The West Midlands is cementing its position as the UK’s epicentre of life sciences as biotech, medtech, academia and business combine to “shape a better future for this generation and the next.”
West Midlands Life Science Week, a five-day celebration of science and health innovation, runs from September 15 to 19 at locations across Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Among the brands involved are Plug and Play, the global innovation platform; PHTA (Precision Health Technologies Accelerator); Bruntwood, leaders in life sciences real estate; Crowe UK, specialists in audit and tax for health sectors; Medilink Midlands, the UK’s largest health tech network; and WMHTC (West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster).Health Innovation West Midlands, the ‘Give Plasma, Save Lives’ campaign and global advisors Gateley Global are also involved in the event, which centres on four key areas:
Pharmaceutical & biotech: drug discovery, novel therapies, global research.
Medical technology & diagnostics: tools, devices, diagnostics, clinical practice.
Academic institutions: university research shared with the private sector.
Investors: emerging ventures and opening doors to capital and scaling opportunities.
Participants include leading institutions such as the University of Birmingham (UoB)’s Clinical Immunology Services (CIS), Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC), UB Healthcare and the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA).
Private sector supporters include Birmingham City FC, IT firm Intercity, wealth managers Quilter Cheviot, Starting Point Recruitment and R&D tax credit experts ABGI-UK.
Professor Neil Hanley, UoB’s pro-vice-chancellor and head of the College of Medicine and Health, said: “Health and life sciences is a multi-billion-pound sector based in the square-mile district surrounding the University of Birmingham.
"Alongside health improvement, we are turning it towards private enterprise, economic growth and job creation in ways we haven't done before.
“It's exciting. New research awards from the last few years have topped £500m in areas such as international clinical trials, genomics, health data and regulatory science. Our Health Tech Innovation Accelerator programme has already helped hundreds of small companies.
“In short, there are unparalleled successes and even greater opportunities that we need to shout about in delivering for the UK. Life Sciences Week is helping us do that, and I am hugely grateful to everyone involved for all the hard work that has gone in.”
Professor Gino Martini, PHTA CEO said: “Our region is full of untapped potential in life sciences and medtech. The infrastructure, talent and innovation are not future ambitions - they’re real, current assets that many other regions across the country are only beginning to build.
“It’s now time to think bigger, which is why this inaugural Life Sciences Week is so perfectly timed, and why we’re proud to sponsor it. We really need to focus on showcasing the Midlands as a region that’s ready to deliver for the sector.”
David Kidney, chair of Life Sciences Week advisory board and of WMHTC, said: “Health innovation is really buzzing in the West Midlands and this inaugural Life Sciences Week is one more sign of a growing confidence and self-belief. It has the potential to become a must-attend event - not just this year, but every year.”
Professor Paul Cadman, co-founder of WM Life Sciences Week, said: “Innovation, growth, improving health outcomes, advances in biomedical capabilities - that’s what this is about.
"By gathering together biotech and medtech experts, entrepreneurs, investors and big brands focused on life sciences, we are harnessing the unique energy of the West Midlands to shape a better future for this generation and the next.”
