UK government announces £10 million life sciences innovation scheme
A £10 million scheme will give UK researchers and businesses the chance to work together to develop treatments and cures.
Launched by life sciences minister Nadhim Zahawi, the new Innovation Scholars Scheme, will support secondments for academics to develop new technologies and techniques to help NHS patients as soon as possible.
The scheme offers investment to support collaboration in life sciences between researchers and industry.
It will include developing new healthcare wearable technologies such as smartwatches and monitors, diagnostic devices like mobile health units, and new personalised medicines based on patients’ genetic information.
Today, the government also announced six new locations that have been awarded the designation of Life Science Opportunity Zone (LSOZ). These zones will be able to attract investment from national and international businesses linking research expertise with business skills.
They also highlight the opportunities of the such as vacant lab space, land to build new facilities, or links with higher education. Their special designation will help them attract investment and deliver jobs, drive economic growth and deliver improved health based on the UK’s expertise in life sciences.
The new LSOZs are:
- Stevenage Advanced Therapies Campus, Hertfordshire
- Birmingham Life Sciences Park, West Midlands
- Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire
- Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridgeshire
- Porton Science Park, Wiltshire
- Discovery Park, Sandwich, Kent
Experts working in the six new Life Science Opportunity Zones will have government support to promote their life sciences parks, through government officials working with the zones to attract investment from national and international businesses.
Researchers in the industry have already made huge advances in areas including early diagnosis, genomics, data, digital pathology and radiology, clinical research and manufacturing.
Life sciences minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “The UK is home to one of the strongest, most vibrant health and life science industries globally, with discoveries and improvements in health diagnosis transforming people’s lives.
“Collaboration is vital to growing this sector and this new £10 million scheme will support the exchanging of ideas, knowledge and skills between researchers and businesses while encouraging strong collaboration with them, the NHS and the government.”