Loading...
Life & Health Sciences2023-04-24T10:02:50+01:00

Today, the global life and health sciences (LHS) sector is in the midst of significant and rapid change, which presents both opportunities and challenges for Northern Ireland.

Driving this change are supply and demand side pressures, lifestyle choices, longevity and a rise in chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity and dementia. The upward trend in spending means healthcare is becoming a more significant part of national GDP and along with this the long-term sustainability of current models of provision is being increasingly questioned.

Specific areas of expertise in Northern Ireland include:

  • Precision Medicine – Biomarker discovery and validation, Molecular diagnostics, Clinical diagnostics
  • Pharma and Biotech – Drug development, Biomarker discovery and validation, Biomedical research
  • Diagnostics – Oncology, Respiratory, Research and development, Medical testing solutions, Clinical diagnostic tests
  • Med-Tech – Innovative healthcare solutions, Non-invasive neurostimulation, Ventilation equipment, Neonatal and perioperative care
  • Clinical Trials –Digital health, Regulatory, Statistics and Modelling

These areas of expertise are supported by the research prowess of both Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.

Did you know…?

The Life and Health Science sector is a significant driver of Northern Ireland’s economic growth.

  • The life and Health Sciences sector accounts for more than 25% of the region’s economic output.
  • Life and Health Sciences supports 19,500 FTE jobs across the Northern Ireland economy.
  • £1.2billion of Gross Value Added directly supported by the sector, up from £310 million in 2008.
  • For every 1 job created in the Life and Health Sciences sector, 1.8 jobs are created elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
  • The Department for the Economy’s Vision for a 10x Economy identified the Life and Health Sciences sector as one of Northern Ireland’s five priority clusters with significant capability and capacity that has the potential to drive the economy forward.

What are Matrix doing in this sector?

It’s clear Northern Ireland has significant existing strengths in this area, for every one new LHS job created there are 1.8 jobs  created elsewhere in the economy. However, in England, 1 new LHS job creates 2.8 jobs, suggesting a gap in the support and scaling for LHS in NI that should be addressed.

In 2021, four City and Growth Deals (City Deals), with a combined funding of £1.3bn from the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government were launched in Northern Ireland – the deals are an agreement between UK Government, the NI Executive and the respective local authority to fund a series of capital projects with innovation, digital, tourism, infrastructure and skills aspects that will drive sustained and inclusive growth in a particular region over the next 10- 15 years.

City and Growth Deals will help create global centres of innovation excellence in key growth sectors. They will provide opportunities for businesses, located both in and outside Northern Ireland, to collaborate and tap into the expertise within NI’s universities to create breakthrough technologies, products and services. Additionally, the City Deals will develop the infrastructure and test environments that will allow the next generation of products to be tested and trialled.

Under the innovation pillar there are a number of centres of excellence being developed which have the potential to impact NI’s Life and Health sciences sector:

  • Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT)
  • i-REACH (Institute of Research Excellence for Advanced Clinical Healthcare)
  • Global Innovation Institute (GII)
  • Transformation for Healthcare Research Innovation and Value-Based Ecosystem (THRIVE)

Matrix, was established to inform government on the development of science and technology strategies and policy that will ensure Northern Ireland’s sustainable competitiveness in the global economy, Matrix has therefore commissioned a foresight study to better understand and make recommendations on how the City and Growth Deals can provide opportunities for the Life and Health Sciences sector in Northern Ireland.

The purpose of this work is to secure a quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing activities in the Life and Health Sciences sector globally and the opportunities they present to Northern Ireland. The report will make recommendations on how businesses in Northern Ireland’s life and health sciences sector can access the infrastructure which NI City Deals will create to gain maximum benefits, including increased levels of research, development, and innovation. It will consider best practice for city deals in terms of engaging with industry in a timely and competitive fashion, highlighting best practice across similar centres in the UK and abroad and identify the opportunities as well as the barriers to industry engagement.

Work began on the project through our delivery partners KPMG in February 2023 and it is expected to be completed in July 2023. We are currently looking for industry representatives to participate in a short survey for for this research, if you work in the Northern Ireland LHS sector and would like to contribute you can visit HERE for more info.

2008 Report

In 2008 the Matrix panel published its first report on Life & Health Sciences. Back then, the sector contributed approximately £310 million to the economy.

At that time there were approximately 60 companies in the Life & Health Sciences sector in Northern Ireland, employing 4,000 people. The sector was high value-added and export-oriented, with around 80% of sales generated from external markets.

2015 Report

In 2015 the Matrix panel published its second report on Life and Health Sciences. At that time, there were approximately 130, mostly indigenous, Life & Health Sciences companies in Northern Ireland, employing around 7,500 people.

The sector was worth close to £1bn value to the local economy and was 90% export orientated. The sector accounted for approximately 12.5% of all Northern Ireland R&D expenditure.

Research publications

Below is a selection of the reports used to research this project. If you would like to see all Life & Health Science related reports, please visit the library.

Related News

New Matrix Report: Unleashing the Potential of Northern Ireland’s Life and Health Sciences Sector Through City and Growth Deals.

By |April 30th, 2024|Categories: Life & Health Sciences, MATRIX|Tags: , , , , , |

Northern Ireland stands on the cusp of a significant transformation [...]

Comments Off on New Matrix Report: Unleashing the Potential of Northern Ireland’s Life and Health Sciences Sector Through City and Growth Deals.

Sign up for our briefing!

Get all the latest news, funding opportunities and events for the Northern Ireland science and technology sector.

Go to Top