New Minister to speak at Life Sciences Annual Conference
IVAN McKEE, the new Scottish Government Minister responsible for life sciences, has joined the speaker line-up for the sector’s major annual conference.
Mr McKee will outline his vision for making life sciences an £8 billion industry by 2025 at the event at The University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre on Monday November 12th.
The full-day conference, Life Sciences in Scotland – Moving Forward Together: to 2025 and beyond, brings together industry, academia, the NHS and the Scottish Government and its agencies to discuss progress towards meeting the ambitious £8 billion target.
Delegates will also hear from Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood on how the NHS and life sciences sector can work together to mutual benefit and from Dave Tudor of GSK, co-chair of the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group.
Other speakers include Dr Mike Leek from the fast-growing business TC BioPharm and Andy Evans, a senior executive at AstraZeneca, who will talk about life sciences from a broader UK perspective.
The first half of the event will examine progress towards the 2025 target, following last year’s successful conference outlining the new Life Sciences Scotland strategy and the efforts to ensure all parts of the sector are collaborating effectively.
After lunch, masterclasses will give life sciences business advice on a range of key areas, including how to get investment into your business, how to identify and recruit the right talent, how to make best use of your intellectual property and how to improve your digital and social marketing to find new markets and customers.
David Lee, conference director, said: “We have worked very closely with the life sciences sector to understand what worked at last year’s event and what we can do better. The afternoon session has been designed very much with that in mind.
“We are very pleased to have secured Ivan McKee and to hear how he intends to utilise his own business background to support life sciences in Scotland.”
Mr McKee was appointed Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reshaped her ministerial portfolios in the last Cabinet reshuffle. Previously, Minister for Business, Energy and Innovation, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, was responsible for life sciences.
To book tickets for the event, go to https://www.scotsmanconferences.com/event/annual-life-sciences-conference-2018/ or call Rebecca or Lauren on 0131 311 7233 or email conferences@scotsman.com