New Report Shows Strength of Scotland’s Pharma Industry

A new report from the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute has demonstrated the strength of the pharmaceutical sector in Scotland, it was announced in a Jan. 18, 2021 press release from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

The report shows that the pharma sector in Scotland has grown since the last economic analysis (in 2018 and 2017), with a gross value added (GVA) of approximately £1.8 billion (US $2.5 billion) and more people now directly employed by pharmaceutical companies in the country. Additionally, the industry indirectly supports 15,250 jobs in Scotland, according to the report. Investment in the sector is also being increased in R&D, with annual business spending up by nearly £45 million (US $62 million) since 2012

“In a year that has seen our companies stepping up and starting to lead us out of the pandemic with the vital vaccines we need, I am proud that the pharmaceutical industry continues to thrive in Scotland,” said Alison Culpan, director of ABPI Scotland, in the press release. “Scotland’s industry is stronger today than it was three years ago with more people employed in good jobs, more being spent on research and development, and exports topping half a billion pounds. It is important that the Scottish Government is ambitious and works with us to nurture and promote a sector which is not only exporting Scottish excellence around the world but delivering for the health of people here in Scotland.”

“Our economic analysis shows that the industry continues to grow in Scotland with direct employment, exports and GVA increasing,” added Mairi Spowage, deputy director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, in the press release. “The contribution of the sector extends beyond the activities of pharmaceutical companies themselves, with their output supporting employment and income right across the country including areas of historically high unemployment and deprivation.”

Source: ABPI