Belfast Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Belfast is building a niche for itself in the knowledge economy, targeting in particular, innovative investment in the biotech/life sciences and information and communications technology sectors. There are currently about 50 companies in the life sciences area alone.

Life & Health Science Sector Profile

Belfast’s Life and Health Technology sector has shown strong growth in recent years, grounded in leading-edge research in areas such as oncology, genomics and proteomics. In recent years through indigenous growth and global acquisition, sales throughout the life science sector, have almost doubled, while employment levels have increased by around 40%.

The sector now boasts some of the most innovative research and product development in the world. Centres of excellence represent a unique integration between academic expertise, medicine and industry, thereby enabling a coherent approach to research design, clinical testing and product manufacture. The sector thrives to keep on growing and Belfast’s two Universities produce the talented skilled people to fuel this growth.

Although currently at an early stage of development, this sector within Belfast already consists of 26 companies employing 2960.

Educational Profile

As the Biotechnology sector has grown rapidly, so too have the levels of expertise and the numbers of people attracted to work and study in the Life Sciences area. In the past 4 years, the numbers employed within the sector have risen by 40%.

University of Ulster 2003/04

Queen’s University, Belfast 2003/04

Faculty of Science & Agriculture

Faculty of Medicine and Health Science