The company’s latest report notes the UK’s life sciences sector consists of nearly 5,000 companies that develop, produce and market products and services in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology markets.
Adam Dion, GlobalData’s senior industry analyst, says the pharmaceutical sector is one of the UK’s most dynamic industries, as well as a major contributor to the country’s economy.
Dion explains: “The pharmaceutical industry was the sixth largest contributor to the UK’s balance of trade, contributing $46.9 billion (£32.4 billion) to the economy in 2014, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.
“Research and development investment reached $5.9 billion (£4.2 billion) in 2013 in the UK, and the industry employed more than 68,000 staff, including 23,000 scientists and doctors.”
The report also says that the UK’s universal healthcare coverage has provided the momentum for pharma industry growth, as has increasing disease prevalence.
Dion continues: “The National Health Service (NHS) provides the UK with a robust healthcare system available to the entire population. This universal access to services means that the region incurs comparatively high healthcare costs, with expenditure in this area accounting for 8.6% of the GDP in 2012.”
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