Welcome to Wales. If you’re thinking about where to locate your Life Sciences business, browsing these pages will give you a glimpse of what you can expect of us and of Wales.

1. Life Sciences

2. Welcome to Wales.
If you’re thinking about
where to locate your
Life Sciences business,
browsing these pages
will give you a glimpse
of what you can expect
of us and of Wales.
We’re ready to talk.
When you are...
“Our overriding aim is to grow
the sector through supporting
business growth, encouraging
innovation and providing access
to finance and expertise.”
Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport.

3. Skills
3 // World-class research and expertise
Support
5 // Government commitment, research and finance –
including a dedicated £100m Life Sciences Investment Fund
Speed
9 // A devolved nation and a joined-up sector
Space
11 // Easy access to low-cost office, incubator
and laboratory space
Self
13 // A great place to live
Success
15 // Meet some world-leading Life Sciences companies
already thriving here
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Stem Cell image courtesy of GE Healthcare.

4. The Welsh Wound Innovation
Centre is a new £4m project
building on Wales’ leading
expertise in wound prevention
and treatment. Through clinical
research and knowledge transfer,
the centre in south Wales will
serve the NHS and a wide range
of commercial customers.

5. Wales punches well above its
weight with Life Sciences skills
and expertise.
Welsh researchers are leading the world
in areas including wound healing, stem
cells, neurosciences, e-health, in vitro
diagnostics, medical devices and more.
Behind every thriving Life Sciences sector
there’s always a strong academic network
– collaborating, researching and training
a new generation. Our eight universities
are home to almost 160,000 students
– 12,000 of these in Life Sciences – and
take part in all kinds of research and
technology projects. They have excellent
knowledge transfer and commercialisation
capabilities, and offer attractive partnering
opportunities for Life Sciences businesses
with potential to access considerable
European funding.
Swansea University is home to Europe’s
first Centre for NanoHealth and the Institute
of Life Science. Cardiff University’s School
of Biosciences is one of the biggest in
Skills
Life Sciences
“Wales boasts some of the most
outstanding scientific talent in this area
and the challenge is now for entrepreneurs
and businesses in Life Sciences to grab the
many opportunities out there”
Professor Sir Christopher Evans OBE
Welsh biotech entrepreneur and Chairman of Arthurian Life Sciences
the UK, and the UK’s largest department
in land-based sciences – the Institute
of Biological, Environmental and Rural
Sciences – is at Aberystwyth University.
And, like scientific progress, we don’t
stand still. Sêr Cymru is our £50m initiative
to grow research excellence by attracting
world-class researchers and their teams to
Wales and increase our share of UK and
European funding.
And you don’t have to be a multinational
to work with our academics. We’re here
to help you push back frontiers, whatever
size you are today.
Swansea University’s Institute of
Life Science is a direct result of
successful collaboration between
the NHS, academia and the sector
in Wales.
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6. £1.29m – the business finance
provided by Welsh Government
to leading US clinical research
organisation, PRA, who created
100 new graduate jobs and
doubled the size of its office at
Swansea’s SA1, Europe’s largest
waterfront development.

7. Support
Life Sciences
Wales offers the highest level of financial
support and grants in the UK, with quick
decisions and approvals – plus a dedicated
Life Sciences Investment Fund…
Let’s be clear: the Welsh Government’s
stated aim is to confirm Wales as
a world-leading location for Life
Sciences companies.
And that means both financial and
operational support for the sector.
Life Scientists agree: the future hinges on
financial backing. The best products will
struggle out of the starting blocks unless
they are supported from conception to
test and beyond. So we’ve upped the
stakes even higher in Wales with:
The Life Sciences Investment Fund
A £100m dedicated equity fund for Life
Sciences companies in Wales, with 50/50
co-investment on every deal. The highly
experienced Arthurian Life Sciences team
works with incoming businesses to Wales
from start-ups to mature businesses.
SMARTCymru
£28m to support businesses researching
technical innovation.
Academic Expertise for Business (A4B)
£55m to accelerate knowledge and skills
transfer between academic institutions
and business.
The Life Sciences Investment
Fund is managed by Arthurian Life
Sciences, whose team includes a
number of successful life sciences
entrepreneurs and professionals,
expert in forming commercial
partnerships and developing new
products. Its high profile and
experienced international Board
includes Prof Sir Christopher Evans,
Lord Hutton, Sir John Banham,
Jeremy Curnock Cook and Prof
Trevor Jones.
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8. We can offer funding support for:
• Venture Capital projects
• Business Development
• Capital Investment
• Research & Development
• Training & Skills development
• International trade visits
• Access to global trading events

