The BIA applauds this campaign. The chronic lack of access to capital is a challenge that unites all SMEs. These are particularly tough times for SMEs involved in crucial life sciences research, with viable enterprises still struggling to obtain the follow-on investment they need to be able to grow their businesses into the success stories of the future.

Industry needs to send out a clear, united message on how to deal with this problem and get investment moving again. The package of work under discussion at the new Office for Life Sciences must be implemented to make a difference. The BIA, as part of a coalition of industry groups, has put forward proposals on how the £750m Strategic Investment Fund announced in April’s Budget can be used to create a ‘fund of funds’, bringing together Government and venture capitalist funding to ease access to capital for innovative young enterprises in the life sciences sector.

This is one of the measures needed to ensure that as a sector we continue to thrive and would provide a significant boost to UK Plc in the post recession upturn. We are right behind Voices of Industry.