BIA update - 13 October 2025
It’s TechBio week and we’re celebrating the UK’s leading role in AI and life sciences with significant investment and interest from global players and our own flagship TechBio UK conference and 2025 report launch.
In other news, we reflect on the BIA’s deepening relationship with Japan and the team’s takeaways from the Party Conferences. Don’t forget that BIA Board Elections close this Friday, 17 October. We had a record number of member companies voting this year – make sure you have cast yours (it is one company, one vote)!
Jane Wall
Managing Director, BIA
TechBio takes centre stage: BIA TechBio UK conference, report and ecosystem spotlight
It's officially TechBio week and BIA is leading the conversation by hosting our flagship TechBio UK conference this Thursday, 16 October 2025, in King's Place, London. TechBio, the intersection of biology and computational technology, has never been more relevant, offering transformative, fundamental solutions to global sustainability and the acceleration of targeted prevention, diagnosis and therapeutics for patients.
To mark the occasion, we're also launching our major new TechBio report this week, cementing the UK's position as a global leader in this frontier area. The report reveals that TechBio now accounts for over 40% of all UK biotech deals, confirming its move from a niche field into the mainstream.
The conference agenda is packed with insight, featuring international keynotes from Chris Gibson (CEO of Recursion) and Professor Charlotte Deane (EPSRC Executive Chair).
Discussions are set to tackle critical questions, including the roadblocks that remain for AI to be truly transformational and what companies need to know to appeal to investors in 2025.
New sessions this year include our Investor Breakfast and the member-only session, focusing on policy, community, and collaboration. Also dedicated parallel tracks focusing on Therapeutics, Diagnostics and monitoring, and Deep Biotech.
We’re excited about two additional events in London this week with a TechBio focus. Firstly, the high-profile Cleveland Clinic Life Science Summit tomorrow, Tuesday, 14 October, focused on "Frontiers in Therapeutics," exploring the convergence of AI, investment, and breakthroughs in therapeutic innovation. Followed by the launch of One Triton Square on Wednesday, 15 October, the new 313,000 sq ft innovation hub from British Land and Royal London Asset Management. It’s set to be an inspirational week, focused on the opportunity to advance growth through the technological advances in artificial intelligence and life sciences that we celebrate in TechBio – and its transformative potential for the UK and beyond.
New chapter in UK-Japan life sciences: BIA signs key partnership
Dr Martin Turner, our Director of Policy and External Affairs, was at BioJapan last week to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA). This partnership deepens collaboration between two of the largest life science and biotech hubs outside of the US, aiming to accelerate medical innovation and the commercialisation of engineering biology, a priority area for both governments to drive economic growth.
Driving the UK scale-up agenda at LSEG
Back on the domestic front, the BIA was proud to support the Future Healthcare Forum at the London Stock Exchange last week, in collaboration with FTI Consulting, Deutsche Bank Numis, Crowe and the Department for Business and Trade. The event was a great networking opportunity for BIA members with City stakeholders; Lewis Miles, BIA's Policy and Public Affairs Manager, was pleased to see so many of you there. BIA Chair Dan Mahony brought proceedings to a close by passionately articulating the critical role that UK pension funds must play in providing scale-up capital for life sciences.
Conservative Party conference event: retaining life science scale-ups
Following our engagement at the Labour conference last week, we hosted an important discussion at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, focusing on how the UK can get better at retaining its life science companies. The panel, including George Freeman MP, was united in its diagnosis: the UK’s world-class science base often serves as an incubator for US investors due to a persistent lack of access to late-stage domestic capital. Lisa Anson (RedX Pharma) raised the importance of fostering a stronger cultural appetite for risk in the UK, while Toby Reid (Pioneer Group) advocated for mandating pension fund investment to create the necessary pools of capital. The challenge of developing future UK leaders was also highlighted by Lucy Foley (eXmoor Pharma).
We know what it takes
I attended another great event from Blood Cancer UK, hosted by Helen and Alastair Campbell. Super engaging panel with Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, NHS England, Scott Arthur MP – Sponsor of the Rare Cancers Bill, and Mphango Simwaka – diagnosed at the age of 24 with acute myeloid leukaemia, one of the hardest to treat blood cancers.
Candid discussions on patient experiences, insight into how national policy and practice can evolve to meet urgent needs and sharing why political leadership and legislative action are vital to unlocking progress.
All topped off with some snippets of wisdom on good communication from somebody who knows a thing or two about it...
I’ve been moved by the campaign ‘We know what it takes’, and it was great to meet Mphango in person and discuss the very real challenges of getting the right information in front of communities.
Commercial environment and US negotiations: US-UK deal appears to be progressing
It’s been reported that the government has formally presented a proposal to the Trump administration to increase the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold by 25% in a direct bid to stave off threatened US tariffs on our sector. This move would allow patients to access more innovative but potentially costly medicines, thereby addressing the long-standing US and industry complaint that UK drug pricing undervalues innovation and reduces the incentives for new medicines to launch here.
It’s clear that these negotiations are happening at the highest level between No. 10 and Washington, DC - outside of the usual UK industry-government frameworks. We are monitoring the situation, and have made clear in our public and private communications to government that they must ensure the UK environment works for small, medium and large companies alike. Whilst it is encouraging that the issue is being taken seriously at the highest levels of government, we all await the details.
In parallel, global pharma companies make strategic shifts with high-profile pricing agreements being struck directly with the US government, including AstraZeneca, heralded by an AZ visit to the White House last week.
Final call: BIA Board elections closing
A critical reminder to all eligible members: BIA Board elections are closing next week! Please ensure you cast your vote by 5 pm on Friday, 17 October to help shape the strategic direction and leadership of your organisation. One member company, one vote. Your participation is vital.
