Month: November 2025

CSEP Cross-Institutional Partnerships: University of Sussex Business School

Finding and fixing leaks in the UK’s pharmaceutical pipeline

Professor Michael Hopkins (SPRU, University of Sussex Business School)

Dr Philippa Crane (SPRU, University of Sussex Business School).

How did you come to this topic?

We began working together over 15 years ago at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex, researching trends in the financing of the UK’s emerging small innovative life sciences firms and publishing on this topic for academic and policy audiences. At the time, soon after the 2008 financial crisis, the UK was just putting together its first sector-specific industrial strategies. Last year, when we heard about CSEP’s research programme, we thought our deep sector-specific experience and prior research could be of interest in understanding the progress of the sector and how well the latest iteration of the Government’s industrial strategy might support these firms.

What is the focus of your project under this collaboration with CSEP?

Our research looks back to the emergence of the UK’s very first “biotech” firms, in the early 1980s, and follows the growth of what are now well over seven hundred firms that all share a common purpose – the desire to bring innovative new medicines to market. Our data captures whether these companies are still active, and if not, what happened to them, thereby charting the dynamics of the industry, including how the introduction of successive industrial strategies has impacted these dynamics.

For instance, while scaling up of UK based SMEs is an explicit objective of successive UK Life Sciences industrial strategies (2016 and 2025), which direct policy levers can policy makers use in the face of the many acquisitive overseas firms that pick off the UK’s leading firms through acquisition?

How does this research align with CSEP’s mission?

A key theme in CSEP’s mission is to show how the UK can build on science, engineering and technology capabilities to improve the competitiveness of the economy. Our research is situated within the context of the UK’s aspiration for R&D-driven economic growth, which rests disproportionately on the nation’s ability to translate biomedical research into new pharmaceutical products and retain value within the UK.  CSEP’s 2024 report on the performance of the Life Science sector notes that ‘while the UK performs well on basic science, attention is needed to grasp the opportunities and translate potential innovations into commercialised products and services’ (CSEP 2024:39). Our study takes a pipeline perspective to determine how and why potential UK economic returns from the life sciences ‘leak away’, and what could be done to improve the situation for the benefit of UK PLC, economic growth and productivity.

What makes this work innovative or timely?

The latest UK Industrial Strategy sets out a ten-year goal for the country to become Europe’s foremost life sciences hub and to rank third globally, behind only the US and China. Yet there is little longitudinal research that has actually looked at how the cohorts of UK firms emerging over the years have performed. Our research can show this performance, which we will share with stakeholders and together we can develop lessons based on previous governments’ attempts to improve the performance of the UK biotech sector, and seek to influence how the present industrial strategy could be further developed.

 

Meet the CSEP Team Series: Dr Diego Freire Ordonez

Could you summarise your career journey so far?

I’m a Chemical Engineer with a background in process systems engineering, specialising in the techno-economic and environmental assessment of low-carbon technologies. My career has centred on understanding how we can design and scale sustainable production pathways for fuels and chemicals, particularly those derived from CO₂ and renewable energy. Before joining Imperial College London, I worked across both industry and academia—supporting projects in oil and gas, environmental regulation, and energy transition technologies for organisations in the UK, Europe, and Latin America. I hold a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial and postgraduate degrees in energy and industrial management.

How do you see your work at CSEP contributing to real-world net-zero energy solutions? 

At CSEP, I have started working on the techno-economic assessment of different pathways for renewable syngas production. My work involves developing detailed process models and analysing the economic viability of emerging technologies that could replace fossil-based syngas in the future. What excites me most is the opportunity to explore pathways that are not only technically innovative but could also make a real contribution to a net-zero energy system. Seeing how small changes in design or integration can dramatically affect cost and sustainability is incredibly motivating.

What specific research topics or areas are you most passionate about?

I’m particularly passionate about CO₂ utilisation and the broader field of e-fuels—technologies that convert renewable electricity and captured carbon into low-carbon fuels and chemicals. I enjoy working at the intersection of engineering, economics, and environmental impact, where decisions are informed by a full systems perspective. Understanding how emerging technologies can scale, integrate into existing infrastructures, and ultimately compete with fossil-based processes is a challenge I find essential for the energy transition.

How does your focus on scale-up and integration of emerging technologies reflect CSEP’s vision of enabling sectors to innovate and grow?

I see my role as helping to deepen our understanding of the technologies that could shape the next generation of low-carbon fuels and chemicals. By analysing how emerging processes perform in practice—economically, technically, and environmentally—I hope to provide clarity on what is genuinely feasible as we transition away from fossil-based systems. My aim is to help generate insights that support better decisions, encourage innovation, and ultimately move us closer to a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.

