Dr Hakim Yadi OBE CEO of the Northern Health Science Alliance comments on yesterday’s House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on Life Sciences Industrial Strategy.

He said: “There is much to welcome in the House of Lords report on Life Sciences Industrial Strategy – in particular in regards to increased investment in the sector.

“There is no over-concentration of life sciences anywhere in the UK. But this does not take away from the fact the North of England is a cluster of excellence which is historically relatively under-funded and should be given the opportunity to grow its many strengths in health data, ageing, precision medicine and cancer among others.

“We have already demonstrated that the North of England has the will and capability to work together for great patient and economic impact and targeted investment in its areas of excellence can only strengthen the UK’s economy as a whole.

“The NHSA has today submitted a Science Innovation Audit detailing the hunger for industry to invest in the region – something demonstrated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures this week showing the University of Manchester attracts more business research income than anywhere else in the UK and above other elite universities such as Cambridge, Imperial and Oxford.

“Government must follow industry’s lead and recognise the huge capacity for growth and excellence in the North of England through a genuinely transformative Life Sciences Industrial Strategy sector deal for the North.”