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The Creative Disruption Forum is a unique life sciences innovation that encourages dialogue between all of the participants over the day on the 11 Feb between 10am - 5.30pm. Our guest keynote interviewees are:
Chas Bountra, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of Innovation at University of Oxford. I understand he is also on the Board of Omass Tx, however his focus will be much more broad about the UK Strategy.
Claire Brown, Partner, Oxford Science Enterprises TBC
Gareth Conduit, Founder & CSO, Intellegens TBC
Juergen Harter, CEO, MatriQx & Former CEO of CCDC
Samir Khan, Founder and MD, Lighthouse Innovations.
Miguel Campos Silva, Head of Strategy, OMass Therapeutics TBC
Here's a closer look at these topics with some insight which we'll open to debate:
1. Impact of the Trump Administration on UK Life Sciences
- Investment Flows: The focus on domestic manufacturing and innovation in the U.S. could drive American firms to invest more heavily in the U.S. at the expense of international projects, which may limit investment opportunities in the UK life sciences sector.
- Research and Development Collaboration: The future administration’s stance on international collaboration could impact research partnerships.
- Public Health Policy Influence: The U.S. approach to healthcare and public health initiatives could reshape international health research priorities and redirect funding and support away from UK projects, depending on the alignment of interests.
2. Tenants for Available Lab Real Estate in the UK
- Startups in Biotech and Pharmaceuticals: The available laboratory real estate will likely attract numerous early-stage and scale-up biotech and pharmaceutical companies looking for R&D space. The growing ecosystem of biotech clusters in the UK, particularly in areas like London, Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester and Glasgow all of which provide fertile ground for these companies.
- Contract Research Organizations (CROs): As demand for outsourced research continues to rise, CROs may fill the available lab spaces to provide research services and support for other life science companies.
- Academic and Research Collaborations: Universities with strong life sciences programs may lease lab spaces to facilitate translational research initiatives and partnership projects with industry.
- Digital Health and MedTech Companies: Startups focusing on digital health innovations, medical devices, and health technology solutions will seek laboratory spaces for prototyping, testing, and validation processes.
- International Companies Entering the UK Market: As companies look to establish a foothold in Europe post-Brexit, international firms may occupy laboratory real estate in the UK to leverage the local talent pool and research capabilities.
3. Funding Sources for UK Life Sciences Innovation
- Public Funding Initiatives: The UK government has historically supported life sciences through grants and funding programs, such as Innovate UK and the Biomedical Catalyst fund. Continued public investment will be essential for supporting innovative projects typically in the £100k-£5mil range.
- Venture Capital Investments: Venture capital is expected to remain a significant funding source for life science startups. The growing interest in biotech, post-pandemic, suggests that venture capitalists will continue to invest in the sector. We are seeing growth in investment; the BIA UK Biotech report said that UK biotech received £3.5 billion in investment in 2024, which is up 94% from 2023, which is very encouraging. The well established emerging biotech in the £50mil-£500mil range have been doing well. What about the smaller biotechs looking for £5mil-£50mil rounds? Is the “Valley of Death” killing good ideas, or will more funding soon be available for this early development stage of the company?
- Private Equity: Increased investment in later-stage life science companies could bolster financing for expansion and commercialisation efforts, creating a stable funding environment for established companies. This especially so with patent cliffs are looming for many big pharmas looking for new inivative drugs to fill their pipelines.
- Collaboration with Industry and Academia: Public-private partnerships and collaborative projects between government, industry, and academic institutions can attract funding and resources. These partnerships may open additional pathways for grants and investment.
- Philanthropic Contributions: Charities and foundations focused on health and medical research may contribute funding to support innovative life sciences initiatives, particularly those addressing significant health challenges.
- International Funding Sources: Global funding organizations and cross-border investment may provide additional capital. The UK's established reputation in life sciences can attract foreign investment and funding opportunities, particularly from U.S. investors seeking to tap into innovative UK research.
Conclusions The Creative Disruption Forum will explore the intersection of various factors influencing the future of the UK life sciences sector, including geopolitical dynamics, the changing landscape of laboratory real estate, and the pivotal role of funding. By bringing together key stakeholders and thought leaders, the discussions will seek to identify strategies and opportunities to ensure the UK maintains its position as a leader in life science innovation over the coming years.
