It’s a Wrap: Looking Back at 2014

The holidays are upon us and, in among the tinsel and turkey, the end of the year is just around the corner. Before the clock strikes midnight to usher in 2015, let’s take a quick look back at just a few of the stand-out events of the past 12 months.

There have been a great number of scientific breakthroughs in 2014. From moving a step closer to a possible treatment for diabetes to testing blood plasma from young donors in Alzheimer’s patients, these and many other discoveries herald significant progress, which should be celebrated.

We’ve also seen the UK Government investing in life sciences and research and development (R&D), with the launch of MedCity back in April and support for a new science research centre in the North of England more recently. These moves are definitely positive steps, but whether these organizations can encourage open data sharing – which is vital to future R&D success – is yet to be seen.

This month also saw the Curiosity Rover find greater potential for life on Mars. After 28 months scouring the ‘red planet’, scientists now have significant insight into clues of ancient life. This is particularly exciting for us, having helped to test the power supplies for the Rover before its launch.

For IDBS too, it’s been a year of milestones. We’ve celebrated our 25th anniversary with the flagship Connect event in London, helping organizations discover products to transform R&D across the globe.

Our new Munich office opened as part of our continued commitment to the DACH region. The France and Southern European operations have also moved to new permanent premises in Paris.

With R&D remaining remarkably consistent across many scientific domains linked to different industries, we’ve also been helping a wider range of customers derive value from their data. 2014 saw us branch out into the energy sector, among others.

In short, it’s been a busy year for the industry and for us, but no doubt 2015 will bring new challenges and breakthroughs across the R&D spectrum.

Wishing you all happy holidays and an enjoyable New Year.