Life Sciences South West Employment Snapshot 2024

Based on ADLIB internal data and knowledge we have created a Life Sciences sector, talent and skills overview, specifically for the South West.

Sector overview

The South West UK has seen consistent growth of 25% year on year within the life sciences sector. This has been mostly driven by Science Creates which is the largest innovation hub for scale-ups and starts-ups in Bristol with over 25 businesses there covering biology, synthetic biology, next-generation sequencing (NGS), therapeutics, microbiome healthcare and diagnostics. To date Science Creates has backed over 100 deep tech start-ups.

Science Creates has also announced a third incubator in Bristol will be being built in 2024 which will incorporate spin outs in the area of quantum and bioengineering and can host up to 275 new companies.

Talent overview

With world-leading research teams in the University of Bristol and University of Bath, further supported by the excellent courses with Life and Health Sciences at the University of Exeter and University of Oxford, the area is abundant with talent graduating locally. The University of Bristol sees over 6000 graduates each year within life sciences and health sciences, closely followed by the University of Bath, with more than 5000 Science graduates yearly. With lower living costs than the traditional Life Science hubs of Oxford, London and Cambridge, Bristol and Bath surroundings appeal to both undergraduates and more experienced Scientists.

Skills in demand

The area has seen a constant demand over the past 12 months across a wide range of disciplines, including Molecular Biology, Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, Protein Science, Quality Control, Regulatory and Laboratory Operations.