The Life Sciences Sector Plan looks to harness the UK’s strengths in research, innovation and healthcare to create a world-leading science economy by 2035.
The UK Government will work in partnership with devolved regions including Wales to make this exciting vision a reality.
“The UK’s Life Sciences sector is one of our greatest national assets. It is a sector that not only saves lives – it creates jobs, drives investment, and powers innovation across our economy. From world leading research institutions to dynamic start-ups and global pharmaceutical firms, our Life Sciences ecosystem is rich with potential. This Plan is about unlocking that potential.”
This is the bold opening ministerial statement in the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan (part of its wider industrial strategy) that highlights the strength of the life sciences innovation ecosystem that we’re proud to work within.
The Plan, developed with support from hundreds of life sciences businesses, providers and patient charities, aims to double down on these strengths. It puts cross-sector collaboration at the heart of transforming the UK’s economy through uniting the strengths of science, capital, industry, and the NHS.
The Life Sciences Sector Plan aims to turn cutting-edge research into real-world change such as new treatments, quicker diagnosis and more lives saved. It’s about making sure breakthroughs happen here – and stay here – creating jobs, improving lives in every part of the country, and driving growth.
The plan focusses on three core, interconnected pillars:
- Enabling world-class research and development: taking advantage and building upon the UK’s historic scientific strengths.
- Making the UK a place of choice to start, grow, scale and invest: making sure that brilliant ideas are built and scaled into multi-billion pound companies in the UK, our manufacturing sector is supported to thrive, and that we drive Foreign Direct Investment.
- Driving health innovation and NHS Reform: ensuring that patients can quickly access the most clinically and cost-effective new technologies. An important part of this is driving shifts across multiple areas of healthcare. This includes from sickness to prevention through technologies such as genomics and precision medicine, from hospital to community to enable care closer to home through digital and diagnostic innovation, and from analogue to digital by embedding data and artificial intelligence (AI) to support staff and improve health outcomes.
The Plan highlights the strength of life sciences innovation in Wales, which includes growing clusters found within south Wales, the SAIL databank and Cardiff’s strengths within neuroscience. The Office for Life Sciences will work in partnership with Welsh Government to deliver the Plan and further strengthen Wales’ offering.
Cari-Anne Quinn, our Chief Executive Officer, said:
“We’re delighted to see the launch of the new UK Life Sciences Sector Plan. Its focus on health innovation, specifically in areas that align with our own organisational priorities, such as precision medicine, digital and AI, will help drive economic development in the UK while helping people to live healthier lives. This in turn will reduce pressure on the NHS and social care. Our organisation looks forward to supporting the UK Government in driving this transformation through the multitude of high-growth opportunities found in Wales’ life sciences ecosystem.”
Read the Life Sciences Sector Plan in full on the UK Government website.
