The Healthcare Industry is a major contributor to the UK economy.
The pharmaceutical industry’s trade body, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), estimates that its members spend more than £3 billion a year on Research and Development in Britain.
See the ABPI Careers website for further information about working in that sector.
The UK's biotechnology sector is the second largest globally (after the USA) and the largest in Europe. Its UK trade association is the BioIndustry Association (BIA). The DTI estimates that there are approximately 455 dedicated biotechnology businesses in the UK which spent £1.23bn on R&D in 2003.
The RD funding database includes grants and prizes awarded by various companies.
In addition, several Research Councils run award schemes that support collaborations between academic labs and industry. See
Companies also fund research in universities and the NHS on a contract basis and in fields in which they have particular current interests on a case by case basis.
