With the official launch of the next stage in the Government’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, Cambridge can have a key role to deliver jobs, growth and investment for the East of England.
With its pre-eminent strengths in life sciences, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) will be looking to work with the Government and partners in a number of identified areas:
- The development of a MedTech Cluster where clinicians and technology companies will work together to develop devices and software to improve healthcare.
- A datahub to take advantage of the electronic patient record systems being developed in the NHS which creates a huge pool of real time information to help researchers with their work.
- Assisting with the ‘scaling up’ of companies to ensure they become global players.
- Support the growth in skills and the creation of new jobs across the East of England.
- Additional projects looking at cancer and other specialities where Cambridge is strong.
These areas are part of a number of developments taking place on a Campus which is home to world class companies, research organisations and hospitals who are dedicated to improving healthcare in the UK and throughout the world.
Over the next few months, specific projects will be refined and developed ahead of a final decision being taken by the Government regarding funding and support.
Malcolm Lowe-Lauri, Executive Director of Cambridge University Health Partners, said: “Cambridge is the capital of UK life science with over 400 companies now employing in excess of 13,000 people. This is a fantastic base from which to work that has been acknowledged by the Government today. Simply put, we have the machinery to drive growth not just in the city but across the East of England.
“The proximity, talent and backgrounds of the key organisations in Cambridge allow for new technology, innovation and ‘data lakes’ to be harnessed effectively. Nowhere in the UK and rarely across the world do you find this unique set of conditions. By putting forward projects to develop a MedTech hub, ‘datalakes’ and assist with the early detection of cancer, we can move to rapidly develop this sector, improving skills and creating employment in Cambridgeshire and throughout the region.”
Dr Jane Osbourn, Vice President at MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics R&D arm, said: “AstraZeneca shares the Government’s objective of ensuring the UK remains a great place for science and innovation post-Brexit. AstraZeneca is the UK’s leading pure play pharmaceutical company with strategic investment in the UK, Europe and globally. We are pleased to have played a leadership role in the development of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy.
“Our global corporate headquarters are located at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and we are investing over £500m in a strategic Research and Development hub here. This reflects the importance we attribute to the science ecosystem, skills base, and academic excellence of the world-leading sector cluster in Cambridge, within the UK’s 'golden triangle' for life sciences. We welcome the importance attributed to infrastructure in the strategy which is critical for the 15,000 employees, academics, patients and visitors coming to the CBC every day.”
Roland Sinker, Chief Executive at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our hospital is ideally placed to ensure patients benefit from the announcements made today by the Government. The advantages of being on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus are obvious as we benefit from world-leading research while providing our partners in pharma and medical technology with access to patients and the data they need. As a collective, we are working to meet the demands of the world’s healthcare challenges through the strength of systems which allow ideas to flourish, the physical space which is available for expansion and the international connections we have.”
Press release from Cambridge University Health Partners
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