TO BE PUBLISHED October 2025
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This conference will discuss priorities and next steps for the UK life sciences industry. It will be an opportunity to discuss proposals announced in the Industrial Strategy and the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan, and implications of the Government’s focus on boosting the economy through development of life sciences in the UK.
Policy, funding and implementation
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the potential impact of measures in the 2025 Spending Review, including annual increases in funding of £29bn for the NHS and £22.6bn for science and technology over the review period. Delegates will look at priorities for how this is targeted and practical steps for the life sciences sector in responding to these developments and supporting their effective implementation.
Delegates will examine the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan, and the three focus areas it sets out towards enabling world-class R&D - making the UK a place to set-up and invest, and driving health innovation and NHS reform. We expect discussion to assess key factors for enabling delivery of the Plan’s ambitions, and whether proposals go far enough in addressing concerns about underinvestment in innovative medicines and the relatively slow uptake of new treatments in the UK. Areas for consideration include payment structures, access to capital for scale-up, and the role of regulatory reform in reducing friction and delay. Discussion is also expected on the sequencing and clarity of implementation milestones, alongside the current policy timetable, and the case for more stable and long-term funding models to support growth in biotech.
Work with the NHS, regulatory developments and updating technology
The 10-Year Health Plan will also be discussed, and frameworks for the life sciences sector, working in partnership with the NHS to support innovation, preventative healthcare approaches, and their delivery in the community. Delegates will assess recently announced initiatives, including the National Health Data Research Service and wider opportunities to support access to novel treatments - such as increased use of genomics within the NHS and the adoption of wearable technology by 2035. Further discussion will include the impact of recently announced innovator passports due to be rolled-out over the next two years on streamlining procurement and patient access to innovation within the NHS.
Priorities for addressing regulatory barriers for the industry will be considered, particularly the new MHRA Clinical Trial Framework and enhanced collaboration between NICE and MHRA in the approval pathway, aiming to expedite trial approval and encourage innovative trial designs.
Sessions will also explore further developments for NICE and the life sciences industry, including the expansion of NICE’s technology appraisal process by April 2026 and new role in removing outdated technology in the NHS. We expect discussion on priorities for the Regulatory Innovation Office, launched in October 2024 and initiatives currently in development - such as regulatory sandboxes and a unified digital regulatory library to streamline approval pathways in areas including AI in healthcare and engineering biology.
Medicine pricing
The agenda also includes a focus on approaches to medicine pricing, including concerns raised surrounding the current Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth, which is currently under review. We expect discussion on the future of the VPAG, including scope for a tiered structure aligned with international comparators, with specific consideration for supporting smaller companies, and the balance between pricing predictability, commercial viability and NHS affordability.
International relationships, investment and inclusive sector growth
Positioning the UK as a globally competitive location for life sciences investment will be considered, looking at key priorities for attracting both domestic and international investment, including policy measures to support growth and competitiveness, including infrastructure priorities.
Delegates will discuss the focus on city regions and clusters in the Industrial Strategy, looking at priorities for developing and enhancing life sciences clusters across the UK. We expect discussion on opportunities for leveraging regional strengths, collaboration and innovation ecosystems - such as the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and other research hubs - to improve commercialisation of research.
Strategies for spreading innovation beyond the Golden Triangle will be discussed, including the infrastructure needed to address shortages in areas of high demand, and strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors. We expect discussion also to include proposals for a standardised founder-track model to support university spin-outs, along with options for expanding proof-of-concept funding to help scale innovation in emerging regional centres.
Workforce development
We also expect the agenda to bring out latest thinking on strategies to expand the life sciences workforce, including key issues in the Life Sciences 2035: Developing the Skills for Future Growth report which highlighted a skilled workforce demand of 145,000 employees by 2035. Attendees will assess initiatives for enhancing the long-term talent pipeline through opportunities such as apprenticeships, priorities for STEM education and addressing barriers to attracting and recruiting highly skilled international talent. We expect discussion on aligning visa policy with sector needs, and on developing apprenticeship frameworks that reflect particular skills requirements of the life sciences sector.
Environmental sustainability, clinical trials and research
Further sessions look at initiatives and best practice for improving the environmental performance of the life sciences industry, and the future for integrating sustainability into all stages of R&D. Discussion will centre on applying a circular approach to medical products in the NHS and wider strategies for sustainable procurement practice.
We expect a further focus on enhancing clinical trial activity in the UK - particularly early-stage trials - including strategies and best practice for increasing participant recruitment into clinical studies, and supporting greater inclusivity through community engagement in trial design. Wider opportunities for expanding clinical research capacity within the NHS will also be considered.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from DHSC; DSIT; DBT; DoH, NI; DBT; MHCLG; OLS; MHRA; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
