The U.K.’s main research funding agency is looking to put more public money into proof of concept and pre-seed funding of putative university spinouts, to make them more investible and improve relations between academics and investors. The move by UK Research and Innovation, which in 2026 will allocate £9.22 billion (US$12.58 billion) of taxpayer money across all fields of research, is in response to a government edict that the agency prioritizes outputs over inputs.

Ireland’s life sciences and health tech companies raised a record-breaking €491.3 million ($572.9 million) in venture capital funding across 89 deals in 2024, according to a report from Enterprise Ireland. The investment underscores investor confidence in the country’s ecosystem, which looks set to continue despite global headwinds such as trade tariffs, economic uncertainty and rising operating costs.

While Europe’s biotech sector continues to face headwinds, med tech appears to be weathering the storm more effectively. Uncertainty in the U.S., heightened competition from China and a persistent lack of capital are all impacting the investment landscape, delegates heard at the LSX Investival Showcase in London.

A year ago, BioWorld published a special series on the women’s health drug development ecosystem, showing that while women make up half of the population, venture capital investment and life sciences partnerships in the space – specifically those deals supporting innovations for conditions primarily affecting women – pale in comparison to efforts addressing diseases more men experience. That appears to be changing, according to an updated look of BioWorld data, supported by findings in the Silicon Valley Bank 2025 Innovation in Women’s Health Report published in April, and Clarivate’s Nov. 13 release of its latest Companies to Watch 2025 report, Rediscovering women’s health.

Convatec Group plc plans to invest more than $1 billion in the U.S. and U.K. over the next decade as it looks to accelerate its research and development (R&D) ambitions.

Regulatory and reimbursement challenges in Europe are leading an ever-increasing number of med tech companies to prioritize the U.S. market for the launch of their devices. However, certain technologies can reach European patients more quickly, presenting valuable opportunities with the EU, delegates heard at the LSI Europe ’25 conference in London this week.

Australia’s top universities are looking more to Asia for research collaborations following threats from the Trump administration to stop funding research at institutions that don’t comply with U.S. narratives.

Australia’s top universities are looking more to Asia for research collaborations following threats from the Trump administration to stop funding research at institutions that don’t comply with U.S. narratives.