Life sciences

We’re a designated UK Science City and internationally renowned for life sciences.

We have cutting-edge facilities including the International Centre for Life and the NIHR Newcastle Biodemical Research Centre.

In the heart of the city lies Newcastle Helix, a 24-acre hybrid city quarter specifically built for international tech and science innovation. A hub of collaboration and innovation, Newcastle Helix is also home to the UK’s only National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the National Innovation Centre for Data, the largest facility of its kind in Europe.

Both centres use big data, innovation and collaboration to help us research and invest into living better for longer and to unleash opportunities to individuals and organisations offered by the explosive growth in digital data.

North East England has an established pharmaceutical cluster accounting for £632m of the region’s GVA, whilst Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitlas NHS Trust tops the tables for a fourth consecutive year, undertaking the UK’s largest number of clinical trials, recruiting almost 12,500 patients.

Thanks to our world-class facilities and industry expertise, we’ve attracted conferences such as the Anunal Alliance for Healthy Ageing and the Annual Meeting of the European Thyroid Association.

Things you need to know:

• The International Centre for Life is the UK’s first biotechnology village, a landmark £90m development which is home to Newcastle University’s Institute for Genetic Medicine.
• Newcastle University was granted the first licence by the fertility regulator to create a baby with three genetic parents, which is a ground-breaking development that will be used to prevent children dying from genetic diseases.
• The National Institute for Health Research Innovation Observatory based at Newcastle University applies big data analytical tools to reveal global trends in health innovation.