Anthony Browne, MP for South Cambridgeshire, launched the South Cambridgeshire Life Sciences Forum this week as part of his campaign to support the vital local life science sector.
Bringing together more than thirty life sciences businesses and professionals, the forum was held today (Thursday 25 February) via zoom. Kristen McLeod, Director of the Office of Life Sciences, joined the forum to update attendees on work being done at a national level to support their industry before taking questions.
Topics covered included scientific funding post-Brexit, laboratory space, supply of specialist materials, social care, industrial strategy, and practical genomics. Following this launch, forums will be held regularly to keep the dialogue between the government and the local life sciences sector as open and productive as possible.
Life sciences companies are a significant element of the local economy in Cambridgeshire. As well as leading the fight against Covid-19, the industry is also a significant employer, with the Cambridge Biomedical Campus alone employing more than 20,000 highly skilled workers in diverse fields ranging from biomedical research, patient care, and education.
South Cambridgeshire is also home to the global headquarters of AstraZeneca, the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, the Babraham Research Campus, and Granta Park.
Mr Browne has already hosted the Life Sciences Minister, Lord Bethell, in the constituency and joined him on a tour of the AstraZeneca testing centre on the biomedical campus by Addenbrookes. He wrote to the UK's top mobile network operators last year urging them to support our life scientists in a letter co-signed by the heads of South Cambridgeshire's Life Science campuses, describing South Cambridgeshire as a "mission-critical" location, both for scientific research and as a key driver of the economic recovery.
Commenting, Anthony Browne MP said: “If 2020 has shown us anything, it is how vital our life sciences sector is to our country and the wider world.
“I am extremely proud of the contribution made by companies and scientists right here in South Cambridgeshire, and think it is incredibly important that the Government is aware of the challenges faced by this sector and works to ensure they can overcome them.
“I will continue to champion the important work life sciences companies are doing in South Cambridgeshire and ensure that it has the support needed from national government to succeed and grow.”