A workshop held at the Wales Investment Summit set out to showcase how Wales is building a complete life sciences ecosystem to drive prosperity and productivity.
Wales is positioning its life sciences sector as a key driver of economic growth with the industry already generating £3.59 billion in turnover annually and employing over 13,000 people across 287 companies, Life Sciences Hub Wales said.
Leaders from across the life sciences sector gathered at the Summit, held at the ICC Wales in Newport, to demonstrate how strategic investment in life sciences infrastructure creates widespread economic benefits throughout Wales.
The life sciences sector already makes a significant economic contribution to Wales. The industry exports £1.24 billion worth of goods and has attracted £91.6 million in investment across 128 deals.
The economic benefits extend far beyond these direct figures, said Life Sciences Hub Wales. Life sciences is known for its strong multiplier effect—each job in the sector typically supports 2 to 2.5 additional roles in related industries. This means the 13,000 direct jobs likely sustain tens of thousands more positions across manufacturing, logistics, business services, retail, and hospitality, multiplying the value of each employment opportunity created, it added.
Wales has laid strong groundwork for further development with 56 organisations supporting life sciences infrastructure, 34 laboratories, 4 science parks and the recently announced AI Growth Zones. This physical infrastructure is complemented by a robust talent pipeline – 37,085 students are studying life sciences-related courses at Welsh universities and 64 spin out companies already created from university research.
Cari-Anne Quinn, Chief Executive Officer, Life Sciences Hub Wales, said:
“Wales offers something distinctive – an integrated environment where life sciences innovation can be developed, tested and scaled. With an annual turnover of £3.59bn and a growing export market, we’re demonstrating how excellence in research and manufacturing, combined with supportive infrastructure creates the right conditions for businesses to grow and prosper.”
The discussion panel at the Investment Summit included Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Wales, John Clarke, Global Head of Government Affairs and Policy at Cytiva; Professor Keith Lloyd, the National Institute of Sport & Health (NISH); Pryderi ap Rhisiart, M-Sparc; Professor Leighton Phillips, Pentre Awel; Professor Wendy Larner, President and Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University.
John Clarke, Global Head of Government Affairs and Policy at Cytiva. a global leader in advancing therapeutics with a manufacturing and research centre of excellence in Cardiff, said:
“For nearly 50 years, Wales's evolving ecosystem and access to a skilled and diverse workforce has powered Cytiva in Cardiff and global life sciences innovation.”
Life Sciences Hub Wales’s panel discussion – ‘Catalysing Innovation: Wales’s Life Sciences Opportunity’, was chaired by Vaughan Gething, MS.
