Celebrating 2024 achievements and our members: championing the life sciences sector

Dear BIA member,

Thank you for your continued membership of the BioIndustry Association (BIA) this year.

Throughout 2024 we have championed the sector through a General Election Year, increasing pricing pressures, developing regulation and a growing skills gap.

We ensured the incoming government recognised life sciences as one of the highest growth potential sectors in its new Industrial Strategy after Labour launched its pre-election  “Prescription for Growth” life science policy document in February at a visit to BIA members in the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst.

Influence

• We used our seat at the UK Life Sciences Council to ensure the new Labour government has start-ups and scale-ups at the heart of their mission for economic growth, with BIA's two core campaign objectives firmly embedded as government policy: R&D tax relief and pensions reform. 
• We secured a commitment to maintain the current rates of R&D tax relief and unlocking pensions for investment into UK businesses is a personal priority for the Chancellor. There has been significant progress on the Mansion House Compact commitment, with pensions funds including Aegon and Phoenix making financial commitments to invest in life science venture capital.
• I’m delighted that in November new Science Minister Patrick Vallance has reappointed the BIA’s Chair, Dr Daniel Mahony, as its Life Sciences Investment Envoy. Dr Mahony will work with the Government to champion investment into the UK’s innovative life sciences and biotech sector, including playing a key role in the ongoing pension reforms led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP.
• Our Association showcased members through several key industry reports including UK biotech financing, Deep Biotech, TechBio, mRNA Revolution: A new generation of medicine and UK cell and gene therapy: Leading the path to transformative medicine.

• Following the announcements made in the Autumn Budget, the BIA was pleased that one of our main asks to the government to commit and launch the £520 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund was delivered upon and is open to applications. BIA helped shape the capital funding programme which will promote employment and investment within our sector.
   

• We supported OLS and Innovate UK in the launch of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme, a vital funding opportunity for driving growth and sustainable manufacturing. BIA’s Manufacturing Advisory Committee has developed a series of case studies showcasing how organisations can meet sustainability goals without compromising product quality or safety. A selection of these was presented at BIA’s annual bioProcessUK Conference and is available on our website.

Connect

BIA provides many varied opportunities to network, share and learn from industry experts.

In 2024, we organised 45 events around the UK which were attended by 6,000 people.

• In January, we kicked off our 2024 Charity Partnership of the Year with the RNID at the BIA Gala Dinner. Held at the iconic Roundhouse, this must-attend event in the UK life sciences calendar brought together 760 of life sciences' finest. It provided a prime opportunity for members, government ministers and officials, and the broader sector to connect, network, and raise awareness for RNID.
• In June, we brought together 100 Corporate Member CEOs in the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside for 24 hours of thought-leadership panels, practical workshops, peer-led roundtables, and high-level networking.
• The latter half of 2024 also saw the inaugural London Life Sciences Week (LLSW) - Europe’s largest and most influential coming together of global life science investors and innovative companies. A new BIA-hosted site signposted all the key events and we hosted several events including the welcome reception alongside London & Partners. As the world’s third global sector for life sciences, we will continue to support this initiative and plans for 2025 will be revealed in due course.
• Women in Biotech (WIB) has had a great year, starting with 'BIG WIB' back in March featuring the mentoring world cafe, incredible panel discussion and inspirational speakers.  These events have continued across the UK throughout 2024 and are now supported by a highly engaged advisory board. The parallel mentoring programme has grown from strength to strength with cohort 2 coming to its official end in December and the launch of over 35 matched pairs for cohort 3 in January 2025.
• Future Black Leaders in Biotech was a first-of-a-kind workshop led by inspiring leaders sharing their career stories, personal barriers and challenges across the sector.  The following workshop discussion was highly energising providing a meaningful opportunity to network and tackle industry inequities. The support that BIA has given in creating the space for these conversations has lasting impact.
• TechBio Boost, an initiative organised by BIA and KQ Labs and supported by London & Partners’ Grow London Early Stage programme, has provided support for 30+ Seed / pre-Series A companies based in London working at the interface of biology and data technologies. The programme included mentoring with experts, introductions to pharma companies and investors, and community events to build on the London TechBio ecosystem.

Furthermore, our advocacy work took us overseas (JP Morgan and BIO International Convention), plus we represented companies across the UK, going around the country for regionals and CEO lunches.

Save

• Our 600+ members have continued to make significant time and financial savings over the past 12 months, through our partners VWR Avantor, Scientist.com and Amici. 

If you would like to know more about our business solutions programme, please email the membership team at [email protected]

Membership

• We have continued to invest in technology to create new features on the BIA website that further enhance the membership experience and support your connection to the UK’s life sciences and biotech community. The upgraded Membership Directory gives our members better visibility and streamlined options for submitting news, events, and job postings. It is easier than ever to engage with fellow members and access valuable resources.
• Lastly, six representatives from the membership were elected to our Board of Directors and will begin their terms in January 2025. We very much look forward to working with them in the year ahead.  

We were delighted that the Association's hard work has been recognised through a variety of awards.

Please read our Year in numbers for an overview of our many achievements in 2024.

On behalf of the entire BIA team, many thanks for your continued engagement and support. We look forward to championing the sector and helping you have a successful 2025.

Steve Bates OBE  

CEO, UK BioIndustry Association