The life sciences sector comprises of businesses involved in developing and/or producing their own pharmaceutical products and all businesses whose primary business involves developing and producing medical technology products, ranging from single-use consumables to complex hospital equipment, including digital health products.
Case studies
My Life SC1ence, King's College London
King’s College London (KCL) is working to make careers in London’s life sciences and MedTech sectors more accessible for the next generation.
In collaboration with Lambeth Council, We Rise Brixton, The Brixton Project and the Bureau of Silly Ideas, KCL launched My Life SC1ence to demystify these industries and provide hands-on experience.
Targeting 16–17-year-olds in education and young people aged 16+ who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), the programme connects participants with 40 professional volunteers from diverse backgrounds. Hosted at King’s London Institute for Healthcare Engineering, they explored cutting-edge medical technologies, discovered varied career pathways, and took part in industry-led discussions.
Twenty participants, paid for their time, also created two short films – What Is Life Science? and Job Roles in Life Science – to further break down barriers for others.
Supported by the Mayor of London and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the programme contributes to local economic regeneration, with £38.1m of London’s allocation directed to the Mayor’s People and Skills priority. The impact has been immediate, with half of NEET participants securing meaningful employment afterwards. Jessica, one of the young people who took part in the programme, described how it created new career possibilities.
Before this project, I wasn’t in higher education or work. Traumatic experiences at school had left me struggling with social anxiety, making it difficult to put myself out there, let alone actively seek a job. I felt stuck.
Through the project, I not only discovered the vast career opportunities in life sciences – beyond just medicine and research – but also gained the confidence to take my own steps forward.
Jessica
My Life SC1ence participant
Jessica has since earned her phlebotomy licence and is actively seeking opportunities in healthcare – something that once felt impossible.
Compassionate Design to Global Impact – The HUG™ Spin-Out Story, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Cardiff Metropolitan University’s HUG™ by the university’s LAUGH research team, is transforming the quality of life for people living with advanced dementia.
The product is designed to reduce anxiety and improve wellbeing by providing emotional and sensory support to people who are isolated, distressed, or in end-of-life care. Shaped like a comforting soft body with weighted limbs, a simulated heartbeat and a speaker that plays personalised music, clinical trials across NHS hospitals and care homes demonstrated that HUG™ improves communication, reduces distress and increases physical engagement.
In a six-month evaluation funded by the Welsh Government, 87% of care home residents using HUG™ showed notable improvements in wellbeing, posture and communication.
The spin out company HUG by LAUGH Ltd is supported by Cardiff Met, the Alzheimer’s Society Accelerator Programme and the NHS. The company has created new jobs and manufactures HUG™s, which are available to purchase online or via NHS prescription. Over 5,000 individuals across the UK and internationally – including Australia, Canada and Scandinavia – have benefited from the project.
HUG™ has won multiple national awards, including Overall Winner at the 2020 Tech4Good Awards and is cited in UK Government dementia care strategy case studies.
The BioHub Birmingham and Unit 9: bridging the gap at the early stages of innovation, University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham plays a central role in advancing life sciences through its support for early-stage biomedical innovation. Two key incubators on its campus—BioHub Birmingham® and Unit 9—are designed to nurture Med Tech and Diagnostics companies, aligning with the Industrial Strategy Life Sciences Sector Plan, which identified Med Tech and Diagnostics as priority areas for the West Midlands.
BioHub Birmingham® is a fully serviced biomedical incubator that supports companies from proof of concept to expansion. It fosters a collaborative environment where tenant scientific teams interact with university researchers and recruit from its graduate talent pool. The facility offers laboratory and office space, shared equipment and access to specialist resources across the University. Tenants also benefit from full-time lab staff and business support from University of Birmingham Enterprise Ltd. As companies grow, the University helps them transition to larger facilities within the campus or region, ensuring continued development within the local ecosystem.
Unit 9 complements BioHub by providing flexible, short-term incubation space for pre-revenue companies at the start of their commercialisation journey. It caters to scientific entrepreneurs who often lack the resources or experience to commit to long-term leases or purchase expensive equipment. Unit 9 offers access to shared equipment, cell culture and microbiology facilities at BioHub, and reduced consumable costs through a biomedical purchasing consortium. Tenants receive tailored business support, funding guidance from Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and access to communal spaces at Birmingham Research Park, fostering a vibrant, collaborative environment.
Together, these incubators demonstrate the University of Birmingham’s commitment to translating biomedical research into commercial success. By providing infrastructure, expertise and strategic support, the university is cultivating a thriving life sciences cluster that drives innovation, supports regional growth and contributes to the UK’s leadership in med tech and diagnostics.