9. Life Sciences
Our priority is to invest public
money in providing the best possible
conditions for your business to
operate and succeed. And then to
keep supporting you as you grow.
We have seven designated
Enterprise Zones across the country
– and Deeside in north Wales and
Ebbw Vale in the south are both
manufacturing Enterprise Zones, and
include a number of Life Sciences-related
companies, where you’re
likely to find customers and suppliers
quite literally on your doorstep.
And locating here could offer even more
support, in the shape of our Enterprise
Zone Business Rate Scheme.
Life Sciences companies based in Wales
can also access the UK Patent Box,
which provides significant tax breaks
for companies who develop innovative
patented products and commercialise
patents here.
Also, the UK’s innovation agency –
the Technology Strategy Board – offers
support and funding to help companies
develop new products and services and
bring them closer to market.
Support
But we know it’s not just about money.
We’re here as a long-term partner -
not just a funding source. Our business
development team will always listen to
your needs and use a number of levers
to support your business growth.
Funding is only about creating
opportunities. We know that. So our
tailored support is all about opening doors,
whether that is through our subsidised
international trade activities, providing new
product development advice or helping
with research on overseas markets.
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10. A focal point for all we’re doing
in Wales, the Life Sciences Hub at
Assembly Square in Cardiff Bay will
offer the sector here unparalleled
access to the latest expertise,
opportunities and investments.
The Life Sciences Hub, Assembly Square, Cardiff Bay.

11. With fresh ideas and discoveries
constantly pushing the boundaries,
the Life Sciences sector needs fast
and flexible support. Which is why
it is so vibrant here in Wales.
Because we’re a devolved nation, we
can get things moving quickly and
seamlessly, with minimum bureaucracy
and maximum flexibility.
And, because we’re a small and joined-up
country, the sector operates as a
dynamic ecosystem: private companies,
Government, the NHS and academics pull
together here, which means the sector can
– and does – make things happen. Fast.
Take our Life Sciences Sector Panel, which
brings private companies, Government
and academia together so all are alive to
opportunities for growth and success.
Add to this the development of the Welsh
Life Sciences Hub: based in Cardiff, it’s
a Government-backed central resource
for the whole of the sector in Wales,
connecting commercial, academic,
clinical and funding organisations.
Speed
And take clinical trials. Health Research
Wales is our unique, go-to body which
supports the set-up and management of
clinical trial studies in Wales, which will
give your project a foundation, linking you
to experts, facilities, financial resources
and possible markets. Our independent,
devolved National Health Service allows
you access to anonymised healthcare data
for the whole population in one database.
So, clinical trials here can access three
million people with a single, co-ordinated
permissions process.
When you move here, you’ll be able to
work fast too, because Wales is at the
forefront of ICT development.
Welsh Government is delivering Next
Generation Broadband to 96% of all homes
and businesses here by 2016. And we’re
home to Europe’s largest Tier 3 Data
Centre, run by Next Generation Data and
geared up to house hardware, software
and fast data connections - supporting
your whole web family, including intranets,
extranets and e-commerce platforms.
Life Sciences
We make quick investment decisions:
give us all the information we need,
and you’ll have an answer within
30 days if you’re looking for under
£1m, and within 40 days if you’re
looking for more than that.
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12. The Institute of Life Sciences
(ILS I and II), Swansea: ILS I
is a state-of-the-art building,
housing specialists in medical
research, business incubation and
technology transfer, strategically
located between the College of
Medicine and Singleton Hospital.
ILS II provides a further 6,000 sq m
including an extended range of fully
operational business incubation
units, a clinical research facility,
an imaging suite, the Centre for
Health Information, Research and
Evaluation (CHIRAL) and the Centre
for NanoHealth.
The Institute of Life Sciences, Swansea.
MediCentre, Cardiff is a business
incubator for biotech and medtech
start-ups, comprising serviced
offices, desks and laboratories
based in the grounds of the
University Hospital of Wales
and a stone’s throw from Cardiff
University’s School of Medicine.

