good for MSYS - in long run!2 May 2023 06:11
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/britain-outdoing-european-rivals-in-life-science-growth-z677c87z0
Britain has had the biggest growth in life science patent applications across all big European markets in the past decade.
The UK had the highest long-term growth in new applications across the five big life science centres in Europe, which also include France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
There was an almost 82 per cent rise in applications in the UK to 1,160 last year from 638 in 2013, marginally higher than Switzerland (81 per cent) and nearly double that of France (44 per cent), according to analysis of European Patent Office data. Germany had a fall of 2 per cent during the period.
The UK’s growth in patent applications in the past year is 2 per cent, ahead of its European economic competitors of Germany and France, which both had a contraction in the number of applications.
The analysis also shows that the UK has outgrown the other markets since 2016, when Britain voted to leave the European Union. The figures have been welcomed by industry and government, which has identified life sciences as one of the country’s five key sectors. Patent applications are considered an important metric in the industry because they show the potential of innovation to drive economic growth. Relations between industry bosses and Westminster have become strained, however, amid concerns among multinationals over a “spiralling” £3.3 billion NHS sales levy that they warn is hitting UK investment.
There are concerns in the pharmaceutical industry at signs of an overall decline in manufacturing, clinical research and exports at a time when competitor countries have strengthened their life science bases. There is also a perceived shortage of laboratory space. Claire Machin, executive director of international policy at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, whose members include AstraZeneca and GSK, said it was essential not to waste the momentum from the strong growth in UK life science patent applications, which “underlines the huge potential our sector has to power innovation-led economic growth”. She added: “It also shows how important it is that the UK maintain a strong intellectual property framework.
“Since 2022 we have seen an unnecessary and rapid decline in both the commercial and research environment for UK life science due to a ballooning medicine sales rebate rate and persistent challenges in delivering industry clinical trials. Both these are fixable, but will take a close partnership between government, regulators, the NHS and industry.”
Some of the biggest investors include Biomed Realty, a portfolio company of Blackstone, one of America’s largest investment firms, which has become the largest private provider of life science office space in Cambridge.
Separate figures from Knight Frank show that investment into commercial property in the life sciences sector’s so-called “Golden Triangle”, spanning London, Cambr
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