8 October 2026

Engagement with Government and Parliament

Welcome to the back-to-school edition of Lab Bench to Front Bench.

The summer brought a new Prime Minister, a new Cabinet and a new home for life sciences in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. September brought conference season and a first look at what the Burnham Government plans to do with the job.

New ministers mean new briefings to write and new relationships to build, and we've been doing both. Members can catch up on what the changes mean for the sector in our exclusive briefing and webinar recording.

ICYMI, in September we:

Made the case for an innovation and growth-focused Budget. Our representation to HM Treasury calls for bold steps to back British companies, reward founders and investors and encourage serial entrepreneurship and reinvestment. Through the APPG for Life Sciences secretariat, we also helped convene a cross-party letter to the Chancellor that unites these asks with those of the wider sector.

Brought UKRI and investors together for a half-day workshop to align public funding decisions with what VCs look for, smoothing the path from grant to private capital.
Took members' voice to the Reform, Liberal Democrat and Labour conferences, where relationships are built and policy takes shape. You can read our dispatches so far, with more to come.
Briefed Science Select Committee member Freddie van Mierlo MP on how the UK–US pharma deal affects SMEs, after he pressed the Secretary of State on their representation in the deal's joint taskforce. We set out why the commercial environment matters for SMEs, and how weaker global investment means fewer partnerships, spin-outs and trials and a thinner talent pool. We've offered to support the case for a Committee inquiry into life sciences innovation.
Brought the sector's regional story to Number 10 North. Chris Molloy met the Prime Minister's Manchester-based team to discuss how strong clusters and national infrastructure give members a home advantage, which is central to the Government's regional growth agenda.
Convened members with OLS on the UK's international life sciences priorities and China. The discussion covered China's health and innovation system, market entry and the bilateral partnership. Members' insights will shape our work with government, including through the China Special Interest Group.
Hosted OLS Director Kenan Poleo at his first Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership meeting, a group supported by BIA which continuously works to sustain the UK's leading position in medicines manufacturing technologies. We discussed the Government's vision for medicines manufacturing, along with pandemic preparedness, high-potential modalities, sustainability, incentives and regulation.
Pressed the MHRA to match higher fees with better service. In response to its consultation on statutory fees from April 2027, we welcomed the MHRA's enhanced support for SMEs and improved scientific advice. We also accepted that some fees need to rise, but raised concerns about the lack of a clear plan for service improvement. We called for transparent service standards and KPIs, developed with industry, so that members know what they are paying for.
Restarted engagement on copyright and AI after Government progress stalled in March, meeting with the Copyright & AI teams at BIST, UKIPO and DCMS in September. Government are trying to better understand sector-specific barriers to accessing (copyrighted) data for the use of AI models, opening the door to a potential life sciences exception. BIA's IP and Data & AI committees are working together to support these efforts, including through interviews with biotechs over the coming months.

Spotlight: Strengthening the UK life sciences talent pipeline

The UK’s ability to develop, attract and retain world‑class talent is central to maintaining global competitiveness across the biotech and innovative life sciences sector. Over this past year, BIA has been engaging with Government to ensure that domestic workforce plans and immigration policy align with the sector’s growth ambitions.

This spotlight feature summarises those key developments, which include influencing the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan, linking to UK-wide workforce strategies, responding to the call for evidence on the Skilled Worker visa and engaging with an innovative pilot for research intensive businesses to engage with the Global Talent visa.

A more strategic life sciences jobs plan

BIA and our members played a vital role in shaping Government’s Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan, launched in July. It aims to address skills shortages across research, biomanufacturing, clinical development and innovative digital skills such as those within data driven discovery.

Through BIA skills community workshops and roundtable discussions with policymakers, members shared first-hand evidence of the workforce challenges facing innovative biotech companies: from practical lab skills and work-readiness, to specialist digital, manufacturing, regulatory and leadership capabilities.

As a result, BIA believes the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan is grounded in partnership between government, industry and the wider skills ecosystem. It acknowledges that no single organisation can address the sector’s workforce challenges alone, and that continued collaboration will be needed to deliver the actions set out in the plan, monitor progress and respond to future skills needs.

BIA member case studies, including People Focussed Recruitment to Broaden Access to GMP Careers from Autolus, Progression Opportunities at Moderna and Enhanced Family-Friendly Parental Leave from AstraZeneca show that our sector is not waiting for government direction, it is building talent pathways that match business needs to national priorities.

Publication of the Jobs Plan is both a recognition of our influence and a call to stay engaged.

By continuing to share evidence, participate in policy discussions and champion inclusive pathways into biotech, BIA is helping turn the plan’s ambitions into practical change for innovative life sciences companies across the UK.

BIA will continue to work with members to ensure the Jobs Plan is delivered. Member evidence will remain essential in shaping implementation, identifying gaps and ensuring the skills system supports companies at every stage of growth.

Linking life sciences talent policy to wider UK workforce strategy

As part of the UK’s wider workforce strategy, BIA has also engaged with initiatives such as the North Sea Jobs Service (NSJS), a UK-wide government service designed to support oil and gas workers to move into new, secure employment in Industrial Strategy priority sectors. The service provides tailored careers advice, jobs matching, brokerage and access to training to help workers transition into new roles, with the first users expected to receive support in early 2027.

