More scientists will get jobs this year, says survey
The UK science labour market has been resilient to the economic downturn, with more skilled scientists being recruited and a significant increase in requirements predicted for contract staff during the next 12 months, a survey has revealed.
SRG's 2009-2010 UK Science Labour Trends Survey questioned organisations in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and healthcare, oil, petrochemical and food industries.
The survey had 554 respondents, who revealed that biotechnology was second to oil/gas/petrochemicals in employing the most permanent staff in 2009 compared with 2008. Biotechnology is also now near the top in terms of the number of permanent staff it plans to hire across all regions in the UK.
This positive trend continues for contract scientific staff, although the levels of recruitment here are expected to remain stable rather than increase during 2010.
Regionally, the South West and Wales are finding it easiest to recruit permanent scientific staff, while Scotland is struggling. Wales is the one region in which significantly more companies are using fewer staff than a year ago.
The Midlands has seen the biggest downward trend in the use of temporary scientists year on year.
Ena Vieira, biotechnology industry specialist for UK scientific personnel recruitment agency SRG said: "With the unstable economic situation over the last 12 months, biotech companies have become even more focused on the commercial returns of their products. This has led to a trend emerging, showing that they are now seeking to recruit more commercially focused staff while still requiring them to have suitable scientific skills."
She added: "The results of our latest survey clearly show that the outlook for 2010 is looking positive as, from all the sectors surveyed, biotechnology is predicting the second-highest increased permanent staff recruitment during 2010."
You may also like
Finance
Sun Pharma to acquire Organon in $11.75bn deal, expanding global manufacturing and biosimilars reach
The firm will acquire Organon in an all-cash $11.75bn transaction, creating a larger global pharma group with expanded manufacturing capacity, stronger women's health operations and a top-10 biosimilars position
Finance
UK biotech venture capital rises 17% in Q1 2026 as deal activity surges 67% year-on-year, BIA figures show
Total UK biotech equity financing reached £552m in the first quarter of 2026, driven by a 17% quarterly rise in venture capital investment, according to BioIndustry Association data, though public markets remain dormant with no IPOs recorded since 2022
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
Regulatory
Britain's biotech potential (part I): world-class science, second-class support?
The UK produces top-tier life sciences research, offers favourable conditions for early-stage investment and hosts a growing network of internationally competitive clusters. So why does the capital keep leaving?
Research & Development
NEUVIOR Pharmaceuticals receives Innovate UK grant to explore bio-based materials for circular pharmaceutical manufacturing
The Innovate UK feasibility grant will advance its ZYLON programme, which involves clean-chemistry lab trials exploring how bio-derived materials could replace harder-to-recycle packaging formats and reduce waste in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Research & Development
Awen Oncology secures seven-figure funding to advance rare bone cancer therapeutic programme
The cancer therapeutics company has secured seven-figure funding led by biotech investor Dr Urs Spitz to progress its lead programme targeting a rare form of bone cancer with potential broader oncology applications towards clinical development