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Life Sciences Q3 2021

Attracting and retaining the best talent in life sciences

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Tony Jones

CEO, One Nucleus

COVID-19 has highlighted the strengths and value of our life sciences sector to government and society as a whole. But what will attract the talent needed for future success? 


It is predicted that 133,000 new jobs will be created in the sector by 2030 across multiple disciplines within life sciences.1 Whilst the pandemic has shown the sector in an excellent light, other factors such as entry routes, career pathways, Brexit, the broader economy and technology convergence will influence whether the talented ‘moths’ required to fill the skills gap will be attracted to the UK light. 

The Oxford-Cambridge-London triumvirate accounted for 71% of advertised life science vacancies in 2020 (cf Cpl Life Sciences & VacancySoft, 2021). Almost half of those vacancies were in Cambridge and in the first six months of 2021, the number has risen even further. 

COVID-19 has highlighted the strengths and value of our life sciences sector to government and society as a whole.

A destination for innovation

The clustering effect in driving innovation has long been accepted (cf Michael Porter et al). What the pandemic has shown is that remote interactions and collaborations are highly effective in the tele-connected world we now inhabit. However, innovation often arises however out of serendipitous conversations that happen because innovative minds physically collide. 

The proximity of complementary disciplines, such as technology, life sciences and advance manufacturing is enabling The Medici Effect. In a sector reliant on globally mobile talent, investment in creating a destination that is competitive and attractive to innovators in multiple disciplines is thus key. 

Policy to practice

But it cannot all be about international mobility. Yes, to attract the best ideas and to nurture leading edge innovation, but entrepreneurs and idea-generators also need a well-equipped and trained technical workforce to deliver and scale. This is where investment in the domestic education system, career development support, infrastructure and attracting private capital are critical. 

It is now incumbent on the UK Government and Trade Associations shaping the recent ‘Life Sciences 10-year Vision’ and ‘R&D People & Culture Strategy’ policy guides to demonstrate true leadership and engage all stakeholders in their delivery. 

Ensuring the sector and all companies within it, including both the large corporates and ‘small ships’ as they have been termed when combating COVID-19, are able to buy, borrow and grow the labour pool to create, develop, manufacture and deliver the medicines and health technologies of the future is the critical next step.  


[1] cf: Science & Industry Partnership 2030 Skills Strategy, 2019

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