The world is knocking: Global interest in UK biotech rises – and BIA is leaning in

The UK’s life sciences and biotech sector has long been recognised for its scientific excellence, vibrant innovation and dynamic startup culture around the globe. In the past year, interest in our business ecosystem from international partners has markedly accelerated. In this blog, the BioIndustry Association’s (BIA) Head of Biosolutions & International Policy, Linda Bedenik, tells us what this looks like and what BIA does to champion UK biotech abroad. 

From Asia‑Pacific to Europe and North to South America, governments, investors and industry bodies are turning their attention to the UK biotech sector. BIA is at the heart of that engagement, proactively championing the sector on the world stage, opening commercial opportunities for UK innovators and steering global sector policy. 

BIA’s international impact is also evident in its digital reach. The BIA website welcomes around 172,000 users annually and receives 465,000 page views, with the majority of traffic (56%) coming from outside the UK, particularly the US, Europe, China and India. It is clear that BIA acts as the trusted global source of insight into and access to UK biotech. 

Rising global interest 

In 2025 alone, BIA received 25 requests for engagement from organisations across 16 countries, the majority coming from foreign government-linked bodies. This indicates strong strategic interest in the UK’s biotechnology capabilities and commercial potential. 

These requests typically fall into one of three areas: 

• Strategic interest – organisations or governments looking to understand the strengths of the UK ecosystem and explore areas for collaboration. 

• Ecosystem navigation – delegations seeking expert insight on how UK biotech operates, where opportunities lie, and how best to engage. 

• Opportunities for BIA members – international bodies wanting to offer services, incentives, or partnership models that could benefit UK companies. 

Examples include Denmark’s exploration of UK investment opportunities, South Korea’s interest in UK synthetic biology and Canada’s outreach offering programmes to UK companies to engage with their life sciences hub. 

This breadth and depth of engagement reflects a clear message: the world sees great opportunity in UK biotech, and BIA is ready to make the most of it for our members. 

A worldwide network of partnerships 

From Winnipeg to Saskatchewan, Singapore to Tokyo, Beijing to Delhi, Seoul to Taipei, and all the way back to our European neighbours in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark, BIA’s international relationships have expanded significantly in the last few years. We have five formal partnerships in place which we harness to represent members on the global stage, strengthen policy influence, accelerate collaboration and enhance the UK’s global life sciences presence: 

• Japan (JBA) – MoU signed in 2025, with particular focus on championing engineering biology 

• Australia (AusBiotech) – MoU signed in 2025, to expedite the commercialisation of innovative medicines 

• EuropaBio – active membership supporting pan‑European alignment on policy and regulation 

• European Biosolutions Coalition (EBC) – partner to the pan-European initiative elevating the prominence of biosolutions on the European agenda 

• International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA) – active membership to the global network of national biotech trade associations spanning 32 countries. 

In parallel, the UK Government has been pursuing strong bilateral relations with allies around the world to champion the life sciences and other sectors identified as priorities under the 2025 Industrial Strategy. These include a first of its kind UK-India FTA, enhanced trade and collaboration agreements with Japan and Switzerland and the ongoing UK-EU reset negotiations. These agreements promise to aid R&D collaboration, attract VC investment or ease market access. Through targeted activities, BIA ensures bilateral agreements are beneficial to the life sciences sector and upholds strong trade and IP rights.  

Influencing global policy 

BIA gives UK biotech a powerful voice in global fora where the start-up and SME voice is often underrepresented. We actively engage with topics at the World Health Organization (WHO), World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to influence international policies that impact our sector. This includes the WHO Pandemic Agreement and the governance of genetic resources and sequence information under the Nagoya Protocol and Cali Fund, as well as major regional and national legislation such as the EU’s pharma package and Biotech Act, and the US’ BIOSECURE Act.  

Championing the UK at global conferences 

In 2025, BIA represented UK biotech at 11 major international conferences, including the BIO International Convention in the US and BIO-Europe, BioJapan, Synbiobeta (leading a UK pavilion), BIOEquity and Advanced Therapies (US and EU).  

At these conferences, BIA spotlights the UK ecosystem, facilitates events and supports member companies in networking and partnership building. In 2026, you will find BIA at BioEurope Spring in March, the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Med in April, the Swiss Biotech Days and BioEquity Europe in May, the BIO International Convention and Bio Innovations Europe in June, and BIOJapan in October.  

A clear message: UK biotech is in demand 

Governments and organisations around the world have turned their attention to the UK, and at every step, BIA is working to ensure this international attention translates into real opportunities for UK biotech companies – opening new markets, forging partnerships, influencing global policy and showcasing the UK on the world stage. 

As our international engagement continues to grow, BIA will deepen its strategic partnerships,  maintain strong government connections to influence global policy, support members at major global conferences and ensure the UK remains one of the world’s strongest biotech ecosystems. 

Something caught your interest? Get in touch with our Associate Director for Membership and Business Development, Natalie Garrett, or our Head of Biosolutions & International Policy, Linda Bedenik.