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AdvocAcy
07 Rothamsted ready for the next agritech revolution CEO Nicole Sadd will show off the groundbreaking work of the agritech businesses that call the site its home, as Rothamsted hosts the summer UKSPA Conference.
12 Showcasing science parks' growth potential to Government Dr Sally Basker, CEO of Exeter Science Park and new Chair of UKSPA, talks sustainability and engaging with Government.
support
16 Creation of a life sciences community Community involvement is a core ambition at the heart of Paddington Life Sciences, tells Dr Suki Balendra.
20 Labsavers De-cluttering and evaluating lab space utilization can lead to safer, more sustainable science, say Dr Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar and Kathleen Brady from I2SL.
22 From small to mighty Charlie Trumpess from Modern Networks outlines how AI tools can help to accelerate STEMM businesses.
07
innovAtion
24 Dundee's life science ambitions take another step forward
Why The University of Dundee's new Innovation Hub is a key piece in an ambitious life sciences masterplan.
28 The rise of microscaling in biotech As start-up ventures grow out of shared incubators but aren’t ready for a full-blown HQ, a new way of scaling is taking shape: microscaling.
growth
30 Biohub brings decade of life science incubation success
David Coleman and Angie Reynolds tell Breakthrough about the work of University of Birmingham Enterprise and its BioHub incubator.
34 From vision to impact
With 10 years of nurturing social enterprises behind them at Allia’s Future Business Centre, David Broach declares what isn't just growth, but a redefinition of what business can be.
36 LBIC creating space in the capital for 25 years
CEO Dr Rich Ferrie has overseen dramatic growth at LBIC. He talks about the achievements and challenges of increasing space for life sciences in London.
impAct
44 M-SParc aims to be UK’s first net zero science park Dr Debbie Jones talks to Breakthrough about the drive towards net zero at Wales’ first dedicated science park – M-SParc on Anglesey.
48 Oxbridge corridor
The Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor is back on the agenda, but how can we make sure it stays there? Liz Sparrow and Nick Stafford from Ridge look into the subject.
trends
50 Wave of activity surges cross the North West The latest news from the region where a string of developments are hitting milestones and new facilities are being snapped up by technology and biotech companies.
53 Cambridge healthcare market offers investors blueprint for success explains Sue Foxley from Bidwells.
Contents
Breakthrough is an Open Box Media and Communications publication produced in association with UKSPA.
u N ited ki N gdom SC ie NC e park
a SS o C iatio N ( uk S pa )
Chesterford Research Park, Garden Cottage, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL
t +44 (0) 1799 532 050 e info@ukspa.org.uk www.ukspa.org.uk
Chair
Dr Sally Basker
vi C e Chair
Dr Grant Bourhill
head of member S hip S a N d C ommu N i C atio NS Adrian Sell adrian.sell@ukspa.org.uk
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d ire C tor & publi S her Stuart Walters stuart.walters@ob-mc.co.uk
d ire C tor & publi S her Samantha Skiller sam@ob-mc.co.uk
S tudio
Mark Lamsdale mark.lamsdale@ob-mc.co.uk
de S ig N er Matt Hood matt.hood@ob-mc.co.uk
adverti S i N g S ale S a N d e N quirie S Rob White rob.white@ob-mc.co.uk
editor Simon Penfold simon.penfold@breakthroughdigital.co.uk
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d r S ally ba S ker
UKSPA Chair CEO, Exeter Science Park
fightiNg our CorNer
n these challenging economic times it is vitally important that we secure the necessary investment our sector needs.
That is why, during my period as Chair of UKSPA, we will be driving home the benefits of innovation and scientific research to the government.
We have 150 or so members with 140,000 staff at 6,000 companies across UKSPA members, such as science parks, innovation centres, innovation districts and so on. The gross value added to the economy on an annual basis is in the billions of pounds.
Across our community we are supporting small companies and helping them to grow. We’re creating the next generation of major companies that will change the world, that will produce the advanced science and technology that will position the UK for the future.
We sit midway between universities, public sector research enterprises and corporate R&D environments and the market. The role of science parks to push that forward is massively important and so we need to be engaged in working with those other actors and government on policy.
