BIA sets out of fact-finding trip to prepare for Brexit

Just as British Prime Minister Theresa May is about to pull the trigger on negotiations to leave the European Union, the trade group UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) is leading a UK delegation from the biotech sector on a discovery trip to see how Switzerland works with Europe but outside of the EU, to forge new relationships and explore potential opportunities.

In 2017, the BIA has already forged new links with Canada and is keen to build further bilateral relationships that will help to strengthen the sector during negotiations with the European Union and for when Brexit happens. Alongside BIA member companies, the delegation will include representatives from the Office for Life Sciences and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Switzerland has a very different political system to the UK with a lot of decentralized power across the 26 cantons, which have some autonomy over issues that have an impact on the industry such as regulation and taxes. Learning about such a different way of operating will offer potential lessons that the UK could explore in the future.