The UK’s life sciences sector has attracted more than £3 billion in new public and private investment over the past 12 months
The investment is expected to accelerate the development of new medicines, create thousands of skilled jobs and improve patient access to cutting-edge treatments across the country.
The announcement comes one year after the launch of the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, which aims to make the UK the world’s third-largest life sciences economy by 2035.
Faster access to life-saving treatments
One of the biggest achievements highlighted in the first year of the plan is the improvement in clinical trial speed. The average time taken to set up a clinical trial has fallen from 169 days to 122 days, comfortably beating the government’s target of reducing the process to under 150 days.
Patients are also expected to receive newly approved medicines up to six months sooner through a new joint approval process involving the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Some of the recent breakthroughs include the NHS approval of the world’s first immunotherapy treatment for type 1 diabetes, offering fresh hope to patients living with the condition.
Investment creating jobs
Major pharmaceutical companies continue to back the UK with significant investments.
AstraZeneca is investing £300 million to support operations at its Cambridge headquarters and a new artificial intelligence-powered drug discovery facility in Macclesfield. Moderna has opened an innovation centre in Harwell as part of its £1 billion UK research and development commitment over the next decade, while UCB is investing £500 million in a new research hub in Surrey focused on developing treatments for immune-related diseases.
The government says these investments are helping to strengthen regional economies while supporting innovation beyond London and the South East.
Currently, the life sciences sector generates around £147 billion in annual turnover and employs approximately 360,000 people across the UK.
Plans for 66,000 new roles
Alongside the investment announcement, the government has unveiled a new Life Sciences Jobs Plan designed to support the creation of up to 66,000 additional roles by 2035.
The plan focuses on developing the workforce needed for future growth, with demand expected for laboratory technicians, chemical scientists, software developers and other highly skilled professionals.
New apprenticeship opportunities, technical qualifications, Skills Bootcamps and lifelong learning initiatives will help people develop the expertise needed for careers in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum science.
An industry-led skills body will also work with employers, educators and government to identify future workforce needs and address skills shortages.
Another key milestone is the formal establishment of the Health Data Research Service (HDRS), which is intended to simplify secure access to health data for approved researchers. By reducing delays and streamlining data access, researchers should be able to focus more quickly on developing new treatments and improving patient care.
