The UK Life Sciences Sector Plan is a national strategy designed to strengthen the country’s position in health and biomedical innovation. It aligns government, industry, and research efforts to accelerate the development and delivery of new healthcare technologies and treatments.
The plan, launched in July 2025, provides an overview of the 10-year mission for the UK of becoming Europe's leading life sciences economy by 2030 and establish the UK as the world's third most important life sciences economy - behind the US and China - by 2035.
According to the UK Government, The life sciences sector already plays a vital role in the national economy, employing over 304,000 people across nearly 7,000 businesses and generating more than £108 billion in turnover in 2021/22. This strong foundation underpins the ambition of the new sector plan.
The plan is supported by government funding of over £2 billion, alongside funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The strategy is developed in consultation with industry, engaging with over 250 organisations and 400 individuals across life sciences businesses, providers, and patient charities.
This is a new model of partnership between science and society, between government and industry, and between economic and health policy. Better health and stronger growth go hand in hand, and the most effective healthcare relies on the rapid adoption of new technologies and treatment.
The plan is built around three strategic pillars:
Enabling world-class research and development (R&D) – to take advantage of, and build upon, the UK’s historic scientific strengths by investing in translational models and networks, commercial clinical research, and our data and genomics capabilities. This includes support for preclinical model research networks and targeted funding for biotech and medtech small and medium-sized enterprises.
Making the UK an outstanding place in which to start, grow, scale, and invest – to ensure that brilliant ideas are built and scaled into multi-billion-pound companies in the UK, our manufacturing sector is supported to thrive, and that we drive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Driving health innovation and National Health Service (NHS) reform – ensuring patients get rapid access to the most clinically and cost-effective new technologies, and enabling the shifts from sickness to prevention, hospital to community, and analogue to digital.
With life sciences accounting for around 17% of all UK business R&D expenditure, the sector is central to the UK’s innovation landscape and economic competitiveness. To drive early impact, the government will initially focus on six headline actions:
Health Data Research Service (HDRS) – A £600 million investment will create a secure, AI-ready health data platform integrating genomic, diagnostic, and clinical data to attract global trials and research.
Faster clinical trials – Building on the O’Shaughnessy reforms, the UK will reduce trial setup times to under 150 days and aims to double commercial trial participation by 2026 and again by 2029.
Manufacturing investment – Up to £520 million will be deployed through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) to enhance sovereign capability, strengthen domestic health resilience and supply chain security.
Streamlined regulation and market access – The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will become more agile, with international reliance models and better alignment with the National Institute for Health and care Excellence (NICE) to speed up access to medicines and medical devices.
Simplified NHS procurement – A new Rules-Based Pathway and NHS Innovator Passport will make it easier for innovative products to be adopted across the health system.
Strategic industry partnerships – The government will secure at least one major partnership annually with leading life sciences companies and provide dedicated support for 10–20 high-potential UK companies to scale, attract investment, and remain UK-based.
The plan envisions a dynamic ecosystem where science, capital, industry, and the NHS work will be uniting their strengths. By 2035, the UK aims to be a global leader in science, genomics, regulatory, and clinical research infrastructure. This will be enabled by a data ecosystem that drives research, diagnosis, with a strong focus on prevention. Our capital markets will support and fund entrepreneurs to scale, and - critically - our health system will adopt and scale innovation, from medicines to medtech and AI enabled technologies.
To measure progress, four key targets have been set:
Each headline action has a named senior responsible officer to ensure accountability. Progress will be tracked through annual implementation updates. The Life Sciences Council, co-chaired by government and industry, will meet biannually to oversee delivery.
hVIVO is a leading full-service early-phase Contract Research Organisation, globally recognised for our expertise in human challenge trials. We offer end-to-end clinical development services, including virology and immunology lab support through our hLAB division.
hVIVO has expanded its service offering through the recent acquisitions of Clinical Research Services (CRS), enhancing our early-phase clinical trial services, and Cryostore, a specialist in high-quality, temperature-controlled storage solutions for biological and clinical materials. Venn Life Sciences, a subsidiary of hVIVO, contributes consulting and biometry expertise, while FluCamp supports patient recruitment. With five clinical trial sites, hVIVO offers a seamless pathway from preclinical research through to Phase III trials.
The UK Life Sciences Sector Plan positions the UK as a more efficient, data-rich, and sponsor-friendly environment for clinical research. This presents multiple strategic advantages for hVIVO and its subsidiaries:
hVIVO is pleased to see the UK Government’s continued commitment to strengthening the life sciences sector through its latest strategic plan. With significant infrastructure investment and policy support, the UK is positioning itself as a global leader in life sciences innovation, research, and development.
hVIVO has established a working partnership with the Office for Life Sciences in support of their sector plan. Our Chief Executive Officer, Yamin Mohammed Khan, was recently featured in the UK Government’s life sciences sector plan press release.
As a company headquartered in the UK, we actively contribute to the strength of this ecosystem. The emphasis on building and expanding infrastructure within the UK not only reinforces the country’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge science, but also creates exciting opportunities for collaboration, talent development, and long-term growth.
We are especially pleased to see the rise of Canary Wharf as one of the UK’s most dynamic life sciences communities. Our relocation to Canary Wharf places us at the heart of this emerging cluster, surrounded by world-class facilities, academic institutions, and fellow innovators. It is an inspiring environment that reflects the UK’s ambition to lead the future of life sciences.
The UK Life Sciences Sector Plan represents a major step forward in shaping a world-leading ecosystem for biomedical innovation, clinical research, and life sciences investment - one that hVIVO is proud to be part of.
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