We need to help them understand what we do and how important it is. I look at my science park with its public sector shareholders from Devon County Council, Exeter City Council, East Devon District Council and the University of Exeter; they collectively want to see us strengthen the
baseline of the economy of the South West with high value jobs, enhanced productivity and economic growth.
Those are the sort of top-level goals that almost every science park’s shareholders would sign up to. And it's the sort of thing that our government wants to sign up to because that's what they want to see. We need to clearly set out the important role of science parks in our economy, and we need to be able to work with key partners and organisations like Knowledge Exchange UK, for example, which is working a bit closer to the universities than we are.
We're part of a pipeline, but we need to make that pipeline work and engage with policymakers in order to make it more effective and more efficient in the long term. And that will have a significant impact on the UK's economy.
I was very pleased that Steve Race, the MP for Exeter and a member of the Parliamentary Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee, was able to come to the UKSPA conference at Exeter Science Park earlier this year to speak about the importance of what we're all doing.
As a sector maybe we are not as good as we might be in communicating the successes of our sector. But Exeter Science Park alone contributes £50 million per annum gross value out of the economy in terms of jobs alone. That’s a significant addition to Exeter.
Obviously the government is facing some really serious problems at the moment, but we’ve also had a ministerial visit in the last few months. I think the intent is there, in terms of supporting research and innovation. We need to put more effort into communicating the opportunities to government. We have to tell what is a very good story; that science parks have become an important part of the economic tapestry over the past 40 years. n
S ummer C o N fere NC e
The UKSPA Summer Conference will take place on 3 and 4 July. Use the code to register and find more details
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Advocacy
The world according to UKSPA and its members
Rothamsted
ready for the next agrite C h revolutio N
Rothamsted Enterprises is hosting UKSPA’s summer conference at its Hertfordshire campus.
CEO Nicole Sadd will be taking the opportunity to show off the ground-breaking work of the agritech businesses that call it home.
Based on the world’s oldest agriscience research site, Rothamsted Enterprises is home to 35 commercial agricultural technology businesses.
As well as international companies, it provides office and laboratory space for a number of research start-up companies from Rothamsted Research as part of a thriving community of scientific expertise, research knowledge and innovation.
Nicole Sadd, CEO of Rothamsted Enterprises, explained: “We were launched in 2015 with the idea of bringing entrepreneurs and businesses to the campus. Today we’ve got a thriving community of tenants and are about 91% full.
Rothamsted Enterprises is part of the historic Rothamsted campus in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and is at the heart of agricultural
research, focused on promoting collaboration and innovation in agritech, partnering with commercial agricultural technology businesses and opening up the innovation process.
Rothamsted Enterprises is owned by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT) and
Clockwise from top Lawes Open Innovation Hub and Centenery Buildings; CEO Nicole Sadd; The Russell Building
Rothamsted Research (RRes) and aims to deliver for its shareholders and the campus community.
“We are here to make sure the scientists can focus on the science and offer everything they need, including a place to collaborate, have a coffee and meet investors, government representatives, network or share the work they do with the public.
World-leading range
“Rothamsted Research takes care of its own commercialisation and spinouts, but when they form a company they come into our orbit. We make sure we’ve got the facilities and environment for them once they’re set up as businesses.”
Since Nicole arrived at Rothamsted in 2018 she has, alongside LAT and RRes, overseen a major expansion in the operation of the premises.
“When I arrived we had two buildings and our companies were expanding quite considerably. We needed to facilitate business growth. There were a couple of empty buildings on the campus and we were able to carry out renovations to meet the demand.”
Today the site has 8,000 sq ft (743 sq m) of space in its Lawes Open Innovation Hub and another 14,000 sq ft (1,300 sq m) of labs and offices in its Daniel Hall Building.
Most recently in 2023, it opened its Russell Building and Innovation Labs. The Russell Building was originally opened in 1919 and contained soil laboratories but had been empty and disused since 2014.
The project created a new hub for growing agriculture, innovation and technology-related businesses, with 22 offices of various sizes, a hot-desk area and an open plan innovation space where entrepreneurs can collaborate.
