The life science industry in the Northwest of England is gaining recognition for its success and potential as a buzzing hub, full of innovative life science sites that are making significant strides in the industry. As a B2B PR and marketing agency specialising in science and technology, we are proud to be based here in Cheshire, at the heart of this dynamic and scientifically advantageous region.
Northwest becomes leading hub for life sciences sites
Cheshire is proudly recognised as a “science corridor”, standing as one of the strongest science and technology hubs in the UK. Cheshire is home to several influential life science sites and research facilities including:
Alderley Park
Alderley Park is the UK’s largest single-site life science campus and is currently undergoing a further £247m investment. The site is home to Mereside bioscience campus, which includes over 60 established and 150 pre-start-up companies.[i]
AstraZeneca
Northwest statistics from AstraZeneca (2023) show that the gross value added by the region is £1,215 million, with 10,073 jobs. Macclesfield, Cheshire, is AstraZeneca’s second largest manufacturing site and European centre for packaging.[ii]
Waters
Waters Corporation’s custom-built mass spectrometry headquarters is located in Wilmslow, Cheshire.[iii]
Jodrell Bank
Jodrell Bank is a world-leading deep-space radio observatory and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is also an educational facility that allows visitors to listen to the sounds of a black hole and see live signals received by the Lovell Telescope.[iv]
Sci-Tech Daresbury
This hidden gem is a national science and innovation campus and enterprise zone located near the village of Daresbury in Halton – the intersection between Liverpool and Manchester.[v]
Figure 1: information taken from https://www.getreskilled.com/englands-north-west-a-growing-diversifying-life-science-hub/
Other key scientific areas to note in the Northwest include:
Liverpool
- Home to the Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool), described as “the largest cluster of science, health, education and cultural minds in the region”.[vi]
- The University of Liverpool is world-renowned for work in infectious diseases, global heath and clinical pharmacology and has strong partnerships with NHS trusts across the region.[vii]
Lancaster
- Hosting Lancaster University’s Health Innovation Campus, the Centre for Ageing Research, the Innovation Agency, and the MCR Northwest Hub for Trials Methodology Research, Lancaster has emerged as a “national leader in applied health research”.[viii]
Manchester
- Manchester has a rich scientific history from Ernest Rutherford splitting the first atom to more recently, being dubbed “The Home of Graphene”. Manchester is also home to the Manchester Science Park and Citylabs Campus, which is the “largest clinical academic campus in Europe”.[ix]
- The University of Manchester is collaborating with Bruntwood SciTech to create a new £1.7billion innovation district, in which offices, laboratories and creative studios will stand shoulder to shoulder with a world-class university.[x]
Northwest Women in STEM
The Northwest Women in STEM[xi] is an organisation that aims to create a vibrant ecosystem to allow women working and studying in STEM in the Northwest thrive and support each other’s successes. It encourages empowerment through networking, mentorship, and skill-building programmes. The work that Northwest Women in STEM is doing promotes inclusivity in the STEM fields in the Northwest region and inspires future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM. Improving inclusivity in industries such as the life sciences industry will accelerate the progress that is currently being made and encourage advancements in the field.
How is the government supporting this valuable region?
The UK government has expressed admiration and appreciation for the North, calling it “the home to many of our brightest minds and centres of scientific excellence”.[xii] But how exactly is the government supporting this vital region?
Innovate UK operates under the Department for Business and Trade, and it aims to support businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, with one of the industries they support being science and technology. The Northwest is expected to see the highest number of roles created in science and technology industries by 2050 than any other UK region, with an expected 47,000 new roles.[xiii]
The Northern Powerhouse is a government initiative to boost economic growth in the North of England. Each year the Department for Business & Trade selects export champions that provide mentorship to support other businesses expand their international trade activities. Our CEO, Kath Darlington, has earned this role as a result of the exceptional export performance carried out by The Scott Partnership, with more than 75% of our customers being based overseas, mainly in North America, Canada and Europe.
Access to funding
The Greater Manchester & Cheshire Life Sciences Fund is managed by Praetura which offers seed and early-stage funding between £50k-£2million to life sciences businesses located in or relocating to Greater Manchester and Cheshire & Warrington.[xiv]
As a Cheshire-based company, we take pride in celebrating our region’s achievements. It is exciting to see how the region is gaining well-deserved recognition for its current accomplishments and the promising potential it holds within the life sciences sector.
Despite our footprint in the “Cheshire Science Corridor”, The Scott Partnership works with scientific businesses across the globe. To learn what services we can provide to support your scientific business, get in touch: https://www.scottpr.com/contact-us/
References
[i] Alderley Park. About Us; Alderley Park. Available from: https://www.alderleypark.co.uk/about-us (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[ii]AstraZeneca. UK Footprint Brochure 2023; AstraZeneca, 2023. Available from: https://www.astrazeneca.co.uk/content/dam/intelligentcontent/unbranded/astrazeneca/uk/en/images/impact-maps/pdf/UK-Footprint-Brochure-2023.pdf (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[iii] Waters. Waters Unveils Global Mass Spectrometry Headquarters in the UK’s North West. New Food Magazine, 2014. Available from: https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/14673/waters-unveils-global-mass-spectrometry-headquarters-in-the-uks-north-west/ (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[iv] Visit Cheshire. Jodrell Bank. Available from: https://www.visitcheshire.com/things-to-do/jodrell-bank-p27731 (accessed Jul 25, 2024).
[v] Sci-Tech Daresbury. About. Sci-Tech Daresbury. Available online: https://sci-techdaresbury.com/about/ (accessed Jul 15, 2024).
[vi] Opulent Invest. Liverpool Property Investment Guide; 2021; Available from: https://www.opulentinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Opulent_Liverpool_Guide_1.pdf (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[vii] University of Liverpool. About Us; Health and Life Sciences; Available from: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/health-and-life-sciences/about-us/ (accessed Jul 25, 2024).
[viii] Claire, W. England’s North West Pharmaceutical and Med Device Companies. GetReskilled, 2023. Available from: https://www.getreskilled.com/englands-north-west-a-growing-diversifying-life-science-hub/ (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[ix] Oxford Road Corridor. Health & Life Sciences. Oxford Road Corridor. Available online: https://oxfordroadcorridor.com/knowledge/health-life-sciences/ (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[x] ID Manchester. ID Manchester. Available from: https://www.id-manchester.com/ (accessed July 25, 2024).
[xi] NorthWest Women in STEM. NorthWest Women in STEM. NW Women in STEM. Available online: https://www.northwest-women-in-stem.com/ (accessed Jul 9, 2024).
[xii]Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. THE NORTH. MADE OF TRAILBLAZERS. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-housing-communities-local-government#:~:text=THE%20NORTH.,MADE%20OF%20TRAILBLAZERS.&text=The%20North%20is%20already%20home,the%20region's%20future%20economic%20growth (accessed Jul 15, 2024).
[xiii] TheBusinessDesk.com. Report Predicts North West Will Benefit from Growth of Science and Technology Economy; July 12, 2023. Available from: https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2087776-report-predicts-north-west-will-benefit-from-growth-of-science-and-technology-economy (accessed Jul 15, 2024).
[xiv] Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Life Sciences Fund. Available from: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/investment/life-sciences-fund/ (accessed Jul 25, 2024).
