London Life Sciences Strategy overview: Accelerating the adoption of innovation to benefit Londoners

London has a proud history of developing and scaling globally-significant healthcare innovations. From the formulation of some of the world’s first chemotherapy drugs at what is now the Institute of Cancer Research in the 1950s, to the development of CT scanners in west London’s commercial laboratories in the 1970s, and pioneering work on AI tools such as Ambient Voice Technology taking place across the city today – the impact of London’s life sciences sector on saving and improving lives cannot be underestimated.

Our city has a unique set of characteristics and capabilities which have catalysed many of these innovations. Few cities anywhere in the world are home to such a concentration of expertise and ambition in the worlds of finance or academia, and London’s NHS marries a vast, integrated system for delivering high-quality care with a forward-thinking and digitally-connected environment for building and testing innovations.

And yet, despite the strength our discovery and innovation ecosystem, challenges with scaling and adoption limit our ability to fully realise the potential of our life sciences sector. Optimising the way in which London coordinates the adoption of innovation holds the promise of an even healthier, wealthier and more equitable city.

We see a future where a thriving life sciences sector is at the heart of overcoming our city’s stubborn health inequalities, such as those related to ethnicity and deprivation; where it helps reverse the trend of rising unemployment, particularly among young people; and where it enables every Londoner to access faster and more effective care.

With the right support and coordination, we believe we can make London the world leader in life sciences. This strategy sets out our path to achieve that goal.