Covid-19: Scotsman conference on the future of the life sciences sector

Never has a vibrant and agile life sciences sector and the innovation associated with it been more valued by the country; from tackling Covid-19 head on with PCR testing and vaccine development to the medical devices and digital health solutions that have enabled the continuation of essential healthcare services during the pandemic.

The annual Scotsman conference on the future of the life science sector will be held on Thursday

The remarkable level of collaborative working between healthcare professionals and their rapid deployment of new technology over the last nine months have given us a glimpse of what adoption of innovation and optimisation of healthcare can do for patient outcomes and NHS services.

So, it’s natural for many industry professionals to be wondering will these new ways of working continue in the future? Can we really return to a ten-year drug discovery and evaluation process after seeing efficacy data from, not one, but three new vaccines (at time of print) in tens of thousands of patients inside 12 months?

What will the Covid-19 experience mean for the process and time to adopt new treatments, technologies and services in the future? And when is it appropriate to even start having these conversations when the NHS is still in the thick of it?

Scottish Life Sciences: a unique opportunity

For the life sciences sector in Scotland, the opportunity to enshrine these new ways of working for the benefit of patient outcomes and NHS efficiencies is particularly inspiring.

The Scottish life sciences sector was already contributing disproportionately to the UK industry and one of the major drivers for this is the close, collaborative working between industry, academia and healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, with world leading research in areas such as advanced therapies and precision medicine, the quality of healthcare data and the likes of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre driving digitalisation in pharmaceutical supply chains, Scotland its set up to maintain the momentum.

Join us at this year’s very special, free registration Life Sciences Conference where you’ll hear how the sector responded to Covid-19 and how the Industry Leadership Group plans to ensure the opportunities for innovation, adoption and sector growth are realised.

What to expect from the conference

With the commitment to build on the significant contribution by Scotland’s life sciences sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, co-chairs of the Industry Leadership Group, Dave Tudor and Ivan McKee MSP, will launch the Scottish Life Sciences Covid19 Strategic Response Plan at this year’s conference on December 3.

This free event is a must for anyone operating in the life sciences industry as it will outline the priority areas of focus; the key opportunities that will ensure we maintain the outstanding collaborative working for the benefit of patient outcomes, the NHS services and the growth of the sector.

This year our headline sponsor for the event is Accenture.

Julie Cetingoz, Accenture Scotland products lead, has added: “Helping 90 per cent of Fortune 500 Life Sciences companies deliver improved outcomes for more than two decades, with 15,000+ life sciences professionals in over 50 countries, Accenture are delighted to be sponsoring this year’s Life Science Conference, and being involved throughout the day and beyond in the Life Sciences sector in Scotland.

"We are excited to hear from key speakers on the Covid-19 strategic response plan, and we look forward to participating in the breakout panel sessions. We anticipate lots of great conversation through our partner page on the day and look forward to forging strong networks along the way”

Panels of specialists and industry leaders will discuss and tackle important questions such as:

- Has Covid-19 been the mother of innovation within the NHS and what new ways of working should be sustained for the long-term benefit of the NHS and its patients?

- How will future Advanced Therapies impact the pharmaceutical industry’s supply chain systems, pricing models and skills development?

- What needs to be in place to ensure healthcare data can drive the innovation and value provided by the industry?

- What skills should we be investing in now to ensure we have the right workforce and pipeline of capabilities in the future?

- What start-ups and young companies do we need to serve the future pharmaceutical supply chain and how do we help them scale?

- What will the Medical Device Regulatory landscape look like after January 2021 and how should companies prepare?

- Has Covid19 changed the appetite for adoption of digital health technologies in maintaining NHS services?

- Given the increasing proportion of human diseases that have come from animal species, such as Covid-19, how can we accelerate our learning through a One Health approach to R&D?

- How can we use data to ensure food sustainability within a net zero carbon context?

This is a fully immersive event packed with the insight and discussions that have been building over the last few months. So, block out the day and give yourself time to reflect, engage and be inspired.

We invite you to join us

Alix Mackay MRSC will be hosting this year’s Life Sciences Conference.

With 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life Ssiences sectors, Alix is a member of the Scottish Life Sciences Industry Leadership Group and the Director of The Life Sciences Marketing Academy.

Written by conference chair Alix Mackay MRSC. The Scotsman conferences will host their 2020 Life Sciences conference online on December 3.