BIA update – 23 March 2026

There are a number of significant moving pieces right now in the sector, including the major strategic shift at UKRI and Innovate launched last Thursday. For BIA specifically, we are excited to be launching BIA BioSolutions this week, a strategic branch of the broader BIA, representing the innovators, investors, pioneers and large corporates using biological processes to transform global industries – from food and agriculture to chemicals, materials, environment and fuels. This comes at a pivotal point of interesting investment from international corporates and positive signs in fundraising, and a strong geopolitical drive to be more self-sufficient and reminder of our over-reliance on oil and gas.

Jane Wall
Managing Director, BIA

Launching BIA BioSolutions 

BIA BioSolutions is a space where engineering, biology, innovation and industry converge to support companies to grow, scale and succeed.  

Scientific breakthroughs alone aren't enough to transform industries; they require supportive policies, long-term investment, and the right infrastructure to grow ideas into market-ready products. BIA BioSolutions exists to bring these strands together. By showcasing how biology drives real-world solutions, from climate-resistant crops to carbon-neutral biofuels, we are securing the UK’s position as a global leader in the industrial transition to Net Zero. 

Alongside our new website, we have launched a dedicated BIA BioSolutions LinkedIn page – both a communications hub and a focal point for our community to engage and influence. All of this momentum is building toward our flagship event, BioSolutions UK, on 21 April in London. The future is bio-engineered, and we are providing the platform to scale it. 

Biosolutions impact 

As we launch BIA BioSolutions it was great to see Syngenta’s $120 million investment in their new "BioStar" research centre at Jealott’s Hill in a resounding vote of confidence in the UK. Notably, they cited the UK’s science-led regulatory approach as a primary motivator, proof that our advocacy for a proportional, innovation-friendly regime is making the UK a premier destination for global R&D. At BIA we have championed the precision breeding developments in the UK and it’s great to see that innovation enabling and driving investment.  

Our influence continues to expand beyond the UK. Linda Bedenik, Head of Biosolutions and International Policy, was in Brussels last week, joining the European Biosolutions Coalition for a high-profile roundtable on Europe’s biotechnology framework. We assessed the regulatory complexity and investment hurdles that remain barriers across Europe, and shared insights on how the UK is charging ahead through patient capital reforms and regulatory sandboxes. 

New strategy from Innovate UK 

Last week, I attended the launch of Innovate UK’s new strategy: "Turning breakthrough ideas into industry giants." The argument for the new strategy is convincing: in order to achieve ‘above average growth’ we need to treat R&D as central to economic development – with meaningful outcomes and returns on that very significant investment. Industrial strategy provides priority areas that should enable a more focussed and less scattergun approach to funding and supporting companies – including life sciences, engineering biology, high value manufacturing and AI. Curiosity research needs economic growth – and vice versa – the mutual interest needs to be more strongly recognised.

Whilst the strategy is visionary and clear in focus, much of the mechanism for delivery and re-plumbing of the existing system remains unclear – and whilst our community will absolutely be welcoming of the proposal to back companies for longer as they scale – the question around decision-making and judgement on who gets backed will need careful consideration and deeper engagement with the sector.

We look forward to engaging with the Innovate UK team to ensure the sector is supported impactfully and in alignment with the growth mission. 

Securonomics 

The Chancellor’s Mais Lecture this week perfectly mirrored this ambition. Rachel Reeves outlined a "Securonomics" roadmap that places biology and AI at the heart of the UK’s growth. Key highlights for our sector include: 

• A step change in AI: The launch of a £500 million Sovereign AI Unit and new "Growth Labs" for regulatory sandboxing to accelerate the testing of innovative medicines and technologies. 

• The Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor: A doubling of funding to £800 million to remove development barriers and cement the region as the "Silicon Valley of Europe."

Staying on the digital front, the Government finally published its long-awaited report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence. While we welcome the focus, the decision to roll back from a preferred "opt-out" option in favour of further taskforces and consultations creates ongoing uncertainty. The life sciences sector needs clear regulatory guidance; delays in policymaking risk widening the gap between the UK and more permissive markets. We will continue to represent the life sciences voice in this debate through our TechBio and IP communities. 

2026 Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators

The 2026 Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators published last week offer a retrospective view of the UK’s performance across research, clinical trials, investment, manufacturing and skills. As the data lags by one to two years, some metrics, particularly clinical trial recruitment, don’t yet reflect what we have seen over the last year. Even so, the indicators show a mixed picture: strong scientific performance and a significant rebound in equity finance in 2024 (£4.5 billion, up 32%) sit alongside more concerning trends, including a reduction in the UK pharma export value, a shrinking STEM graduate pipeline and a fall in pharmaceutical manufacturing GVA. The message is clear: the government still has work to do to address the UK’s systemic challenges. The BIA is actively engaging with policymakers to highlight these issues and champion the solutions our members need to unlock the UK’s full life sciences potential. 

Nurturing the next generation: PULSE 2026 

We’ve just wrapped up an incredible three days of PULSE 2026 in collaboration with the Francis Crick Institute. Now in its ninth year, PULSE remains the safe space for first-time CEOs to pressure-test their ideas and their pitches, whilst building incredible networks  now clocking up over 200 alumni! 

Member milestone 

Mestag Therapeutics announced a $40 million financing round to propel their fibroblast immunology programs into the clinic, bringing their total committed funds to over $95 million. Huge congratulations to Susan Hill and the team!