Dr Kevin Cox, president of UK biotech company Avecia Biologics, has been appointed as chair of UK Trade & Investment's Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Sector Advisory Group.
UK Trade & Investment is the government organisation dedicated to helping UK businesses to export and grow overseas and encourage inward investment into the UK. Dr Cox's appointment is a sign of the importance of the advanced bio and pharma sectors.
The UK leads Europe in the industrial exploitation of biotechnology and companies in the sector account for almost three-quarters of Europe's publicly quoted biotechnology companies. Avecia works with companies in the US, Europe and Japan to develop biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes to treat diseases such as cancer, Hepatitis C, and blood disorders.
'Helping companies to market advanced products abroad is vitally important, particularly for high technology SMEs,' said Dr Cox. 'The UK is second only to the US in the strength and depth of capabilities in biotech and pharmaceuticals, and we can boast an extensive development infrastructure to aid companies wishing to invest in the UK. Biopharmaceutical development accounts for thousands of jobs and, while still a relatively small industry, it is growing at a very high rate.'
In the last year, Avecia has expanded its workforce in the North East to 500 with the employment of 50 new staff at its Tees Valley operation in Billingham.