The UK Leads in Life Sciences Research—But That’s Not Enough

The UK is home to some of the most groundbreaking life science research in the world. From drug discovery to cutting-edge medical advancements, our scientists are shaping the future of healthcare, biotechnology, and genetics.

But here’s the problem: we’re great at research but falling behind in turning those discoveries into real-world impact. Too often, UK-born innovations are manufactured and commercialized overseas. The reason? A lack of investment, facilities, and policy support to keep production at home.

📉 Over the past two decades, manufacturing’s contribution to UK GDP has halved, while other countries—across Europe and the US—are scaling up. If we truly want to be a global life sciences powerhouse, we can’t just lead in research; we need to lead in manufacturing, too.

Another challenge? Talent. The UK has the ambition to attract the world’s best scientists and entrepreneurs, but high visa costs and slow processing times make it harder to compete with nations like the US, Canada, and Australia.

Rachel Reeves’ recent speech signals the right intent, and investments in projects like the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital are a step in the right direction. But ambition alone won’t get us there. We need a clear, actionable plan to:

✅ Strengthen life sciences manufacturing and infrastructure

✅ Expand investment beyond the Golden Triangle (London, Oxford, Cambridge) to regions like Manchester, Wales, and the West Midlands

✅ Remove barriers that prevent top talent from choosing the UK

Without these changes, we risk remaining a nation that excels in discovery but loses out on commercialization. It’s time to take life sciences beyond the lab and into the real world.