Unlocking the East of England’s life sciences potential: Reflections from our regional roundtable

Blog post by Colette Goldrick, ABPI Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Strategy

A few days ago, we had the pleasure of bringing together politicians, NHS leaders, industry representatives and regional stakeholders for our East of England Life Sciences Roundtable.

The conversation centred on a simple but important question: how do we ensure regions like the East of England have the right conditions to drive the next phase of UK life sciences growth?

It was a timely discussion as the new government team focuses on the future of the UK’s industrial strategy, recognising that economic growth from our life sciences sector depends not only on national policy, but on the strength of regional ecosystems.

While the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Oxford, Cambridge and London often dominate conversations about UK life sciences, the East of England is also a vital part of the wider ecosystem, bringing together world-leading research, manufacturing expertise, NHS partnerships, health data assets and a highly skilled workforce. The challenge now is ensuring those strengths are fully recognised and supported.

A strong theme throughout the discussion was the importance of taking a place-based approach to policymaking. Participants reflected on how life sciences span multiple government priorities, from health and education to business, trade and economic growth. Unlocking the sector’s full potential will therefore require a joined-up approach across government, ensuring policy decisions reinforce rather than compete with one another.

Clinical research was another key focus. The UK has long been recognised as a global leader in clinical research, but there was broad agreement that more can be done to rebuild this capability and embed research more deeply into routine NHS care. For example, the East of England ranks 7th out of 12 Regional Networks or Devolved Administrations in terms of studies supported, 6th for recruiting studies, and 5th for the number of participants.[1] Expanding access to clinical trials through primary care and community settings would improve opportunities for patients and also strengthen the UK’s attractiveness as a destination for research and investment.

Alongside research, attendees discussed the importance of ensuring innovation reaches patients more quickly. This will require renewed efforts to solve the perennial problem of regional variation in adoption. A 2023 study showed that uptake of NICE-approved medicines in the Midlands and East of England was 22% lower than Wales.[2] Closer alignment between regulation, health technology assessment, procurement and NHS implementation will be essential to reduce variation in adoption and improve patient outcomes through rapid and consistent access to innovative medicines, technologies and diagnostics.

More broadly, the discussion also explored what it will take for the UK to remain globally competitive. Participants highlighted the need for a supportive regulatory environment, a strong talent pipeline, access to international skills, competitive research and development incentives, resilient supply chains and policies that encourage innovation to be developed, commercialised and scaled here in the UK.

Perhaps the clearest message from the roundtable was that collaboration remains the foundation of success. Delivering better health outcomes and sustainable economic growth will require a lot of joined up work together across the entire innovation pathway. No single organisation can achieve this alone.

The East of England already has many of the ingredients needed to succeed: a globally recognised science base, thriving innovation clusters, manufacturing capabilities, and ambitious regional partnerships. Building on these strengths presents an opportunity to strengthen the region and to reinforce the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences.

We and our members remain committed to working alongside partners across the East of England to help create the conditions for innovation to thrive.