Influencing and shaping our sector | BIA update: October 2019 - January 2020

The BioIndustry Association (BIA)’s ongoing engagement enables our members’ voices to be heard at the highest levels. This quarterly update gives an overview of key policy developments and the BIA’s continued engagement with policymakers, regulatory authorities and wider stakeholders on behalf of the UK life sciences sector, from October 2019 to January 2020.

It has been a busy quarter at the BIA – from engaging with all the main political parties during the General Election campaign and analysing the parties’ manifestos, to working with the new Government on the future UK-EU relationship and its new R&D funding plans.

We have published new figures that shows that the UK biotech sector raised £1.3 billion in 2019, the third best year on record and an increase by over 400% since 2012. We have continued our work to enable BIA members to access international opportunities by leading a delegation to China and delivering on a Memorandum of Understanding commitment to exchange member directories with a Japanese trade association. Our team has also continued to work to ensure the sector will have access to the skills it needs in the future and secured representation on government/industry forums to ensure patients in the NHS can access innovative treatments. Read about all this and much more in the report.