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...