For members, the NSJS offers free routes to access experienced candidates with highly transferable skills, while reducing recruitment costs and effort. The service includes roles such as production managers and directors in manufacturing, laboratory technicians, engineering professionals, quality assurance and regulatory professionals, chemical and related process operatives and science, engineering and production technicians, demonstrating the significant overlap between the skills needs of both sectors.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has engaged with several BIA members across advanced manufacturing and is particularly keen to meet with employers that operate in Scotland or North East England, given the concentration of oil and gas workers in these regions. However, it also welcomes discussions with BIA members across the UK.

Skilled Worker Visa: recent changes and sector impact

Our sector relies on the balance of international and domestic talent to start, grow and scale successfully. BIA has long argued that to be at the forefront of global competition, the UK’s immigration system must better reflect the realities of scientific innovation, early‑career talent pathways and the salary structures of research‑led companies. Thanks to the collective voice of BIA members, that message was firmly embedded in the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) current policy direction.

A BIA member consultation told us the current system suffers from misaligned salary thresholds, in particular for new entrants and technician‑level skills essential to GMP manufacturing, and administrative complexity of the system that disadvantages SMEs.

MAC work is directly shaped by stakeholder evidence, so this feedback from our members was impactful. MAC has reassessed the general and occupation‑specific thresholds, revisited the range and complexity of discounts and reviewed the Temporary Shortage List using submissions from representative bodies such as BIA.

Crucially for our sector, the MAC’s proposed £33,400 new‑entrant rate exactly reflects the challenges BIA members raised regarding early‑career scientists and specialist manufacturing technicians being priced out of sponsorship. This salary is now embedded within current Skilled Worker visa reforms, and the range/complexity of discounts has also been significantly reduced.

Zoe Arnott, Manager at CPI, said:

I am grateful to have been part of the discussion regarding the Skilled Worker Cisa salary threshold through BIA. It was a chance to share experiences where the high Skilled Worker visa salary threshold has effectively blocked early‑career international scientists from staying in the UK, especially in regions like the north-east where entry‑level salaries tend to be lower. We value and rely on talent, international and domestic. The issue isn’t a reluctance to pay competitive wages; it’s that recent international graduates are now expected to earn mid‑career salaries, which is unrealistic and unsustainable. Without a threshold that reflects genuine graduate‑level pay, we risk losing talented people already trained in our universities and worsening the skills gap in biologics manufacturing

Global Talent Visa pilot with UKRI

The Global Talent Visa is another important immigration route for our sector. It allows specialised global talent to work in the UK, provided they have professional endorsement.

UKRI is running a pilot that widens the eligibility for the Global Talent Visa (GTV), so that research-intensive businesses in the UK can become approved host organisations. This will allow qualifying companies to support international research and innovation talent through a flexible, fast-track route designed for globally mobile specialists.

BIA has worked closely with the UKRI to ensure that innovative biotech companies are able to access this opportunity, and we have identified a number of member companies to make use of the pilot. It will lower administrative barriers and grant greater flexibility to recruit top international talent.

Roslin Technologies is one of the pilot companies:

We have been delighted to be part of the UKRI Global Talent Visa pilot. The support and guidance from the UKRI team has been excellent, making the process straightforward and providing reassurance throughout. Programmes like this are hugely valuable to innovative businesses such as Roslin Technologies, helping to strengthen the UK's position as a global leader in life sciences by supporting access to world-class talent. We are very grateful for the opportunity to take part and look forward to seeing the continued success of the programme.

How industry engagement through BIA continues to shape talent policy

Across domestic workforce planning and international visa reforms, Government has shown a willingness to collaborate with BIA and our members. We have played a pivotal role by providing evidence on workforce shortages, highlighting the competitive pressures facing UK biotech and demonstrating how targeted immigration routes can accelerate innovation.

This ongoing dialogue ensures that:

Policy decisions are grounded in sector‑specific data.
Immigration routes support both early‑career and senior scientific talent.
The UK remains globally attractive for researchers, engineers and innovators.

As the Life Sciences Sector Jobs Plan evolves and immigration frameworks continue to adapt, sustained engagement between industry and government will remain essential. Expansion of the Global Talent visa for innovative businesses is a clear example of how collaborative advocacy can deliver meaningful change and it signals a broader shift toward recognising the unique needs of high‑innovation sectors.

For biotech companies navigating these changes, staying informed and actively participating in consultation processes will be key to ensuring the UK remains a world leader in life sciences research, development and manufacturing.

What we've been reading

The Times: How British Business Bank boss gave UK firms a sporting chance. The outgoing chief executive, Louis Taylor, reflects on turning a body defined by Covid-19 loan controversy into a £25.6 billion sovereign growth fund. He makes an argument familiar to BIA members: the UK's problem isn't a lack of capital, but that pension savings rarely reach home-grown scale-ups. This is a useful read as the British Business Bank, now committed to nine open life sciences venture and venture growth capital funds, changes leadership mid-push on domestic capital.

Scaling the OxCam Corridor. The report, published with the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, benchmarks the corridor against the world's leading innovation