Vice Chancellor of Oueen’s University Belfast outlines new vision for life sciences

Professor Ian Greer, the new Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast gave an inspirational Annual Lecture of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry at Stormont Buildings on 20^th November.  A former Director of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Prof Greer set out brilliantly the promise and value of life sciences investment and collaborative development.

Among his key points were:

• Health challenges and increasing costs require innovative approaches
• Healthcare cannot meet demand using current established models of care, so innovation is key
• New technologies create new opportunities just as with the 4^th industrial revolution in manufacturing
• Medicine is now being driven by mathematics and computer science as much as by biology of health and disease
• Increased recognition that biomedical and health innovation requires critical mass and collaboration to be internationally competitive
• Requires a systems approach to deliver the innovation needed for today’s health challenges:  University-Industry-Healthcare