The Innovation Labs are the result of refurbishment work to transform a disused goods-instorage area nine mini laboratories.
“ W hat make S u S u N ique i S bei N g able to take i NN ovative SC ie NC e from the lab up to farm
SC ale o N S ite a N d maki N g S ure it W ork S i N the field - literally”
Much of the expansion work in the last few years has been jointly funded by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Lawes Agricultural Trust –the Rothamsted site’s landowners. In addition there is a range of conference and meeting facilities, a restaurant and the Grade I-listed Rothamsted Manor, which is
Above and below The glasshouse facilities provide over 1000m² of growing space
available for event hire, VIP dinners and networking events.
The conference centre has an auditorium for up to 300 people, a smaller one for 150 and a few breakout spaces as well. It means the venue up can both serve local businesses and host farming and scientific conferences.
Nicole said: “The ambition of the conference centre is to bring the right parties together in the ecosystem to start sparking innovation, talking collaboratively and openly about what challenges there might be and what products, services or innovations are out on the market or being worked up.
“We are part of a community of agritech research centres across the UK, but where Rothamsted benefits is that it covers the whole spectrum of work, from soil health, crop health, all the way to pests and the outputs for the farmers.
“I don't think there's anywhere else in the world that has that kind of range. So it makes us the ideal place for an agritech business to base itself, with access to Rothamsted’s expertise and facilities.”
James Clarke, Rothamsted’s director of communications and
engagement, is another advocate for the breadth and depth of work under way on the site. “There’s obviously great work being done at agritech centres across the country but I think what makes us unique is being able to take innovative science from the lab and then take it up to farm scale on site and making sure it works in the field - literally.
Urgent challenge
“We often have lots of fabulous innovation in UK labs but converting that into innovations that farmers can actually use remains a challenge.
“We have to future proof our agriculture and we have to do it really quickly. The challenge is urgent and everybody's now thinking about food security after Covid, the war in Ukraine and now the changes to tariff rules.
“That means addressing where our food comes from and how to deliver it in a much more sustainable manner, so we don't undermine the natural systems on which farmers depend.”
Leading the way are a couple of Rothamsted Research spin-out
companies, now based at on the Agritech Business Centre campus
PheroSyn has developed the use of insect pheromones for smarter pest control, offering a safer and more targeted approach to pest management and minimizing the environmental impact of traditional pesticides.
SugaROx is developing crop biostimulants based on a natural plant sugar, providing an alternative to artificial fertiliser.
Above and below The scientific services offered provide a wide range of skills, equipment and knowledge within the campus
Field trials in Canada, the US, the UK, Germany and India over the past few years have shown yield benefits ranging from 4-14% in wheat crops under drought stress, and 5-22% in crops grown with good water availability.
In April the results of a four-year field trial were published in Nature, revealed how the biostimulant increased wheat yields.
Nicole added: “We’ve got head offices for major companies such as Croda, Gowan, Timac Agro and Prayon – essentially anchor tenants who are well established – as well as a blend of smaller spinouts from other academic institutions in the agritech space.
“Our mission is to support business growth, so we try and work with companies from the pre-seed phase as they are trying to raise funding and develop proof of concept.
“Our sweet spot is those early-stage spin-outs prototype testing. We’re not a science park; we help them until they need to move on to manufacturing, to scale and grow off site. It’s why we are really linked in with Herts IQ, the Green Business Hub and Enterprise Zone. They are looking to provide huge lab and office space 20 minutes down the road that can facilitate the kind of scale-up that we can’t currently offer.”
The local enterprise zone, Herts Innovation Quarter, aims to provide 3 million sq ft of commercial space 30 minutes from London to attract a cluster of clean tech, smart construction and agritech companies to the county.
Left James Clarke is an advocate for the breadth and depth of work on the site
“ i thi N k W e’re about to S ee a revolutio N i N agri
C ultural SC ie NC e by bri N gi N g together bioe N gi N eeri N g a N d ai ”
“As we continue to build on our success the next step is to see how can we shape that to provide more support, further innovation activities and build our external networks,” said Nicole.
