£1bn investment identified by NHSA for North of England life sciences

The government has named the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) as its delivery partner for the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Sector Deal.

The NHSA represents leaders from the North of England’s leading research universities, NHS Trusts and Academic Health Science Networks. The organisation has worked with a number of companies to identify £1 billion of planned investments in life sciences across Northern England in the next five years.

The NHSA will begin working with the government in 2018 to ensure that the Industrial Strategy in life sciences is place-based. The organisation has identified areas where the North is best placed to support the delivery of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy. The NHSA states that the North is best placed to support the strategy in data, increasing NHS collaboration, skills, growth and infrastructure, delivering components of the newly created Healthcare Advanced Research Partnership (HARP), manufacturing and in reinforcing the UK’s science offer.

This year, the Northern Independent Economic Review identified health innovation as one of the North’s sectors with potential for development and growth.

The North currently receives 13.5% of government funding into health research. If this was raised to 20% - the current level invested by the private industry – an extra £200 million could be added to the North’s economy.

Dr Hakim Yadi, CEO of the NHSA said: “We are thrilled to be working with the government to deliver a life sciences sector deal that delivers for the North.

“The NHSA is partnering with the government to make sure that the Life Science’s Industrial Strategy plays to the region’s specific strengths, making the most of its considerable assets, and building towards a healthier and wealthier Northern Powerhouse.

“Our work with industry and leading health partners has identified this vibrant sector already has £1 billion of investment planned in Life Sciences over the next five years.

“Through this announcement we now have the opportunity to galvanise the North’s health innovation economy by working as a partner with government. We will make sure investments made as part of the Life Science Industrial Strategy sector deals are made in the right areas that increase our infrastructure capacity while supporting the growth of life science business across the North.”