he is, if nothing else, a reasonable bet.

Imagine this scenario: Cormican decides to locate Cirdan Imaging in the south of Ireland and in a few years it has become a multimillion-euro company that employs hundreds of people.

Who is going to feel sick then?