“So we’re building a skills network into our innovation events. And then there is funding and investment, helping our tenants understand that landscape from both the public and private sectors. We want to make it easier for them to access that information about funding opportunities, collaborations and partnerships.
“There has been a slowdown in the funding process but that won’t last. These things move in cycles and it’s not as if we have an option with food. We’ve got to move quickly.”
James added “There is an urgency here. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change on UK farming. Vineyards are becoming much more common across the South and it is predicted that at some stage arable farming may start moving further north.
“Then there is all the debate about livestock farming, meat and dairy, and how we can ensure those remain sustainable food production systems in the long term.
“It all feeds into the bigger picture of making farming both productive and sustainable.”
Future transformations
Looking to the future, he said: “There are currently two big transformations arriving together. There is bioengineering - we’ve just had the gene editing legislation finally pass through Parliament: the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 - so we are beginning to see the start of a revolution in the way we can manipulate genes and precision breed new crops for the future.
“These kinds of advances in understanding the rules of life underpin all aspects of farming.
Fast throughput DNA analysis of soils, for instance, can now provide a completely novel picture of what a healthy soil is like.
“But at the same time you’ve got the AI revolution going on, and the two together are complete game-changers. One constant challenge with advancing genetic studies was there was just too much data.
“Now we can actually sift through that data and find the patterns in these complex systems that we just couldn't find before.
“So I think we’re about to see a revolution in agricultural science by bringing together bioengineering and AI.
“We’ve been collecting data at Rothamsted since 1843. Now we can do things with that data that will be a game-changer for
uk S pa S ummer C o N fere NC e at rotham S ted Rothamsted Enterprises will be hosting the UKSPA Summer Conference on 3 and 4 July. Use the code to register and find more details
Above and below The Conference Centre houses several modern event spaces
agriculture, in the same way that that these technologies are transforming medicine.
“The potential is there, but we have to look at it at farm scale –which has always been the strength of the work here at Rothamsted.
“Ultimately, for all these technological advances, farms are businesses, and farmers will not take up new innovations unless they make commercial sense. So we have to deliver practical applications.
“I think the way we bring together companies and public research on this site is a really important part of that.” n
agrite C h i NN ovatio N
Find out more about what Rothamsted has to offer with a visit to rothamstedenterprises.com
S HO w CASIN g science parks’ gROwt H p O t EN t IA l to government
Dr Sally Basker, chief executive of Exeter Science Park and new Chair of UKSPA, talks to Simon Penfold about sustainability and engaging with Government.
Dr Sally Basker has undergone an interesting few months since taking on the role of Chair at the UK Science Park Association, in addition to her day job running Exeter Science Park.
That has included hosting the UKSPA Spring Conference at the newly opened net zero voco Zeal hotel on the science park.
She has been chief executive at the park since March 2017, when the park was still in its early days. “You take on a start-up science park, you know it’s going to be interesting. I have to say it was perhaps a little bit more interesting than I expected at the time,” she recalled.
“For much of the first year it was me and half a PA. We needed to make some fundamental changes to the park as a company, sort out the finances and get things moving. That first year was about keeping it alive and positioning it to move forwards. Over the past eight years we have seen the construction of six buildings and, of course, the hotel.”
Since then, the park has grown five-fold and now hosts 45 businesses with 750 workers based at the East Devon site.
Below
The new voco Zeal hotel on Exeter Science Park opened earlier this year. Use the code above to read more about it in Breakthrough issue 24
“Exeter is not a single sector science park, which is what you should expect in the South West. We do have some health and life sciences, a sector we are aiming to grow, but it doesn’t look anything like Cambridge. It’s much more digital. We have a company here that does pharmaceutical logistics for the NHS, companies providing remote pathology services to the NHS, and another doing that for veterinary work.”
“We’ve got others developing new techniques for spotting diseases and looking at long Covid. But then we've got other businesses focused on net zero and the built environment, we've got some security and defence and we've got a lot of digital.
“And we've seen growth not just through spin-outs from the University of Exeter but from other organisations that are coming to the science park and wanting to be part of this community.
