Leader in UK Public Affairs: Martin Turner, Director of Policy and External Affairs, BioIndustry Association, “Pensions reform is a major issue for us”

Mace | 8th August 2026 | In-House Public Affairs, Westminster Index
martin turner

Turner’s work sits within the BioIndustry Association, the trade body representing the UK’s biotechnology and life sciences sector.

For Martin Turner, one of the most important policy questions facing the UK life sciences sector does not immediately sound like a biotech issue. “Pensions reform is a major issue for us,” he says — a focus that reflects a deeper structural challenge: how to unlock long-term capital to support innovation. Turner’s work sits within the BioIndustry Association, the trade body representing the UK’s biotechnology and life sciences sector. Its members range from early-stage startups to global firms, all engaged in the development of new medicines, technologies and treatments. The sector is capital-intensive, high-risk and long-term by nature — meaning access to patient, large-scale investment is critical. That is where pensions come in. “We need a lot of capital to grow companies and develop new medicines,” he says, and UK pension funds represent a largely untapped source. His work over the past several years has focused on connecting those two worlds — aligning financial policy with indust...

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