Human health has never been higher on the global agenda. We identify the cities that are leading in life sciences

Today, life sciences are in the spotlight. Record funding has flowed into the sector, with venture capital into life sciences rising by 69% last year. Savills Science Cities ranks the top 20 most important cities globally to establish and grow life science businesses, and assesses what makes them successful. They are places that bring together universities, hospitals, business and funding to generate the spark that fuels this knowledge-intensive industry.

Boston is our top ranked Science City, a higher education powerhouse and global life sciences hub. The San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, both benefiting tech sector cross-pollination, round off the top three.

US cities dominate our rankings and account for seven of the top 10, thanks to concentrations of funding and a vast domestic market. China and the UK are also represented in the top 10, led by Shanghai (6th), Oxford (9th) and Cambridge (10th).

In a fiercely competitive global market for talent, city attractiveness matters. The Science Cities that offer the best balance of cost of living, quality of life, safety and environmental quality include Singapore, Sydney and Mainz, Germany.