“I’m sure every science park would say their sense of community
“ W e've S ee N gro W th N ot ju S t through S pi N -out S from the uN iver S ity of e xeter but from other orga N i S atio NS C omi N g to the SC ie NC e park Wa N ti N g to be part of thi S C ommu N ity”
is what differentiates them from other organisations providing real estate services, but there are the practical benefits too. We provide big company facilities for smaller companies which means providing a level of flexibility for them to grow, to take exactly what they need at any moment in time and to gradually improve their business position. That’s an important part of what we do, ensuring they do not overreach too early.”
The opening of the new voco Zeal hotel underlines Exeter Science Park’s commitment to sustainability and net zero. It’s also a strong commitment for Sally Basker as the new Chair of UKSPA.
“We have to recognise that we are living in a world with finite resources, that we are damaging the world through many of our activities, and we need to turn this around,” she said.
Act now to make a difference
“During my period as Chair of UKSPA there will be a continuous focus on sustainability.
“Sustainability is not for us; it is for our children and grandchildren, for all of our collective futures. We just need to get this right. It’s challenging for all science parks, even the younger science parks like Exeter where we have two or three net zero buildings now; it’s a process of continuous improvement. What we've started with will look out of date within a decade as we discover how to do things better.
“Those are the key things for all of us. If you run a company and your finances are going through the floor then you need to act now. It’s the same position with net zero; our climate is in trouble and we need to act now and we need to make a difference.
“You can't do it all at once and there is inevitably a period of transition but, as much as anything else, it's about getting the culture right with the intent to improve and taking advantage of every opportunity to make those improvements. That’s not easy, but it's something that we all need to do.”
At the same time, UKSPA will be continuing its job of looking after its members and their interests; locally, regionally and nationally.
“As an organisation, UKSPA needs to enhance the policy part of the business – speaking to Government and arguing the case for increasing support to the science park sector - whilst maintaining focus on the most important part of our organisation: delivering benefits to our members.
“I really want to pay tribute to the band of folk – I think there are ten of us – from across the science park community who are willing to stick their hands up and become directors of the UK Science Park Association.
“One should always admire volunteers who are willing to get involved and, in my position as the Chair, I absolutely value every one of them and what they are bringing to UKSPA, positioning us as the leading membership organisation in our field.
“And I think our executive team are doing remarkable work, making such a success of our recent conferences in Warwick, here at Exeter, and our summer event at Rothamsted.
“Another key UKSPA development has been to build up our regional groups. Clearly we all enjoy and value coming together at our major meetings; but there is so much also to be gained by meeting regionally.
“Those meetings are an excellent aspect of what we do, providing a platform for discussion and airing everyone’s views. Every region will have its own particular concerns to focus on. For example, what is happening in Manchester is going to be different to what is happening in Birmingham.
nation, which will alter how funding happens. The relationship between sciences parks, central, regional and local government will undoubtedly change quite considerably over time.
“But we have to ensure that everybody needs to appreciate what is, for many parts of the country, the jewel in the crown: their local science park.”
Business background
Sally Basker’s own background combines scientific and engineering research with a business focus, using managerial skills to help researchers exploit the commercial opportunities of their work.
“I probably sound much more like a business person than a scientist now, but that's where my career has taken me”
“I think at one Ievel it is wanting to be at the table where decisions are made, wanting to be part of the group of people shaping decisions for research projects in the early stages.
“We are seeing an increase in devolution in many regions of our
“Once you start bidding for research projects and getting grants, then you have to start delivering. It was the ability to see both sides of it. I was involved in the private sector very early on in my career, going from my PhD and postdoctoral work
Clockwise from above Ada Lovelace Building; hosting the Spring UKSPA conference at the Park; George Parker Bidder Building; the Park focuses on science; Dr Basker addresses guests at Spring's UKSPA conference
to working for a university technology transfer company.”
Her work ranged from research and consulting, then as director of research for the General Lighthouse Authority at Trinity House. There followed a spell as interim head of business development at the Atomic Energy Authority, some business-togovernment work and finally was recruited to head up Exeter’s fledgling science park in 2017.
