About us

The Office for Life Sciences champions research, innovation and the use of technology to transform health and care service.

Our focus

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a joint unit between the:

  • Department of Business and Trade
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • Department of Science, Innovation and Technology

It exists to power the government’s health and growth missions, helping everyone live well for longer and kickstarting economic growth. We do this by growing a resilient and innovative Life Sciences sector in the UK and bringing new technologies and treatments into the NHS.

Life sciences in the UK

The life sciences sector is a major contributor to the UK economy – with over 6,000 businesses generating £147 billion in turnover in 2023/2024. The industry is high-tech, innovative and highly diverse, spanning areas such as biopharmaceuticals, medical technology (devices and diagnostics), genomics and digital health, and has applications across many other sectors. Through the development of innovative medicines, medical technologies and services, its businesses contribute to a stronger and fairer society, helping people enjoy better health, well-being and quality of life.

Over the next decade, the life sciences sector holds enormous potential to drive economic growth and productivity while significantly improving health outcomes for thousands of patients across the country.

More information on annual data about the sector can be found in our publications ‘Bioscience and Health Technology Sector Statistics’ and ‘Life Sciences Sector Data’.

Strategy for UK life sciences

As part of our modern industrial strategy, we published our Life Sciences Sector Plan (LSSP) in July 2025, setting out Life Sciences vision - a ten-year mission to harness UK science and innovation to drive long-term economic growth and build a stronger, prevention-focused NHS. Our ambition is that by 2030, the UK will be the leading Life Sciences economy in Europe; and by 2035, the third most important Life Sciences economy globally, behind the US and China only.

The LSSP was developed through an extensive stakeholder engagement process, led by OLS in full alignment with the 10 Year Health Plan, resulting in a cohesive policy package. It will be supported over the lifetime of the Spending Review by government funding of over £2 billion, alongside funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

It focuses on three themes: enabling world-class R&D; making the UK one of the best places in the world to start, scale and invest in Life Sciences; and driving healthcare innovation and reform. This approach will support high-growth businesses, deliver better health outcomes, and cement the UK’s global leadership in Life Sciences. The plan aligns with the 10 Year Health Plan helping healthcare move from: analogue to digital, hospitals to communities, and treatment to prevention.

The LSSP was purposefully designed with implementation at its core. It sets out 33 specific commitments, each with clear metrics and a named Senior Responsible Officer (SRO).

Our partners

Aside from our close contact with our tri-lateral partners and Ministers, we also work with other agencies and organisations, including industry partners. This encompasses relationships with our Life Sciences Sector Plan SROs at the:

  • Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
  • Innovate UK
  • Medical Research Council (MRC)
  • NHS England
  • Digital Policy Unit
  • British Business Bank
  • Department of Education
  • Office for Investment
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NIHR)

We consult closely with sector stakeholders by means of two governance boards: a) the joint-Ministerial Life Sciences Delivery Board and b) the Life Sciences Council. These allow us to strategically progress and monitor the Government’s ambitions in the LSSP and provide strategic oversight of the future of UK life sciences.

Documents

Bulletin

OLS distributes a weekly bulletin with the aim of keeping the life sciences sector up to date on the latest government announcements and wider opportunities in policy areas which may be of interest to the sector.

If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email: officeforlifesciences@officeforlifesciences.gov.uk

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