The life sciences sector in Scotland is an important part of Scotland’s economy. It has contributed groundbreaking innovations to areas like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and vaccine manufacturing. The sector contributes nearly PS10bn to Scotland’s economy. Life sciences exports are worth PS4.3bn. Scotland’s academic strength, combined with a large talent pool, and the Scottish Government’s life sciences policy, make it a top destination for investment and innovation. If we want to be competitive in the global market, Scottish businesses must invest in people.
As a HR leader within the Scottish Life Sciences sector, this is a topic that I am very passionate about. I think we must empower our employees with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in an environment that is rapidly changing. It’s not just about checking boxes for corporate responsibility or diversity, but about strengthening the company as a whole. Individuals who grow bring new perspectives and insights to the business, which fosters innovation and drives operational excellence. Training plays an important role in retaining talent, creating motivated employees and improving company culture.
We should encourage the UK’s life sciences sector to generate significant amounts of intellectual property, talent and research. We will keep Scotland at the forefront of life sciences by offering exciting career opportunities at home and ongoing development.
Deshalb, I applaud the UK and Scottish Governments’ focus on life science as a sector with high growth. We must work together to prioritise a collaborative partnership between the business world, academia, and health systems within this sector. By ensuring that these three pillars work together in the same direction, we can boost skills development and create more jobs of high quality, which will in turn help to improve our economy, and make our people healthier and happier.
Our highly-skilled employees at Valneva Scotland’s state-of the-art manufacturing facility, located in Livingston, have been trained and developed. Our investment covers a wide range of disciplines, from personal development to people management and streamlining operations processes. We strive to ensure that our employees at all levels have the confidence, skills and support to thrive.
We have enrolled six rising leaders in the prestigious Emerging Leaders Programme. The programme, which runs for two years, is built around 12 core competencies in leadership, including interpersonal, team, and organisational skills, as well as personal qualities. It also includes ongoing mentoring. All six participants will be well-rounded leaders capable of leading teams and implementing high-level initiatives.
In the end, investing in your team is an investment in Scotland’s future life sciences industry. For us, this influences our mission to advance vaccines for better living. Listening to your employees, offering them opportunities for continuous development, and providing a platform to use those skills will help you build a sustainable and high-performing business.
