The Scottish government has published a refreshed Life Sciences Strategy, setting out steps to build the infrastructure and skills required while harnessing new technologies such as AI.
The strategy, published in November 2025, was co-produced with representatives of the life sciences sector and will be backed by £1 million investment from the Scottish government.
Recent data show that the life sciences sector contributes around £10.5bn in turnover to Scotland’s economy, supporting more than 46,000 jobs. The goal is for Scotland’s life sciences to be a £25bn sector by 2035.
Richard Lochmean, business minister, said: “Life Sciences is a sector that spearheads economic growth, transforms health and care and stimulates innovation across our economy.
“It is vital we support the sector’s continuing growth and unshakeable determination to succeed with a long-term plan to support infrastructure, skills and collaboration.
“The goal of this strategy is to make Scotland’s life science sector the best in the world for developing, testing, manufacturing and commercialising life sciences innovation to benefit the health and prosperity of the nation.”
The Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group (ILG), which brings together Scottish government ministers with representatives of the life sciences sector, will drive delivery of the strategy and help drive a new pilot programme for Scottish-based SMEs to develop innovative products.
A new Life Sciences Scotland team, reconstituted as a cluster development organisation, will be tasked with ensuring that the voices of the sector inform every aspect of delivery.
Mark Cook, industry co-chair of the ILG, said: “This strategy will bring substantial economic benefits, both locally and globally, as a result of Scotland’s innovative and vibrant life sciences cluster.
“With the game-changing impact of new technologies, from genome editing to AI, the next 10 years are critical to the global expansion of the sector, and we must ensure Scotland is at the forefront of that.
“This new strategy will help the sector to continue to push boundaries, think bigger and take bolder steps forward.”
Investment will also be put into NHS Regional Innovation Hubs to better connect business with opportunities within the NHS.
The 10-year strategy will be followed by a series of focused delivery plans to support the sector’s acceleration and positioning as a globally competitive industry.
Commenting on the strategy, Graham Watson, executive chair of InnoScot Health, said: “It is now time to fully realise Scotland’s potential and make that vital push to compete at the very top level – but it will require ongoing public sector investment in innovation to get there.
“That must be a priority if we are to become a true world leader.”
Meanwhile, the government in England published its Life Sciences Sector plan in July 2025, setting out a 10-year mission to harness scientific innovation for economic growth and support a prevention-focussed NHS, building on the ambitions in the NHS 10 year health plan.
It includes a commitment to more than £2bn in government funding over the lifetime of the spending review, plus funding from UK Research and Innovation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
