Drug
industry bemoans Britain's lack of science skills
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[November 11, 2015]
LONDON (Reuters) - British
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies face a major skills shortage
which threatens future investment and the long-term success of the life
sciences sector, according to a new industry report.
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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said
on Wednesday that firms could increasingly seek workers abroad due
to low numbers of good quality candidates, particularly those with
appropriate biology and maths skills.
The report follows a warning this week from lawmakers on the House
of Commons science and technology committee that Britain's position
as a "science superpower" would be jeopardized if government
spending on science was not protected.
Government spending on science has fallen about 6 percent in real
terms since 2010, leaving Britain spending 1.7 percent of gross
domestic product on science and research, below the 2.8 percent and
2.9 percent spent by the United States and Germany respectively, the
parliamentary committee said.
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Despite a number of site closures in recent years, pharmaceuticals
remains an important industrial sector in Britain, employing more
than 70,000 people, and the country has traditionally punched above
its weight in developing new drugs.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by David Clarke)
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