By Sarah Aleyan, Jess Schmider and Dr Vivek Muthu
In May 2024, Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week brought together over 10,000 industry leaders, healthcare professionals and academics from 150+ countries to exchange vital ideas and perspectives and advance dialogue on key global health challenges. A key focus of this year’s conference were the challenges and opportunities for driving innovation within their biotech sector. Economist Impact moderated a panel discussion centred on the topic. Here we present our key reflections on that discussion.
Take away 1: Talent development, attraction and retention is the foundation
Fundamental to any biotechnology research and development ecosystem is a strong foundation for talent and education. It is crucial to have a healthy pipeline of skilled researchers and scientists in order to drive innovation in the biotech industry. Wider development of a knowledge economy is another key part of the foundation of any strategy focused on strengthening the biotech industry. However, this effort requires a long-term commitment from both government and industry players through policy intervention and investment, particularly in developing the education ecosystem to nurture and retain local talent.
China has shown how a focus on talent development can ultimately yield positive outcomes. In recent years, China has set up over 200 talent recruitment programmes aimed at recruiting high-calibre scientists from around the world. Among these, the most prominent is China’s Young Thousand Talents (YTT) programme, which has been effective in attracting and recruiting high-calibre scientists returning to China after receiving doctorates abroad.1 According to a recent analysis, YTT scientists produced 27% more publications than their overseas peers after returning home.2 Some of the key factors that contributed to the success of this programme in attracting a strong talent pool included a solid research funding environment and access to large research teams.
In Abu Dhabi the Tawteen initiative, facilitated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, was recently developed to foster and enhance local talent in the healthcare sector. Through the Tawteen initiative, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health has specified targets that include a minimum of 1% “Tawteen” or Emirati in the healthcare workforce and a 2% rate in the administrative workforce.3
Corporations in Abu Dhabi have also been taking active steps to attract foreign talent. For instance, Arcera, a global holdings company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has aligned its internal strategy with UAE’s vision for the biotech sector. The company aims to partner with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies around the world, with a particular focus on attracting talent to the region.4
Takeaway 2: Multi-sector collaborations between academic institutions, government and industry can drive real impact
Multi-sector collaboration and engagement between academia, government and industry is essential for ensuring that ideas survive from their conception as an idea in a university, through progression into clinical trials and development, and ultimately their arrival as a product in the market.
Strong government-funded academic research is the foundation for the biotech ecosystem, as new companies often sprout from local academic institutions. Accelerator incubator programmes support this development through co-operative arrangements between universities, government grants and private investors looking for partnerships or acquisitions. It is at this later stage, where engagement and investment from the private sector is critical to counteract the “valley of death”, where the gap in funding between pre-clinical and drug development stages often prevents ideas from ever reaching the market.
Singapore has launched several incubator programmes over the past few years as a function of collaborations between the private and public sector. Co11ab, bringing together Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National Healthcare Group (NHG, a group of healthcare institutions) is one such collaboration.5 This incubator provides laboratory and office spaces linked to NTU and functioning hospitals and clinics, as well as a network of partners, investors, funding opportunities and resources that can aid biotech start-ups.5
Takeaway 3: Access to capital is necessary but not sufficient—robust infrastructure, strong IP protection policies and a supportive regulatory environment are equally important
Investment in the biotech industry is necessary, but is not the only factor needed to create and sustain a vibrant biotech ecosystem. Appropriate infrastructure and facilities are needed to support biotech innovation along with a regulatory environment that facilitates the growth of the sector.
Robust laws to protect intellectual property (IP) and competition are critical to attract funders and researchers, given the significant financial investment and risk involved in biotech innovation. The US has been a key leader when it comes to IP protection, according to the 2024 International IP Index produced by the US Chamber of Commerce.6 IP protection laws in the US have played a fundamental role in fostering an innovation ecosystem that supports collaboration between the private sector, government bodies and academic institutions. This regulatory environment has played an important role in attracting significant R&D investments within the biotech sector. As such, it comes as no surprise that the US is one of the top-performing countries for biotech according to the OECD.
Adaptation of regulatory policies can further serve to attract research and development in biotech. For example creating market access agreements can shorten the time taken to bring a biotech discovery to market and support earlier adoption of new technologies. In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched its Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway Initiative, which aimed to accelerate marketing authorisation timelines, where medicine developers receive guidance and expert support.7
Take away 4: A strong healthcare system is key to enabling a productive biotech sector
The existence of a strong local healthcare system can allow for innovation to be tested, deployed and utilised. However, the first key step towards achieving this outcome is establishing a solid foundation for a well-performing healthcare system. One of the key foundational building blocks in this regard includes the design and implementation of robust health information systems that can facilitate the production of useful and timely data on national healthcare challenges. These systems can have a substantial impact in terms of improving overall capabilities and healthcare system outcomes, and ultimately enable the development of a strong biotech sector.
Take away 5: Long-term government commitment is needed to build a vibrant biotech ecosystem
A common theme across the other takeaways is the role of long-term government commitment in driving significant growth in the biotech sector. Look no further than Ireland for an example of a country that has experienced substantial growth in its life sciences sector as a function of consistent government support and incentives. Overall, the discussion at Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week reinforced the importance of investment across the biotech ecosystem—spanning talent development, education, multi-sector collaboration, infrastructure and appropriate regulatory policies—to lay the foundations for a thriving biotech sector.
Acknowledgments:
Economist Impact would like to thank the following individuals for generously contributing their time and insights to the panel discussion: Dr Asma Al Mannaei, Elodie Robin-Guillerm, Isabel Afonso, Dr Tiago Magalhaes, Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Elena Bonfliglioli and Pedro Matos-Rosa.
References
1 Standford University. Evaluating the Success of China's "Young Thousand Talents" STEM Recruitment Program. Available from: https://sccei.fsi.stanford.edu/china-briefs/evaluating-success-chinas-young-thousand-talents-stem-recruitment-program
2 Shi D, Liu W, Wang Y. Has China's Young Thousand Talents program been successful in recruiting and nurturing top-caliber scientists? Science, 379(6627):62-65. DOI: 10.1126/science.abq1218
3 Department of Health Abu Dhabi. Tawtee and the sustainability of the healthcare workforce [Internet]. Department of Health Abu Dhabi. Available from: https://www.doh.gov.ae/en/programs-initiatives/tawteen
4 ADQ. ADQ launches holding company Arcera to build a global life sciences powerhouse anchored in Abu Dhabi [Internet]. ADQ. Available from: https://www.adq.ae/newsroom/adq-launches-holding-company-arcera-to-build-a-global-life-sciences-powerhouse-anchored-in-abu-dhabi
5 Novena ca. Our benefits [Internet]. Singapore: co11ab Novena. Available from: https://www.co11ab.sg
6 US Chamber of Commerce. 2024 International IP Index. Available from: https://www.uschamber.com/intellectual-property/2024-ip-index
7 UK Government. Innovative licensing and access pathway [Internet]. Gov.UK. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/innovative-licensing-and-access-pathway
