Quotas are not the answer to boardroom equality in the life sciences industry, say 56% of executives in the sector, although some companies would adopt them if sufficient progress was not made through other means, a report finds.

This is one of five key trends identified in life sciences executive search and interim management firm RSA’s ‘Women on Boards: A Life Sciences Perspective’ survey.

The report, which is available on the company's website, draws on interviews from 417 senior executives in the UK life sciences industry.

It also identified broad support for the idea of diverse boards being better boards, and suggested that the executive search industry itself must do more to help.

Currently, only 12% of UK life sciences board members are female.