Over £14 billion is spent each year on Research and Development in the UK, representing 2% of gross domestic product. With only 1% of the global population, the UK conducts 5.5% of world research, continuing it's strong record of achievement. Today, many British research teams are involved in major partnership programmes with their overseas counterparts.


During the past decade there has been rapid and sustained growth in the number of specialist biotechnology R&D based companies.

The UK has over 450 bioscience-related companies, including some 250 specialist biotechnology companies, which account for a quarter of Europe's specialist biotechnology SMEs. 35% of these SMEs are working in biopharmaceuticals, 22% in diagnostics, 15% in agri/environmental and over 25% are biotech-suppliers.

The UK pharmaceutical industry employs approximately 60,000 people (of which a third are directly involved in research and development) and accounts for 10% of world pharmaceutical R&D expenditure.

The journey that a drug takes from an idea in a lab to a pharmacist's shelves could match the making of a Hollywood epic: it's a long, costly, risky project.


And while pharmaceutical or biotech companies reap most of the glory and profit, most drugs on the market started life in university research laboratories, or in research institutes funded by the public.

R&D requires significant use of instrumentation, equipment and laboratory consumables. Sales Specialists in this sector are often highly qualified in their field as well as focused to achieve sales objectives within this niche environment.