The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, authored by former Academy president Professor Sir John Bell FRS HonFREng FMedSci, has been launched.
Academy president Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci said:
“The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy recognises the importance of funding across basic and discovery science, and translational research. Maintaining and enhancing an environment which supports research across the whole ecosystem including academia, industry, the NHS and charities, is essential to allow the UK’s life sciences sector to continue to flourish.
“Importantly, the Strategy highlights the potential of the NHS, which we are not currently capitalising on. We must use the NHS as an engine for innovation, embedding a culture of research, improving the adoption of new ideas and technologies and ensuring timely access to these.
“Life sciences make a significant contribution to UK PLC. The scale of the ambitious proposals laid out today will help to ensure that the UK remains a world leader in the sector and secure future growth. The UK Government has the opportunity to demonstrate its long-term commitment to the life sciences industry by implementing these proposals in a way that will attract new investment and collaborations, and most importantly deliver patient benefits.
“The Strategy recognises the need to support and grow UK life sciences clusters, regional strengths and cross-sector collaboration. This can be achieved by linking up the diverse components of the research ecosystem including businesses, universities and hospitals, to build on regional excellence and create a UK-wide offer to potential collaborators and investors.
“I have stressed, and will continue to stress, the importance of ensuring continued mobility for highly skilled workers. I am particularly pleased to see support for mobility of talent as a key theme of the Strategy, ensuring the sustainability of the UK’s future workforce.”
We look forward to seeing how the Government will deliver the recommendations within the Strategy through a sector deal for the life sciences.
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