Article 2 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as 'any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.'  The bioscience industry has made significant advances in our understanding of the way in which plants, animals and humans work.  This has a direct impact for areas of expertise such as healthcare, diagnostics, environmental and agricultural bioscience.

The UK bioscience industry is widely recognised as one of the most advanced in the world. The sector is the largest in Europe, accounting for 21% of all entrepreneurial bioscience companies and around half of public biotech companies in Europe in 2004, and second globally only to the US. There are approximately 455 dedicated bioscience businesses in the UK employing around 21,500, with revenues of around €4.5bn in 2004.

There are currently 47 UK companies and five non-UK companies developing biopharmaceutical products in the UK. Of these 34 have products in preclinical trials and 30 have a product in clinical trials. There are 189 new drugs that were discovered and developed in the UK in preclinical or clinical trials or awaiting approval, more than 10% of the world total.  In Europe, the UK has almost twice as many products in development as its nearest competitor, Germany, with France and Switzerland in third and fourth positions.

PLMR's Team Members have been advising the UK's BioIndustry Association and its Member companies since 1999 and the company considers itself the UK's leading public affairs company in the bioscience sector.