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Life sciences ‘could drive Covid recovery in Northern Ireland’

Report reveals sector generates over £1.1bn in value and 18,000 full-time jobs

Northern Ireland’s “flourishing” life sciences sector has the opportunity to become a key driving force in the economic recovery from Covid-19, an industry report suggests.

Life sciences, driven mainly by the pharmaceuticals sector, generate over £1.1bn in value for the nation annually, and employ some 18,000 people full time, according to a 20 October report from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

Combined with rising employment in the sector—a 12 per cent growth since 2015—this means there is “an opportunity for the pharmaceuticals sector in Northern Ireland to become a key driving force in the incoming economic recovery”, it said.

“Public and private enterprises are already having a positive impact on the lives of people across the country, and today’s report shows there is a solid foundation for growth in the future,” said Colette Goldrick, director of ABPI Northern Ireland, who commissioned the report.

“Science will help us beat this pandemic, and good-quality jobs will help us deal with its economic fallout. Northern Ireland’s thriving life sciences sector provides both.”

Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds said her “new economic recovery plan, Rebuilding a Stronger Economy, identifies the sector as a priority for targeted future investment” and that the report “can be used to inform how we can build on the success of the sector”.