Cancer sciences contributed £500m to economy
A new report has revealed the strength of patient-centred cancer science in the west of Scotland, estimating that cancer research in Glasgow was worth more than half a billion pounds (£503m) to the UK economy in 2021–22.
This economic impact is a direct result of the unique and integrated life sciences ecosystem that has been created in Glasgow and the west of Scotland, led by the University working in collaboration with the NHS, industry, patient groups, government and funders.
Written by London Economics, one of Europe's leading specialist economics and policy consultancies, the comprehensive report captures the economic impact of the combined cancer research power of the University of Glasgow's School of Cancer Sciences and the CRUK Beatson Institute (now the CRUK Scotland Institute). Working in close collaboration, these two bodies constitute the core cancer research institutions in the west of Scotland, providing world-leading academic and clinical expertise.
Of the estimated £503m of economic impact cancer sciences in Glasgow generated, £407m (81%) was associated with the impact of the institutions’ combined research activities, £77m (15%) came from operating and capital spending, and £19m (4%) was attributable to the economic contribution of the institutions’ teaching and learning activities. In addition, experts assessed that for every £1m of research income received, the combined power of research activities of the two institutions generated a total of £10.2m in economic impact across the UK.
The report, which focuses on cancer research activity from 2021–22, does not include the additional economic impact of the recent £123m seven-year investment by Cancer Research UK into the CRUK Scotland Institute, which is facilitated in partnership with the University at its Garscube campus. Announced in September 2023, the funding, which is Cancer Research UK’s largest-ever investment in Scotland, followed a separate and comprehensive review led by an independent panel of international cancer experts.
Scotland experiences higher rates of cancer incidence and mortality than the rest of the UK, with disease burden particularly high in Glasgow and Greater Glasgow at more 700 cases per 100,000 residents. Glasgow is also home to the largest cancer centre in Scotland – the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre – which sees more than 8,500 new patients and over 60,000 return patients every year.
The Principal, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, said: “This report demonstrates the huge benefits our ground-breaking cancer research brings, not only to patients in the west of Scotland, but to the region’s economy and to Scotland more broadly. It also highlights how the University and Cancer Research UK continue to work closely together through the CRUK Scotland Institute to attract world-class scientists to Glasgow.”