Pioneer responds to the Life Sciences Sector Plan
The UK government has officially launched its landmark Life Sciences Sector Plan, backed by over £2 billion in public funding and spearheaded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Business and Trade, and Health and Social Care.
The ambitious ten-year roadmap forms a central pillar of the government’s wider Industrial Strategy and its 10 Year Health Plan, aiming to position the UK as Europe’s leading and the world’s third largest life sciences economy by 2035.
The plan revolves around three core pillars:
1. Enabling World Class R&D – Enhancing the UK’s science capabilities through increased support for biomedical discovery, advanced diagnostics, genomics, and AI-enabled research
2. Making the UK an Outstanding Place to Start, Scale & Invest – Backing domestic scaling, attracting global capital, and fostering partnerships to prevent UK firms from relocating abroad
3. Driving Health Innovation & NHS Reform – Accelerating clinical trial deployment, building health data infrastructure, and rolling out low friction procurement to modernise patient care
Key measures
Amongst the headline commitments are:
• A £2 billion funding package to support R&D, manufacturing, and clinical trial infrastructure
• Planning and regulatory reforms to speed up the delivery of lab and R&D facilities across the UK
• Expanded support for early-stage companies and scale-ups, with improved access to capital through the British Business Bank
• A renewed focus on regional innovation clusters, including in the North of England, Scotland, and the Midlands, moving beyond the traditional 'Golden Triangle' of London, Oxford, and Cambridge
• Boosting UK-based manufacturing capacity to reduce reliance on international supply chains and enhance national health resilience
Another priority is reducing the UK’s reliance on foreign capital, particularly from the US, by stimulating domestic investment in R&D-intensive firms. The plan will see increased government backing for venture funding, as well as initiatives to attract institutional investors into the life sciences ecosystem.
Richard O’Boyle, Executive Director of Pioneer Group, commented on the Plan:
We welcome the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan and its clear recognition that infrastructure is fundamental to driving innovation and unlocking the full potential of the UK’s life sciences sector. As the UK and Ireland’s leading developer of life sciences real estate, Pioneer Group has witnessed firsthand the surging demand for specialist facilities, as well as the supply constraints that risk holding the sector back. It is encouraging to see the Plan directly tackle these issues, particularly through commitments to expand lab capacity beyond the traditional Golden Triangle and placing a strong focus on planning and regulatory reform. The £2 billion funding commitment, alongside efforts to scale UK-based manufacturing and clinical trials, sends a clear signal of intent and will further accelerate demand for fit-for-purpose lab and innovation space.
He continued:
This Plan rightly acknowledges that scientific progress doesn’t happen in isolation. It flourishes in thriving ecosystems - with the right infrastructure, talent, investment, and support networks in place. At Pioneer Group, we’re proud to play a central role in building those ecosystems, delivering high-quality lab and office space, investment capital, accelerator programmes, and scale-up support.
