UK becomes partner country at BioAsia 2023

Hyderabad: The United Kingdom has partnered with the 20th edition of BioAsia, the marquee healthcare and life-sciences event organised by the Government of Telangana, which is all set to be held on February 24-26, 2023 in Hyderabad.

While announcing the same, Telangana IT& Industries Principal Secretary said: "The UK holds a phenomenal reputation of its prestigious life-sciences industry and its brilliance in academia and industry, coupled with the expertise it brings from its pool of centers of scientific excellence." He said, "With mutual interest, the UK and the Government of Telangana will come together to share knowledge and best practices in life-sciences. Innovation is the nucleus of BioAsia and Telangana boasts of its startup mindset – we are committed to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship."

The UK has sophisticated R&D infrastructure and India has innovative growth in the life sciences sector. It's vital for both the countries to take advantage of combined strengths to achieve phenomenal strides worldwide," said Gareth Wynn Owen, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Telangana.

"There is increasing interest from innovation centres, startups, and universities in the UK to collaborate, invest in and engage with the life-sciences ecosystem in India, and British companies are looking to BioAsia as an opportunity to increase partnerships with India's growing biotech industry," he added.

"BioAsia 2023 is set to attract participation of globally eminent leaders from over 50 Countries. Having the UK back as a country partner is bound to reignite our path towards shared excellence," said Shakthi Nagappan, Director (Life Sciences and Pharma), Government of Telangana and CEO – BioAsia.

"We have had the pleasure of hosting Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and South Africa among others thriving healthcare economies as country partners in the past years. Such partnerships are a testimony to the enormity of the event that BioAsia has become," he informed.

With the growing presence of prominent life sciences companies like GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, UCB, and Pfizer, the UK is likely to strengthen links with India, which has developed into a global player in the life sciences industry.

The UK has a dynamic, collaborative, and thriving life-sciences ecosystem that's hugely powered by innovation, talent, and a world-class research infrastructure. The country is home to over 6,330 life sciences businesses that employ over 2.68 lakh people, generating a turnover of £88.9 billion in 2020.