13. Space
Life Sciences
No-one delivers the right
property and location for your
business like Wales.
With an exceptional variety of
options – from starter industrial
units and R&D incubators to
serviced offices; from international
headquarters to urban renewal
projects – property is highly cost-competitive,
with office space in
our capital city, Cardiff, costing
some 40% less than London*.
So we help keep your overheads low
with a range of affordable commercial
and industrial premises in a choice of
locations – and we make sure you’re well-connected,
with superfast broadband.
Located just 2 hours west of London,
with rail, air and sea links to the UK and
mainland Europe, Wales offers excellent
access to markets.
Air
Cardiff is served by its own international
airport with regular, direct UK and other
European flights. Manchester, Birmingham,
Liverpool and Bristol airports are all within
1 hours drive from Wales, while London
Heathrow can be reached within 2 hours.
Rail
High speed trains link Wales with most
UK cities, with just 2 hours’ journey time
from Cardiff to London, and 3 hours from
Wrexham to London.
Road
Links to the other main UK cities are fast,
with Cardiff to central London taking just
over 2.5 hours and Wrexham to Liverpool
and Manchester taking only around 1 hour.
* source: BNP Paribas Real Estate January 2012 12

14. Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire.
Our 1,400 km
of continuous coastal
path is the only one in
the world to outline a
country’s entire coast.

15. Self
Life Sciences
No-one and nowhere delivers
lifestyle like Wales.
Whether renting or buying, Wales has
some of the most competitive house
prices in the UK. We offer some of the
finest educational programmes in the UK:
our eight quality universities and 16 further
education colleges accommodate almost
360,000 students every year*.
Our unique geography has created
some of the most incredible, walkable
landscapes in the world, from mountains
to coast via ancient woodland, lakes and
rivers – and over 4,000 sq km of National
Park. No wonder dolphins, porpoises,
puffins and red kites all call Wales home.
Stunning beaches pepper our award-winning
1,400 km Wales Coast Path – the
only one in the world to outline a country’s
entire coast. Add in the 285 km Offa’s Dyke
pathway which trails our land border with
England and you can complete the circuit.
Our capital city is one of the UK’s top ten
retail locations**, while Cardiff Bay’s stylish
bars and restaurants make it a vibrant
leisure destination.
Wales hosts some of Europe’s most
respected music, literature and food
festivals – Brecon Jazz and the Hay
Festival being particularly well-known.
From our national rugby team to
Premiership football, world-class sports
are on your doorstep – plus nearly 180
golf courses!
From wildlife to social life, from arts
to sports, from landscape to seascape,
Wales delivers what you want out of life.
* source: The Complete University Guide 2013 and Colleges Wales
** source: Going Shopping 2013 – the Definitive Guide to Shopping Centres by Trevor Wood Associates 14

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WALES
Edinburgh
Manchester
Bristol London
Amsterdam
IRELAND
WALES UK
Brussels
Paris
Copenhagen
Prague
Rome
Madrid
Lisbon
Berlin
Dublin
Cardi
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5
8
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3 4 6
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Some reasons why Life Sciences
companies have moved to Wales:
• World class research
• Skilled workforce
• Joined-up sector
• Access to the National Health Service
• Peer networks
• Financial support
• Committed, accessible Government
• Good tax environment
• Low overheads
Key Life Sciences
company locations
in Wales
“What’s happening here
in Wales is comparable
to many biotech hubs
around the world,
with a concentration
of expertise and RD
excellence.”
Dr Stephen Minger – Chief Scientist,
Research and Applied Markets at Life
Sciences, GE Healthcare.

