The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, aims to protect London’s status as a world-leading hub for life science companies and a powerhouse for scientific innovation and research.
Chaired by Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor for Business, the summit will look to reassure the life sciences sector that London remains open for business and that the sector remains fundamental to London’s business, research, innovation, skills and health landscape.
Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor for Business said: “London is a global hub of scientific research and innovation and the city will always be one of the most attractive places in the world for life science companies to do business. The decision to leave the European Union does create challenges for this vital part of our economy, particularly regarding access to funding and talent. The Mayor and I will work together with the sector and champion its importance during the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
“We want to reassure the life sciences sector that we understand their needs and will be standing up for them throughout the negotiations with the EU - making sure we get a deal that helps London to maintain its world-leading status.”
Sir Paul Nurse, Chief Executive of the Francis Crick Institute said: “The Francis Crick Institute brings together scientists from all over the world to investigate important questions about the biology underpinning human health and disease. We are determined to continue with our global approach because it is crucial for our success. The key issues for us are being able to recruit talented people from the EU as easily in the future as we do now, and being able to access EU research funding, which has been supporting high-quality British science for years. I look forward to working collaboratively to ensure a strong future for biomedical science in London and the UK as a whole.”
The capital’s life sciences sector will be further enhanced later this year when the Francis Crick Institute opens in Camden. The £700million centre for biomedical research and life sciences will house 1,250 of the world’s best scientists from 70 different countries.