In recent months the topic of ‘alternative sectors’ has been high on the political agenda, and for good reason. Not only will these industries create sustainable jobs, but they will also place the country at the cutting edge of research and development which will further innovation in transport, energy, renewables, and medicines.

One area of particular interest for the opposition, and indeed for South Yorkshire, is Life Sciences. An increasingly important sector for the economy, particularly to assist in recovery since Covid-19.

In a recent post Keir Starmer emphasised his commitment to supporting the sector, stating that it could be ‘rocket fuel for our stagnant economy’. He went on to say that under his watch, the Labour government would back British scientists by‘slashing red tape, removing hurdles and providing certainty’, and that together they will ‘create the jobs of the future and turbocharge growth’.

A bold statement, but one that we at Kada fully agree with given our recent experience of working with world leading life science institutions who are at the forefront of delivering on this agenda.

In fact, last year our team was commissioned by Sheffield City Council to develop a Skills, Training and Business Support Plan to help drive the South Yorkshire Innovation District (SYID) ambition for innovation-led inclusive growth to transform the South Yorkshire economy.

The SYID itself is part of a Global Network of Innovation Districts boasting world class assets and businesses, and the plan produced was instrumental to a bid that led to South Yorkshire being named the first of 12 UK Investment Zones, which is expected to generate 8,000 jobs across the sub-region and an estimated £1.2bn of funding, including £80m of Government investment.

Looking slightly further afield we have evaluated the University of Cambridge’s iDMT which is a global first in applying digitalisation to molecular science and chemistry combining two of the UK’s important sectors.

For King’s College London we have evaluated their internationally significant Gene Therapy Production Facility which is providing new vital capacity for vector manufacturing to ensure that UK and international gene therapy research projects can take the vital step towards clinical trial.

Finally, we have evaluated four successful MedCity/UK Advanced Therapies collaborative programmes that bring together leading life science academics with some of the country’s most dynamic SMEs.

As well as showing a combined economic impact of over £100 million, our evaluations also identified crucial elements of added value that support the ongoing dynamism, growth and success of the UK life science sector.

New facilities have been created, manufacturing capacity expanded, collaborations fostered and deepened, research breakthroughs made and substantial private investment secured; all helping to shape the UK – and the world’s – life science research base.

So why does the government’s backing matter if the sector is already succeeding? Our work shows that investing in innovation and building the infrastructure needed to support life sciences research and collaboration is critical to ensure the UK retains its place as a scientific superpower.

It is important that the UK life science sector is able to continue to attract talent, skills, and expertise internationally. This will ensure it is able to leverage the successes and uniqueness of the its assets to secure a pipeline of international V/C investment, as well as the further development of a network of physical assets that provide the research “nexus sweet spot” of academic, clinical, SME and large pharma collaboration. It is also important that strategic partnerships between key facilities/research networks and funders are enabled to stimulate more focus upon early-stage research by overcoming capacity and resource barriers.

Looking at health innovations alone, UK research institutes have played a pivotal role in recent breakthroughs in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s treatment and there is increased optimism that the UK life science sector will be at the forefront of an ongoing pipeline of pioneering treatments for some of the world’s most prevalent life limiting diseases and conditions.

We need the government to back these sectors and remove the barriers that currently exist so that life science innovation can continue to drive economic growth both in the immediate and longer-term future. This will require access to finance measures, and talent measures support for collaborative R&D and to stimulate business research and development.

Thankfully, there are already signs that there is support out there with the government’s recent deal for the UK’s participation with the world’s largest research collaboration programme, Horizon Europe, – which the UK has been excluded from over the last three years.

This agreement means that UK researchers can once again apply for grants and bid to take part in projects and, once adopted, organisations within the country will also be able to join the governance of EU programmes

In late November, Kada Directors Karl Dalgleish and Cassie Houlden spoke to James Marriott  from Sound Media as part of our 2022 year-end Podcast.

During the session they reflected on the success and growth of Kada over the last 12 months, and considered what projects and priorities lie ahead in 2023.

They also discussed some of the key trends that we can expect to see across the next few years here in the UK and further afield, with ‘well-being’ high up on the agenda for many organisations – both public and private sector.

Finally, Karl thanked our strategic partners, our newly established board, our growing team, and our clients, all of whom have played a pivotal role in the ongoing success of the business.

Commenting on the podcast and the topics raised, Karl said: “We’ve had a very successful year, and our growth has been quite considerable,

“Not only have we welcomed a number of new team members to the fold – including interns, Directors, and research executives – but we have also established a Board, onboarded a PR and Marketing consultant, expanded our office space at Park Hill, and worked with a whole raft of new clients.

“We also celebrated our 11^th anniversary, and to mark that milestone we decided to undergo a bit of a brand refresh, and to launch a whole new website.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to get together to create our latest podcast, and to take the time to reflect on everything that has gone before, and perhaps more importantly, what’s coming up over the next few years.”

Throughout the Podcast session, Karl and Cassie discussed the key trends they have seen emerging in 2022 and likely to continue throughout 2023, including projects that are focused on the value of ‘well-being’.

