The UK faces one of its biggest economic and political decisions in recent times on June 23rd when it votes on its future relationship with Europe. An out vote would have major repercussions for the economy overall, and certainly on financing, funding and investment into the life science sector.

We caught up with Sir Chris Evans, Chairman of Excalibur, and advisory board member of Biotech and Money, to hear his thoughts on the Brexit vote and how he feels it could affect the UK bioscience industry:

On the economy:

“I think we could have a year or two of economic uncertainty and stock market flatness or collapse. Funding for risk will absolutely fall through the floor in London.”

On investment within and into the UK:

“US institutions will not be lining up to invest in UK Biotechs in an unstable uncertain environment. UK institutions won’t either. The biotech sector will plummet to new depths even if our Treasury bellies up with £12billion to prop up the science base.”

On the uncertainty of the UK’s preparedness for an out vote:

“Our politicians do not seem to have answers or a master plan for the new independent British economy - it will be a shambles. You will hear ‘I told you so’ a lot on Dimbleby’s Question Time, with politicians slinging mud at each other for two years whilst Rome (i.e. UK bioscience industry) burns!”

On the dilemma:

“My heart says to get out from interfering Eurocrats but my brain says NO, hang on in and sort a better deal” 

On the future:

“We’d better stay in Europe until such time we have a UK government and a set of politicians who unanimously know exactly what we will do if we leave”

Find out what an out vote would really mean for the UK life science sector.

Topic: What would Britain leaving the EU mean for the UK life science sector?
Date: Tuesday 21st June 2016

Time: 16.30 BST

Duration: 1 hour

Attend this webinar to learn:

• How important would a loss of coordination roles in EU collaborations be and how would this affect sciences revenues?
• With the European Medicines Agency forced to leave London in an out-vote, what extent would Britain’s role in regulating medicine be diminished if Britain were to leave the EU?
• In what ways would Brexit threaten inward investment into UK life sciences? Could restoring full sovereignty enable the UK to re-strategise and become more pro-science?
• How should life science companies be preparing for the eventuality of an exit?