LAUNCHPAD

The pandemic powerfully demonstrated to all of us, incuding those who shamefully abandoned science the second we left school, the immense importance of the life sciences sector to the UK’s health, security and economy.

Thanks to Covid-19, we all became armchair experts on the efficacies, or otherwise, of the various vaccines and celebrated the achievements of scientists such as Dame Sarah Gilbert, the Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford, and her team who worked around the clock to bring forward what has become known as the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

The pandemic also demonstrated the huge value of deploying health data in saving lives. The UK was the first country in the world to discover a different use for dexamethasone – a low-cost drug. The 20-year old steroid, first used to treat inflammatory and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, was found to reduce the risk of mortality in hospitalised Covid-19 patients requiring oxygen or ventilation by up to 35 per cent.

This was healthcare in action. As a result, over the last two years there has been a huge uptick in private and public investment in our life sciences sector. Foreign direct investment into the sector has also grown, and in 2020 was £898 million.

The UK life sciences sector generated almost £81 billion in annual turnover in 2019, even before anyone had heard of Covid, and employed more than a quarter of a million people across the country.

In this issue (on pages 76-103) we celebrate 100 of the region’s most exciting companies – and these are just the tip of the iceberg, there are thousands of life sciences companies across the UK all undertaking work which could, in the future, save your life, my life and millions of others. We’ve all got a vested interest in helping them succeed. Many are spin-outs and start-ups, and they will all need investment to achieve their potential.

This issue’s front-cover feature (on pages 11-19) reveals how and where any young company can the raise funds to invest and grow. We analyse the benefits of each type of investment and talk to an expert on how company founders can best ready themselves and their businesses for growth.

Where will that growth come from? It depends on what market a company is operating in. Are you targeting local, regional, national or global growth? Who can help? Our feature (on pages 48-55) looks at how small businesses can tap into the regional business support landscape.

We can’t not mention the war in Ukraine and all of us working at Business & Innovation Magazine are appalled at the on-going tragic situation. It’s difficult to know what we, as a publishing business with no direct links to the region, can do to help. But we clearly cannot stay silent. At the very least, publicly acknowledging the situation is important.

Nationally, the UK’s defence sector –much of which is based in our region, is helping the Ukrainian forces defend their country. This country’s defence industry is one of the best in the world and has a long history of innovation.

The UK government is playing its part in offering significant financial support. This is delivering anti-tank missiles and air defence systems, as well as non-lethal aid like helmets, body armour and night vision goggles. In total it’s likely that UK military and humanitarian support for Ukraine has already surpassed a billion pounds.

The events unfolding in Ukraine show that no country, not even the United Kingdom, can take our democratic freedom for granted.

Nicky Godding Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher

Kirsty Muir Commercial Director and Co-Publisher