Steve Bates has left his role as Chief Executive of the BioIndustry Association (BIA) after 13 years to become Executive Chair of the Office for Life Sciences (OLS). The Government says his appointment reflects its commitment to rapidly implementing the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan.
In his new role, Steve will act as an ambassador both domestically and internationally for the UK life sciences sector. He will work across government and the wider public sector to ensure engagement with industry around policy and investment happens productively and at pace.
BIVDA have greatly enjoyed working with the BioIndustry Association during Steve’s tenure and recognise the immense and ongoing impact he and his association have had on the life sciences sector.
BIVDA Chief Executive, Helen Dent, said: “We would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Steve Bates on his appointment as the new Executive Chair of OLS.
“It’s been a privilege to work with Steve as CEO of BIA and his knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to me, and to the life science sector and will no doubt continue to be in this role. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Steve in the new OLS trilateral model.”
Recently, in a further signal of the sector’s strategic importance, the Government revised OLS’s reporting structure. The body will now report jointly to the Business Secretary and the Health Secretary, underlining the life sciences industry’s role as a key driver of economic growth.