“Councils aren’t just looking for economic growth anymore, they’re looking at the wellbeing of the local population, and looking to develop more regenerative and sustainable economies instead of simply larger ones,” explains Cassie.

“We’re finding that during covid there was a lot of expectation of unemployment increasing, and that while that didn’t occur, there are still a lot of people in a line of work that isn’t good for either their physical or mental health and wellbeing.

“This impacts all sorts of services like the NHS and mental health teams, and whilst we aren’t having to deal with the problem of widespread unemployment, we are now facing different challenges with new implications for society.”

After two years since the departure from the EU, Karl and Cassie also reflected on the fact that while EU funding was starting to reach its end, Kada continues to work with a number of overseas clients, with mentions of work carried out as far afield as Ethiopia.

Karl expands: “Variety is fundamental to the company; we bring our research skills to different challenges. The geographical spread of our clients really helps us to draw on experiences from different areas.

“We have worked with the University of Coventry this year on innovation in Ethiopia, it may surprise listeners to hear that it is not dissimilar to a lot of work that we do here in the UK, focusing on the way in which universities can work better with businesses to drive innovation in various sectors.

“The challenges in Ethiopia were different, yet the sectors we were looking into were the same, looking to develop products and processes.”

Looking to the future, Karl also commented on the motivation for the rebrand, as well as the importance on building a committed and sustainable workforce.

He said: “Kada’s client base has grown considerably, and so it’s important that we have a team around us who can deliver on the breadth and depth of projects that are already underway, and those that are likely to land in the coming months and years.

“Historically, we have hung on the coat tails of larger agencies, but we have such an impressive team in place now – both at a senior level, and those who are just entering the industry – that we’re actually starting to lead on matters. That includes projects both here in the UK, and further afield.

“Really, its thanks to the efforts of the team, our board, and all of our strategic partners that we have had such a successful 2022, and I am very much looking forward to what new and exciting challenges are in store in 2023.”

Click to play the podcast below…

Interview, production and editing by James Marriott of Sound Media https://wearesoundmedia.com

If you wish to contact us about a potential project, please contact karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk

By Samuel Gillan, Research Co-ordinator

Tuesday 17^th March was the last time I worked in Kada’s Park Hill office. After watching the coronavirus spread across Europe and quickly move into the UK, the Kada team followed Government advice and like many others, closed the office and began working from home. From that week onwards, Kada shifted to an entirely new model of operating, with all work being strictly desk based and all communications becoming virtual. I was initially apprehensive as these changes coincided with a really busy period for us. With lots of deadlines looming I think our team felt the pressure early on, however I expected a greater level of disruption than was the case. We were able to make the transition smoothly, largely due to our cloud-based IT system, and in part due to our flexibility and agility.

Going into May and June, pressure from contracts ending eased a little and we settled into the pattern of conducting research remotely. We co-ordinate our weekly plans through a Monday morning meeting, have virtual coffee breaks and maintain open communications using Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp. Part of our work involves interviewing target groups such as small business owners, specialists and clients, and with most people now based at home, it has been fairly easy to make contact and arrange meetings at short notice. We have also still been able to deliver focus group workshops for some clients, tailoring our delivery style to produce engaging video conferences with over fifteen attendees at times. Our work involves synthesising data collected through interviews and desk research, and blending this into reports that provide concise findings, often supplemented with clear recommendations and action plans.

The isolation of remote working has reduced some distractions and allowed the Kada team to work quite effectively in producing its reports. However, we do face challenges in this aspect of our work. Tasks that require us to resolve complex problems or establish research frameworks around open ended questions can be difficult to complete alone. We would normally be able to put our heads together and breakdown problems with open communication and more dedicated time, however this has sometimes been difficult to replicate remotely. Trying to stimulate ‘group thinking time’ through a video chat whilst balancing multiple responsibilities has admittedly been challenging, but also offered learning points.

The last four months have provided lots of areas for learning and development (outside of the regular zoom quizzes we all seemed to be doing with friends early on). I think the most important area I have reflected on is effective communication. This translates into my own wellbeing and development, maintaining successful team working and continuing to deliver client facing work. Providing timely but clear messaging is vital, whether that is in explaining my understanding of a task to a colleague, or in managing expectations around deadlines for completed work. I am continually learning to take the time to think about how I want to communicate, tailor my message to the specific audience and ensure they understand what I mean.

All things considered, although these have been testing times, there have been many positive experiences that I will take into my future career. Building and appreciating trust between staff members has been invaluable for maintaining team morale, and become increasingly important when the distinction between work and home has often been blurred. Also recognising the importance of technology has been key, without it, we simply would not have been able to operate so easily.

At times, we have had to be more focused and put greater efforts into managing our work in comparison to typical office-based periods, but amongst the waves of deadlines and new work starting, we have moved through the challenges of lockdown well. As we now come into the fourth month of lockdown and the mid-summer period, we are turning our attention towards autumn priorities and new projects. Office work is being phased back in, and although this will provide new opportunities for collaboration and personal development, it is expected to come with more adjustments to our working practices. I think one certainty during this changing time is we will continue to build on our resilience as a business, and as individuals.