UK Healthcare: Country Unveils 10-Year Life Sciences Plan

With some of the world’s leading research universities and incubators, the UK Life Sciences sector has been at the forefront of the development of some of the world’s most transformational biopharmaceuticals and medical technology. At 17%, pharmaceutical R&D is the highest of any product area. But according to the 2025 UK Life Sciences Plan, while the UK excels at discovery, it struggles with commercialization and adoption. Challenges accessing the institutional capital needed for later-stage growth, including a relatively cautious domestic investor base and more limited sectoral familiarity in UK public markets, have all affected the ability of UK Life Sciences companies to scale. 

The Government’s 10-Year Life Sciences Plan unveiled in July 2025, aims to fix these issues with commercialization in the sector through the maintenance of the UK’s historically strong R&D capabilities, encouragement of Foreign Direct Investment in the Life Sciences manufacturing sector and through broader NHS reforms (as part of the 10-Year Health Plan for England).

Opportunities for U.S. businesses to aid in the realization of the goals set out in this 10-Year Plan are plentiful. The September U.S.-UK Technology Prosperity Deal saw the U.S. investment firm Prologis commit $5.13B in investment in, among others, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. According to a joint report by Beauhurst, Innovate Cambridge, Cambridge Enterprise and Cambridge Innovation Capital, ‘Cambridge is now the UK’s most investible hub for science’ and ‘#1 in Europe for deep-tech Venture Capital per capita’ with U.S. participation in Cambridge funding rounds more than doubling ‘from 8% to nearly 19% of all deals’ over the last decade.  Emerging and disruptive technologies like biotech and AI, and how these are beginning to transform the life sciences, present fresh opportunities for new players to displace incumbent firms.

U.S. companies have a worldwide reputation for innovative products, after sales service, and training which makes them competitive in the UK market. The U.S. and UK also share similar business cultures and business practices, which makes the UK an attractive market for U.S. suppliers.

For more information, contact Stephen Brown at Stephen.Brown@trade.gov.