 

Meet the CSEP Team Series: Dr Semra Bakkaloglu

Could you tell us a bit about your current role and how your previous experiences have shaped your research focus?

I am the Lord Sainsbury Fellow (Fine Chemicals) at CSEP, with a background in environmental and chemical engineering. My work bridges academia and industry, focusing on methane emissions, negative emission technologies, life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), and energy systems modelling. Before joining CSEP, I worked on assessing methane emissions, conducting sustainability assessments of olefin production, and developing market-based mechanisms for decarbonising the chemical industry — experiences that have shaped my broader interest in driving systemic change across energy and chemical value chains.

How do you see your work influencing not just sustainability outcomes, but also the economic competitiveness and global position of the fine chemicals industry?

At CSEP, I’m developing frameworks to accelerate the transition of the fine chemicals industry, focusing on industry-led sector strategies that address immediate challenges while creating a supportive ecosystem for long-term growth. I’m particularly excited about connecting rigorous research with practical industrial applications — building evidence to support cleaner, more circular fine chemical manufacturing and to guide future policy that fosters innovation and competitiveness. I’m also passionate about exploring how economic and business environments can be strengthened to enhance the industry’s GVA and global positioning.

How does your role at CSEP align with the Centre’s broader mission ?

My role at CSEP allows me to contribute to the Centre’s mission of advancing evidence-based sustainability strategies. Through my work on fine chemicals sector strategy, I aim to bridge scientific research, technology development, and policy design — ensuring that our insights not only inform but also enable real progress toward a sustainable and resilient fine chemical industrial future.

Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope your work at CSEP will have on the fine chemicals sector?

I hope to further strengthen the link between academic research and its practical implementation in the fine chemical sectors. CSEP offers a unique platform to collaborate across disciplines and engage with industry leaders, which I believe will help me grow as both a researcher and a change-maker in sustainable innovation.

How do you unwind or recharge outside of work?

Outside of research, I enjoy creative and outdoor activities that help me recharge. I’ve loved skiing since childhood and find theatre and drama to be powerful ways to connect and express ideas beyond academia. I also enjoy long walks, photography, and exploring new places, which often inspire fresh perspectives and creativity in my work.

 

Meet the CSEP Team Series: Dylan Booth

Could you share more about your current research projects and highlight the part that you find most engaging or innovative?

The work I am conducting at the moment entails spatial modeling the Bristol Channel – a body of water that I grew up alongside off the coast of Clevedon. Once simply a familiar sight, I now view it as a remarkable natural resource bisecting England and Wales. If we harness its enormous tidal range, the Bristol Channel could generate gigawatts of predictable renewable energy.

My research focuses on enhancing the environmental compatibility of tidal range infrastructure, by modeling opportunities of coastal habitat conservation, particularly for saltmarsh development. One of the most exciting aspects of this work is estimating carbon sequestration over time across vast sections of coastline. By linking these findings to carbon-credits valuation, the project highlights how tidal energy schemes can economically incentivise conservational practices, making them a transformative opportunity for green-financing.

How do you envision tidal range energy shaping the future of sustainable energy policy?

Among the many research topics of CSEP, tidal range is among the most pertinent for offsetting national carbon emissions. It is important to remember that the benefits of having a robust economy are diminished if we cannot maintain the health and productivity of our natural heritage. For this reason, I believe it is important to research mechanisms that support both economic and ecological stability. My research combines these objectives, providing economic incentive into a scalable industry through the lens of environmentalism.

What attracted you to working at CSEP?

While studying the MSc in Environmental Technology, the word ‘Interdisciplinary’ cropped up countless times. Initially, I was dubious about the significance of this concept, having come from a background in Palaeontology, I was used to working in my comfortable silo. However as the weeks went by it was clear to see that wicked problems required global, multi-sectoral perspectives. Interdisciplinarity inspired my MSc thesis, which thankfully was recognised by CSEP. Despite the transition from the ‘Centre of Environmental Policy’ to the ‘Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance’, interdisciplinarity maintains its position in the faculties agenda.

What experiences outside of your career have had the biggest impact on your personal growth?

I have been playing guitar for most of my life and I particularly enjoy recording songs for my friends and family. I am also an avid rower, having been a rowing coach for two crews at varying ages on the coast of Hampshire. I enjoy long hikes, having recently summited Kilimanjaro with a group of students for Teenage Cancer Trust. Raising money for charity isn’t new to me however, as of June 2024, I set up a fundraiser for Pancreatic Cancer Research for a cycle from London to Paris. I believe being creative in your personal life is directly proportional to a healthy and productive work life, therefore I aim to further integrate my creativity here at CSEP.