The president of Brammer Bio believes Scotland must find a way to retain foreign talent post-Brexit if it expects to be at the forefront of scientific discoveries.
Mark Bamforth thought he would be working in the north-east oil and gas industry for his entire career until the 1986 crash meant he lost his job at Britoil.
He decided to move to the US and diversify into biotechnology, where he would find success through pharmaceuticals and then gene therapy to found Brammer.
Massachusetts-based Brammer, where he is president and chief executive, has grown its workforce from 11 in 2016 to 360 today.
As a scientist working in a foreign land, Mr Bamforth understands all about the value of skills irrespective of origin.
He said: “Keeping foreign talent is the food stock of companies continuing to grow.
“After Brexit, I assume that a lot of European funding will dry up and this definitely has the potential to have a big impact.
“Scotland produces a lot of science graduates. Retaining talent is really important and that has to start by guaranteeing people the right to stay.”
Mr Bamforth is also on the board of Entrepreneurial Scotland and is a Saltire Foundation founding trustee.
His connection to the Saltire Foundation, in particular, has reinforced his belief that talented scientists and students need to work where they can learn the most.
Every year, the Saltire Foundation intern scheme takes 180 students in their final year from across Scotland and Europe and puts them in work placements across five continents.
“That’s one of the things that we kept talking about and was a catalyst for the creation of the Saltire Foundation,” Mr Bamforth said, adding: “I’ve taken many into my company.
“It can be eye-opening for them and inspire their careers back in Scotland.
“We’ve seen some great success stories where people have gone on to run successful businesses. There’s a great talent pool of Scottish and European students within the scheme.”
Mr Bamforth is among a top-class line-up of speakers at Entrepreneurial Scotland’s 22nd annual conference at Gleneagles on April 26.
The prestigious event is being supported by headline sponsor Cazenove Capital, alongside the Press and Journal, Energy Voice and the Courier as co-media partners.
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