
Accelerating innovation in the UK life sciences sector: MTC’s strategic role
Project challenges
How can the UK life sciences sector accelerate commercialisation and scale innovation to match its world-class research capabilities?
Business challenge
Product Innovation
Process Innovation
Sector
Manufacturing
Technology or capability
Product Design
Process Design
The UK life sciences sector is entering a pivotal phase of growth and transformation. As a major contributor to national innovation and economic development—employing over 300,000 people and generating £108 billion in turnover—it is well-positioned to contribute to the future of healthcare and strengthen the UK’s global standing in medical technology. While the sector continues to demonstrate excellence in research and development, there remain opportunities to enhance commercialisation and scale innovation more effectively.
Organisations like MTC are already playing a valuable role in addressing these challenges. From accelerating product development to strengthening supply chains and supporting workforce development, MTC is actively contributing to the sector’s progress. The introduction of the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan offers a timely and ambitious framework to build on this momentum—helping innovators bring transformative technologies to market.
MTC's commitment to innovation and collaboration
Developing future-ready skills for Life Sciences
Equipping the life sciences sector with the right skills to scale up production is essential to unlocking its full potential. The Government’s focus on scaling innovation and building a future-ready workforce aligns closely with the mission of MTC. Through MTC Training and programmes like the Workforce Foresighting Hub, we are helping to shape the next generation of talent—ensuring individuals are equipped with the capabilities needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector.
But our commitment goes beyond training. MTC works directly with companies to identify skills gaps, co-create tailored workforce strategies, and implement practical solutions that embed innovation into day-to-day operations. This hands-on, collaborative approach ensures that both people and businesses are prepared to meet the demands of a dynamic and competitive life sciences landscape.
We are also aligned with national programmes to build a diverse, highly skilled workforce that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of modern life sciences. Our work enhances careers advice and employer engagement, as well as strengthening the UK’s global competitiveness by embedding specialist skills in AI, robotics and manufacturing leadership.
Driving innovation in Life Sciences
Innovation is the engine powering the UK’s ambition to lead in life sciences, and we are proud to be a strategic partner in that journey. As a member of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator, MTC plays an important role in helping medical companies bring breakthrough technologies to market. By applying proven methodologies from other high-performance sectors, we help de-risk the innovation process—enabling faster, more confident product development.
For example, as part of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator, MTC collaborated with Hoopsy to redesign their pregnancy test by replacing plastic components with 100% compostable materials, ensuring the product was intuitive to use and suitable for mass manufacturing. As a result, one of the world’s first 100% compostable pregnancy test was created.

Building resilient supply chains for Life Sciences
But our support doesn’t stop at technical expertise. We are also committed to nurturing the ecosystem that surrounds innovation. This includes strengthening the UK’s manufacturing base, which is vital to ensuring that life-changing innovations can be produced at scale, sustainably, and within the UK. We supported Hoopsy in identifying sustainable suppliers and assessing the environmental impact of the test to strengthen its market readiness and investment appeal.
Our work aligns with the Government’s commitment to revitalise life sciences manufacturing through initiatives like the £520 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), which aims to enhance resilience, attract globally mobile investment, and support the production of both patent-protected and off-patent medicines, MedTech, and diagnostics.
Through our collaboration with industry and government, we are helping to build a more robust and future-ready manufacturing infrastructure—one that not only accelerates the journey from lab to market but also anchors economic value and supply chain security within the UK. By investing in innovation and manufacturing together, we are ensuring that the UK remains a global leader in life sciences.
As innovation accelerates and demand for advanced medical technologies grows, the need for resilient, responsive supply chains has never been greater. By embedding predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making into industrial operations, we can enable companies to anticipate disruptions, optimise performance, and enhance traceability across complex networks. Our approach combines cutting-edge digital tools with deep sector expertise to create supply chains that are not only efficient, but also agile and future ready.
Resilience is more than just efficiency—it’s about security, adaptability, and long-term sustainability. The UK Life Sciences Sector Plan recognises the vulnerabilities posed by global dependencies, economic shocks, and cyber threats. That’s why we are keen to align our efforts with national strategies to strengthen domestic manufacturing capability, diversify sources of critical inputs, and improve access to resilience finance.
By working collaboratively with industry and government, we are helping to future-proof the life sciences ecosystem—ensuring that innovation is not only accelerated but also safeguarded against the uncertainties of a complex global landscape.
Partnering for a healthier, more innovative future
At MTC, we understand the pivotal role that advanced manufacturing and digital innovation will play in shaping the future of the UK’s life sciences sector. From accelerating the development and deployment of cutting-edge medical technologies to enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainability, our capabilities are aligned with the sector’s most urgent and strategic needs.
We believe that collaboration is key. By working closely with government, regulators, and industry, we can help accelerate the adoption of transformative medical technologies and support the UK’s ambition to become one of the top three fastest countries in Europe for patient access to MedTech by 2030.
MTC stands ready to partner across the life sciences ecosystem to bring the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan to life. Together, we can build a future where innovation drives healthier lives, economic prosperity, and long-term resilience.
How can MTC support my journey to commercialisation?
If you're curious about how we turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions, take a moment to explore our YouTube playlist. It’s packed with inspiring stories and behind-the-scenes insights into the advanced capabilities we bring to every project.
If your business is ready to take the next step in MedTech innovation, we’re here to help. Get in touch with our team to explore how we can support your transformation—whether you're refining a concept or scaling for manufacture.