Attracting global talent is key to UK Life Sciences success

If the UK is to become Europe’s leading life sciences economy by 2030, it must sharpen its global appeal and do more to attract and keep world-class talent.

The UK’s life sciences sector supports over 300,000 high-skilled jobs across the country and includes the pharmaceutical industry, which alone accounted for £8.7 billion in research and development (R&D) investment in 2023. [1][2]

A new report, from the ABPI, which is supported with analysis commissioned from EY, endorses the government’s ambition to attract more global talent to the UK to help close skills gaps and accelerate economic growth. However, to achieve this goal, the ABPI say the UK’s visa system must become more streamlined and competitive. [3]

The UK’s Global Talent visa, which is targeted at established and emerging leaders in fields like life sciences, has many advantages over similar visas offered by other countries, including a faster route to settlement. However, this visa’s high upfront costs and unclear eligibility criteria is deterring the best and brightest from applying, reducing its competitiveness.

Joe Edwards, ABPI Director of UK Competitiveness and Devolved Nations, said: “The UK’s visa system and talent mobility schemes are not keeping pace with its international competitors, jeopardising our shared ambition of becoming Europe’s leading country for life science innovation. Real improvements are needed if we aim to make the UK the destination of choice for scientists, researchers, and innovators.”

The report also found that the UK is not making full use of its existing talent mobility agreements, and could expand opportunities through youth mobility schemes and mutual recognition of qualifications in trade negotiations.

To enhance the UK’s competitiveness, the report makes three key recommendations:

1. Enhance the Global Talent visa’s competitiveness: streamline application routes, publish outcomes data, and retain accelerated settlement.
2. Adopt a pro-growth approach to talent mobility: promote the UK’s global talent offer and align settlement reform with the Industrial Strategy’s growth sectors.
3. Advance talent mobility in bilateral negotiations: expand talent mobility schemes and negotiate mutual recognition of qualifications.