17. Success
Life Sciences
Around 300 Life Sciences companies have
already chosen Wales. Big names have set
up base camp, research labs or operations,
backed by a Government determined
to make Wales a world-leading location
for Life Sciences. Here is how we have
supported some of our biggest residents…
1. Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics (Llanberis)
Manufacture and distribution of diagnostic
reagents
When the company relocated the majority of its
manufacturing and distribution operations from
Los Angeles to Llanberis, Welsh Government
worked with the Siemens team to support the
training and development of its workforce, now
at 450 employees.
2. Biomet UK (Bridgend)
Design and manufacture of orthopaedic
implants and accessories
When Biomet expanded its Bridgend operation
Welsh Government provided investment support
for the expanded manufacturing operation and
also support for the training for employees, which
now stand at over 600.
3. Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (OCD) (Bridgend)
Medical test kits manufacturer
A Johnson Johnson company, OCD has 350
employees at its Bridgend facility, which was
established with grant support from the Welsh
Government.
4. Biotec Services International (Bridgend)
Pharmaceuticals storage and distribution
When Biotec went international, dynamic
growth followed. We helped the company
capitalise on the international opportunity,
recruit and upskill staff. Read more on page 17...
5. Norgine Ltd (Hengoed)
Pharmaceuticals manufacture, distribution
and development
The Welsh Government supported the
company’s £8m expansion at Hengoed,
which has seen staff numbers rise to 340.
6. GE Healthcare Life Sciences (Cardiff)
GE Healthcare has its Cell Technology Centre
of Excellence, forensics RD laboratories and
world-class devices manufacturing based in
South Wales, with a 430-strong workforce.
The company chose to locate here because
of the strong emphasis placed on life sciences
by the Welsh Government and partnership
opportunities with academia, the wealth of
science and manufacturing talent available
locally and the easy access to a beautiful part
of the country.
7. Penn Pharma (Tredegar)
Pharmaceuticals manufacture and distribution
The Welsh Government supported Penn to
set up at Tredegar some 33 years ago. Recent
expansion has also received similar Welsh
Government support. Read more on page 19...
8. Convatec (Rhymney and Deeside)
Manufacturer of stomacare, wound
therapeutics and skin care products
With 600 staff across two Welsh sites, Convatec
worked closely with the Welsh Government as
it expanded in 2007 and received support for
management and staff training initiatives.
9. Ipsen (Wrexham)
Pharmaceuticals
The UK subsidiary of this global pharma
company was supported by the Welsh
Government in opening its new advanced
manufacturing site in north Wales, which
employs 270 people.
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18. Bridgend-based Biotec Services
International specialises in
temperature-controlled storage and
distribution of drug supplies for
clinical trials, with customers ranging
from tiny drug discovery companies
to household-name multi-nationals.
Through its high-tech Welsh headquarters
and network of 24 depots across five
continents, Biotec co-ordinates the
distribution and collection of thousands of
carefully marked and coded samples used
by hospitals and other medical centres to
trial new drugs. Through funding, practical
support with space and skills, export
assistance and international contacts,
Welsh Government has supported the
company’s growth and helped it take its
services to the world.
And it works both ways. Along the way,
Biotec has become a major player in the
strategy to further expand Wales’ vibrant
Biosciences sector.
With rocketing demand for its specialist
services, the company needed a new HQ,
then to double capacity.
The move to a new flagship HQ in 2008
was enabled by the exemplary Welsh
Government Regional Selective Assistance.
And in 2012, a loan from public sector
bank, Finance Wales, and an SME Investment
Fund grant grew the HQ to double
capacity to meet exceptional demand.
When Biotec went international, dynamic
growth followed. Turnover grew from
£600,000 in 2005 to £9m in 2011 and
staff numbers rose from 9 to 60. Today,
more than 85% of Biotec’s business comes
from overseas.
Biotec has worked hand-in-glove with
Welsh Government on the international
opportunity. Our overseas trade missions
and specialist consultant reports on
target foreign markets have contributed
to its rapid growth, helping break into the
valuable Israeli market and Asia Pacific
region as well as North America. And our
representatives in key parts of the world
continue to help the company make
valuable contacts.
“We benefited hugely from Welsh
Government trade missions and from
support to participate in international
industry conferences. They worked
extremely well for us.”
Keren Winmill, CEO
Biotec employs highly skilled staff, 40% of
whom are graduates, and has had to grow
its workforce fast.
The company has worked with Welsh
Government and Welsh universities
to develop its employees’ project
management, leadership and supervisory
skills. It has engaged five staff through
the Government’s Jobs Growth Wales
scheme, which provides a wage subsidy
for six months, and appointed a graduate
project manager through the university-backed
GO Wales scheme.
Biotec Services
International
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19. GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare, a £10bn unit of
