Life Sciences & the Green Economy

George Freeman, MP for Mid NorfolkGovernment Advisor on Life Sciences

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce ‘Unlocking Growth’ DebateFriday 3rd February 2012

Contents

1. What are Life Sciences?2. Why are Life Sciences significant for the UK’s economic

recovery?3. Why do East Anglia and Norfolk hold such potential?4. Case studies:

- Biomedicine- Green Technology- Agricultural Technology

5. UK Life Science Strategy6. Priorities to unlock Norfolk’s Potential7. The Prize..

What are Life Sciences?• The use of our understanding of the biochemical systems

underpinning life in plants, animals or humans to help solve the challenges of human society, principally in medicine, agriculture and energy

• Key industries include Pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology, with applications across many other sectors.

• Convergence• The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences

clusters in the world.

Why are Life Sciences significant for the UK’s economic recovery?

1. Sustainable Recovery2. Global Export Markets3. Inward Investment4. Link to public sector

productivity

Why are Life Sciences significant for the UK’s economic recovery?

• Life sciences manufacturing accounts for 8% of the UK total (by gross value added)

• Pharmaceuticals, medical biotechnology and medical technology sectors together comprise around 4,500 firms, employing 166,000 staff, with an R&D spend of nearly £5bn and an annual turnover of over £50bn.

• Over the period 2000-2010 the pharmaceuticals industry has experienced growth of 9.8% per annum (the economy as a whole has only grown at 4.2% p.a.)

• Medical biotechnology posted 6% growth from 2010-2011, medical technology achieved 5% growth and industrial biotechnology showed 7% growth.

• Pharmaceutical exports in 2009 were £21.3bn

• It is expected that biotechnology in industry and primary production will contribute to 2.7% of the GDP across OECD countries by 2030 (in contrast to less than 1% in 2004)

• Employment has increased in all sectors by an average of 3%.

• Medicines originating from UK companies captured a 16% value share of the world’s 100 top selling drugs in 2008

• The UK is the leading country in the G8 for research productivity. It produces more publications and citations per researcher and per pound of public funding than any of its major competitors

• In 2010, UK medical biotech companies led Europe in numbers of drugs in clinical development with over 20% of the total

Why do East Anglia and Norfolk hold such potential?

• Norwich: - University of East Anglia- Norwich Research Park- John Innes Centre- Institute of Food Research

• A11 Corridor

• Quality of Environment

• Cambridge: - University- Addenbrookes- Science Parks- Cluster

• Regional Skills:- Engineering- Finance- Food & Agriculture

EnergyAgriculture

Plant Science

EngineeringClean Tech

BiomedicineTelecoms

Norwich Research Park

Case Study(1) Biomedicine: Anglia DNA

• Based at the Norwich Research Park• Offers a range of paternity testing

services for the commercial and retail markets

• Feb 2011: Launch of AssureDNA, the UK's first off the shelf paternity testing kit, now available in Boots stores nationwide

• Expected turnover from October 2011 to September 2012 of £2m

• Launching a new drug and alcohol testing service in early 2012

Case Study(2) Green Technology: Windcrop

• Based in Norwich• Installs and maintains small-scale wind

turbines• Provides landowners with access to 'green'

electricity- cutting costs and carbon emissions• Founded in 2009 by John Moore, former

Lotus Engineering commercial director• Currently has 110 operational sites, and by

the end of the first quarter of 2012 will be installing at a rate of 50 a month

Case Study(3) Agricultural Technology: MutMap

• Developed with Japanese scientists in the Sainsbury Laboratory at the John Innes Centre

• A new technique to identify and isolate traits in rice such as salt tolerance.

• It could slash the time to produce commercial rice varieties from up to 10 years to a less than 12 months

• Can soon be applied to other crops

UK Life Science Policy

• Integrated healthcare innovation economy

• NHS & Universities – 2 cylinders of life science engine

• 4 big deliverables:1. Translational Medicine2. Health Data3. Catalyst Fund4. NHS Adoption

Priorities to unlock Norfolk’s Potential

• Infrastructure– A11– Broadband– Rail Links

• Skills• Inward Investment• Planning

The Prize

• Norfolk has the potential to be a global hub of the technologies, businesses and jobs of tomorrow.

• With infrastructure, the prize is a high quality, sustainable, vibrant economic recovery.