Evidence on the prevalence of long-term conditions associated with the disease areas covered by the healthcare missions (cancer, ageing, dementia, mental health, respiratory disease, obesity, addiction). Further, we would like to understand what links exist between these disease areas: whether there are mutual risk factors or whether any of these disease areas are a risk factor for another.

Background

The analysis team is responsible for two datasets on life sciences activity in the UK and how it compares with other countries. One of its publications, the Bioscience and health technology sector statistics, is an official statistic and captures a detailed breakdown of where life sciences activity occurs in the UK, as well as key economic indicators such as employment and turnover. The analysis team is also responsible for publishing the Life sciences competitiveness indicators, a publication which tracks UK performance against international comparators. These two publications form the bulk of the evidence base that supports OLS policy making and key facts and figures for stakeholders. One of the ambitions of the team is to expand the range of data collected on activity in the sector to encompass a broader range of economic indicators, including Gross Value Added, R&D spending, Wages, and workforce statistics, among others.

In addition to this critical evidence base, OLS is also interested in key research questions and evidence to support the development of policy for the Life Sciences Missions, a set of disease and intervention areas identified in the Life Sciences Vision as key areas of intervention to help the NHS to solve some of the biggest healthcare problems of our generation. These range from establishing a strong evidence base on incidence and its regional distribution to identifying potential innovative technologies that could address them. Additionally, the analysis team is also very interested in deepening our understanding of the economic impact and possibilities of the broad area of genomics, as well as understanding the economic impacts and societal benefits that accrue from conducting clinical trials and other forms of R&D in the life sciences.

On the regulatory front, OLS would like to expand its understanding of the main regulatory barriers to the approval and roll-out of new, innovative technologies, as well as understanding the costs and benefits associated with these regulations. We have a limited evidence base for some products but would like to expand that understanding to be better able to assess the impact of specific regulatory interventions. We would also like to have more comprehensive data on the introduction and adoption of these technologies across the country and through the NHS.

On the investment front, we are particularly interested in building a more comprehensive evidence base on the determinants of investment in both manufacturing and R&D facilities, and how elements of both the commercial and business environment affects company location and investment decisions.

Finally, we are very interested in developing a more comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing landscape in the UK, from being able to interrogate the pipeline of new products and innovations in development, to establishing the UK’s manufacturing capabilities for health and supply chain resilience, as well as understanding key challenges faced by companies in terms of access to skilled workers and finance across the country.

Next steps

If you are keen to register your interest in working and connecting with DSIT Digital Technology and Telecoms Group and/or submitting evidence, then please complete the DSIT-ARI Evidence survey - https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cDfmK2OukVAnirs.
Please view full details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology-areas-of-research-interest/dsit-areas-of-research-interest-2024

Related UKRI funded projects

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