General Electric, has its Life Sciences
International Centre of Excellence for
Consumables in south Wales, with
a 430-strong workforce providing
medical technologies and services
used around the world.
Its Cardiff location is also now the
company’s chosen international centre
for groundbreaking work in stem cell
technologies for new drug discovery.
The Consumables business, managed
from Cardiff, also includes operations
based in Kent, Germany and China.
GE Healthcare has further strengthened
its Cardiff facility through growth and
with the relocation of some production
from Oxfordshire and the US, plus some
employees relocating from overseas.
One location had to be selected as GE
Healthcare’s global Consumables Centre
of Excellence – and several factors led
to that being Wales, with skills having the
deciding vote.
“Our site offers room to grow and easy
access across the UK and beyond.
Property and employment costs are
highly competitive and we have found it
easy to deal with the authorities and to
build strong community links.
“Critical to our decision-making, however,
has been access to the right skills and
to new talent coming in to the industry.
To support our growth we need to
draw on scientific, sales and production
expertise, and with thousands of students
graduating from universities in Wales
each year, recruitment is eased.
“Once people join us they tend to stay,
with many members of our team now
having 10, 15 or 20 plus years with the
company. That level of continuity is a real
asset to the business.”
Richard Dool, General Manager, Consumables.
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20. Penn Pharma
Penn Pharma is a powerhouse
of the pharmaceutical industry.
Based at specialist facilities in
Tredegar in the south Wales
valleys, it forms drugs into
tablets and capsules, creams and
ointments for both commercial
markets and clinical trials.
Its 300-strong workforce also includes
highly specialist technical teams
who carry out development work
on many of these drugs. With its
150 global customers and their 200
different product ranges – including
many household names – it has won
two prestigious Queen’s Awards for
International Trade.
Today, it employs 300 skilled staff
and its annual turnover is £30m,
which is on track to double in the
next four years.
Penn’s growth has been supported by
Welsh Government and universities, in
terms of finance and skills development.
Started in Buckinghamshire in 1979,
Penn moved to Wales seven years
later where its steady pattern of
growth began, requiring considerable
expansion of facilities and premises.
Having received financial support
from Welsh Government to set up
in Tredegar, Penn received similar
support to subsequently expand
that base as well as set up a logistics
facility in nearby Oakdale.
2013 has seen its single biggest
expansion yet – a new 1,400 sq m facility,
designed to meet fast-growing demand
from drug companies for contract
manufacturing and packaging services,
and additional RD space. The efficiency
of the planning process meant that a
building announced in February 2012 was
largely complete and ready for fitting out
six months later. Support came from our
Single Investment Fund.
“We’ve had excellent support from the
Welsh Government in terms of funding
for the new facility, and the local authority
has helped us in a myriad of ways,” said
Richard Yarwood, Chief Executive.
He explained that Government backing
“made the whole thing possible and
helped us consolidate and grow our
position in an expanding market.”
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21. Penn is particularly committed to
developing its highly skilled workforce,
almost half of whom are qualified
pharmacists, chemists or engineers, as
well as many who have high-level skills
in quality assurance, project management
and logistics.
Many of these have been recruited from
Welsh universities, particularly the science
faculties of the Universities of South Wales
and Swansea.
And support from the Welsh Government
has enabled Penn to drive forward its
learning agenda.
“We have had terrific support, on
and off site, for training our people to
a very high level. That’s really important
because we are in a regulated industry
where you cannot afford to make
any mistakes.”
Richard Yarwood, CEO
With an international customer base
and a strong research agenda, the right
location is critical for Penn.
The firm finds its Heads of the Valleys
location beneficial for accessing a
range of airports to connect with its
overseas customers.
It’s also within easy reach of a number
of other Wales-based Life Sciences
companies with whom it collaborates
on product development.
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23. What next?
We get things moving in Wales.
As you’ll see for yourself, just
as soon as you get in touch.
Straight away we’ll team you
up with a dedicated Business
Development professional.
Quickly, they’ll get to know you,
talk through your business needs
and support requirements, and
become your ‘person on-the-ground’
while you weigh up your
options. They’ll connect you with
decision-makers, and get a quick
response with flexible funding and
support options.
Then they’ll help you choose new
premises and settle into Wales.
In the months to come, we’ll still
be there with the support you
require – from helping you develop
your staff to helping you make new
business connections.
So let’s talk.
Find out what Wales can do for your business
JustAsk.Wales.com +44 (0) 3000 6 03000

24. Life Sciences
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