Healthcare and life sciences

Recognised as one of eight strategic growth sectors in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, healthcare and life sciences benefit from robust government backing and a strong outlook for expansion. As Europe’s leading hub for life sciences investment, the UK offers a vibrant sector where international investors benefit from a connected ecosystem, world-class research, skilled talent, and strong collaboration with the National Health Service (NHS). With a competitive business environment, the UK effectively links investors to customers, partners, and cutting-edge innovation, making it the ideal destination for ambitious life sciences companies.

Opportunity highlights

Advanced therapies

The UK has the strongest biomedical pipeline in Europe and is a leading destination for life sciences finance and start-ups. The UK has become Europe’s advanced therapy capital. With cutting-edge medicine, leading funding, progressive regulation and government-backed skills infrastructure, your product can be incubated for development, scale-up and profitable commercialisation.

Engineering biology

Collaborate with world-leading engineering biology experts across biosciences, engineering and data science on foundational and translational research, and commercialise innovative ideas into next-generation technologies. This dynamic ecosystem formed between government, industry and academia means the UK has more engineering biology firms than anywhere in Europe.

Medical technologies

An ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions are driving shifts within healthcare, creating evolving opportunities for innovative medtech solutions and products to support this transformation.

Locate in the UK as a test bed for global market development; the UK is home to one of the world’s largest medtech industries. It leads in research capability, serving as a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) innovation powerhouse, fuelled by partnerships between academics, NHS and industry and supported by continuous government commitment.

Precision medicine

Develop and commercialise technologies for understanding inherited and acquired disease in a thriving and innovative genomics ecosystem, with a growing turnover of £3.6 billion. The UK’s ageing, multicultural population provides a prime base for research with sustained government funding and robust regulations. Strategic collaboration between industry and government alongside academia, charities, and the NHS is powering the industry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and technology biology

The UK government aim to make the NHS the most AI-enabled care system in the world through the 10 Year Health Plan, putting the NHS at the front of the global genomics revolution.

This opens opportunity across life sciences, from AI-enabled drug discovery to improved clinical trial development to supporting the NHS in its digitalisation journey. Innovative investment is backed in the UK; 25% of UK venture capital funding was awarded to AI start-ups in 2024.

Commercial maturity

Invest in an established, supportive market; the UK has more biotech products in development than any other country in Europe, with life sciences generating a turnover of £108 billion. The UK has a track record of scientific breakthroughs and a new long-term Life Sciences Sector Plan is setting the direction and action over the next decade. The NHS is both a major purchaser of life sciences products and services and an innovation partner that can develop and deliver these advances. UK regulatory and health leadership, along with a global trade approach, make the UK the ideal location for your life sciences innovations to grow and access new customers.

Key UK assets

Unlock global reach with supportive and well-connected clusters, accessible to business across the UK:

Oxford-Cambridge Corridor

Cambridge and Oxford lead global innovation in life sciences. Work with world-class universities and unique techbio clusters to fuel your breakthroughs in an environment where artificial intelligence accelerates drug development, supported by industry leaders. This dynamic ecosystem is backed by unparalleled access to venture capital (VC).

London

London is Europe’s leading city for life sciences innovation, with unmatched strengths in AI, advanced therapies, and venture capital access. Investors benefit from a vibrant techbio ecosystem, world-renowned universities, clinical trial diversity, and major new lab developments – all in a globally connected hub that transforms research into commercial success.

Scotland

Scotland’s life sciences sector is a global leader in innovation, sustainable manufacturing, and digital health, contributing £10.5 billion to the economy. Companies thrive amid strong university links, collaborative government-industry support and a robust funding environment. A dynamic cluster spans pharma, medtech, and digital health companies, driving rapid growth and global commercialisation

Northern England

This region has global strengths in biomanufacturing, diagnostics, and healthtech. Home to one-fifth of the UK’s sector workforce and world-leading research institutions, the region excels in biologics production, cutting-edge diagnostic innovation, and rapid healthtech advances. Supported by dynamic innovation districts and dedicated investment funds, the North offers unrivalled opportunities for growth, collaboration, and access to thriving export and VC channels.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s life sciences sector is export-driven and fast-growing, excelling in diagnostics, medtech, and biotech. Investors benefit from a skilled workforce, world-leading research at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, and unique tariff-free access to both UK and EU markets – making it ideal for companies targeting international growth and rapid product development.

Wales

Wales is a life sciences leader, boasting global strengths in AI-powered diagnostics, precision medicine, and advanced healthtech. Home to over 250 companies, world-class research facilities, and a collaborative innovation ecosystem, the region supports business growth, high-value jobs, and new healthcare solutions that transform lives and improve patient outcomes.

The Midlands of England

The Midlands is the UK’s medtech powerhouse, with the country’s largest cluster of medical technology companies and the UK’s largest clinical trials unit. Investors gain from a diverse, skilled workforce, unrivalled university collaborations, and access to the UK’s largest clinical trials infrastructure, accelerating innovation from concept to market at scale.

Research and development (R&D) capability

The UK’s highly productive science base is secure, with R&D spending reaching 2.6% of GDP in 2023. Research institutes such as the Francis Crick Institute, Rosalind Franklin Institute, Diamond Light Synchrotron, and Roslin Institute collaborate with companies, improving their understanding of health and disease.

Alongside generous government support and tax relief, companies operating in the UK can access private sector finance, with more capital pouring into the sector than ever before. In 2023, the UK raised the third highest amount of life sciences equity finance in the world, behind only the US and China.

Alongside traditional R&D, the UK is the ideal location for clinical research trials, an innovative and prosperous destination with a research-engaged, diverse population and a government committed to strengthening its position. The UK is creating a patient-centred, pro-innovation and digitally-enabled clinical research environment.​

The government has launched the Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot, a £50 million capital grant opportunity, supporting large-scale R&D investments focussed on innovation and health resilience. The fund prioritises projects with the potential to generate economic benefits and with a total cost of at least £100 million.

Business and government support

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out an ambitious 10-year plan to make the UK a global leader for life science investment and innovation. As part of the plan, the government has launched the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, providing up to £520 million in capital grants to support new and expanded manufacturing.

Beyond direct business support the UK government has demonstrated commitment to the sector by investing in infrastructure with £600 million to be invested into the Health Data Research Service by government alongside the Wellcome Trust, to create the world’s most advanced, secure, and AI-ready health data platform.

Talent

The UK provides a highly talented workforce for your business now, and in the future. 3.3 million people were employed in medicine and health jobs in the UK in 2023, 10% of the total workforce. Universities in the UK are globally respected, home to four of the top 10 universities in life sciences and medicine.

The government is funding technical education and training to help businesses develop a workforce with sector-specific skills. This includes apprenticeships for existing staff, and degree apprenticeships supported by the Growth and Skills Levy and skills bootcamps.

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