“Somewhere I've got a civil engineering degree, which I've never really used, but in fact some of it's been useful. I've got this background as a science person and a researcher. I've got an MBA, I've worked
nationally and internationally, I've grown businesses, started businesses up and helped other people start businesses too.
“I have managed big infrastructure projects as well, so when I came to Exeter I saw how one might take this forward when it was not in an easy position. I probably sound much more like a business person than a scientist now, but that's where my career has taken me and I've been very lucky.
“Having worked in big companies and small companies and helped set things up, to start businesses, I think it's also salutary lesson when one's running a science park. A lot of the companies are quite young and they need support; they are going through challenging times. It is great to see them succeed and I think that understanding that challenge is important. It helps us empathise with our clients.”
Source of endless joy
A clue to Sally Basker’s collaborative approach may lie in a less wellknown passion. “I did a music diploma in timpani and percussion when I was just leaving school, and I did wonder about being becoming a professional musician.
“I suspect the music world is probably pleased I didn't, but I still play timpani and percussion for a number of orchestras and ensembles in the South West. I have done it all my life, so I have far too many drums at home. It’s a source of endless joy for me - and endless challenge - for my partner.
“I think the thing about playing music for me is it is all about teamwork, but in a non-competitive environment. So, at any moment in an orchestral concert, you're thinking, am I blending well enough with everybody else? It's that give and take, which comes from listening to each other in an orchestra and working with each other collaboratively to deliver a performance.
“At work I've been part of teams, I've led teams and I suspect you could talk to any chief executive and they'd say how much they value their teams because we know we can't do it all on our own.
“We focus on science, but it's all about helping people to work together, helping people to raise funds, develop products and services, engage with the right third party support at different points of their journey. That's a critical part of it; always to help facilitate.” n
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For more about Exeter Science Park, go to exetersciencepark.co.uk
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C REAt ION of a
Community involvement is a core ambition at the heart of Paddington Life Sciences, Dr Suki Balendra tells Simon Penfold.
in the summer of 2022
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust set out its vision for a new life sciences cluster in Paddington, built on partnerships with research, industry and community organisations, with the historic St Mary’s Hospital at its heart.
Paddington Life Sciences made its ambitions clear from the get-go, launching with a new digital collaboration space next to Paddington station, and a year later, creating Paddington Life Sciences Partners to bring together NHS, academic, local authority and life science industry partners. Their commitment was to ensure the delivery of major social, health and commercial value to the local area.
The long term aim would see a complete redevelopment of the St Mary’s estate, delivering a new modern hospital alongside 1.5 million sq ft of commercial and laboratory space for life sciences businesses to start, develop and grow.
In March 2023 Dr Suki Balendra was appointed director of strategic partnerships for Paddington Life Sciences.
With a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Warwick, she had worked on diabetes research at Imperial College London before industry operations roles at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, promoting health research.
Her new role placed her at the centre of Paddington Life Sciences’ ambitions to become a major force
Below
Dr Suki Balendra heads up strategic partnerships for Paddington Life Sciences
in London’s growing life sciences ecosystems, working with companies already established in the Paddington Basin and with research and local community partners.
Health inequalities
Alongside the new Paddington Life Sciences Partners group her job is to help foster the development of a world-leading life sciences cluster with a strong focus on tackling issues of health inequity.
“My role was to establish the structure and form deep relationships with the partners,” said Dr Balendra.
“And we set four main work streams to get the partners involved in different aspects of the work that we wanted to take forward.
“Number one is around social purpose. Having this life sciences activity in Paddington is great, but how does it benefit the local population? We serve a very diverse population where we see huge health inequalities.
“The total population we serve in North West London is just over 2.5 million people and half of those come from a diverse background. So we have a huge number of languages spoken, religions observed.
“Just within the area of Westminster, very hyper local to Paddington, the life expectancy for boys changes by 18 years from one end of Westminster to the other. There are real pockets of extreme wealth and then extreme deprivation in very close proximity.
“As a hospital our focus is around driving down those health inequalities at the same time as increasing the employment opportunities for our local population through the life sciences work.
“One of the bits of work that we drove through is to create a skills map to work out what our life science partners would want in terms of skills from the local population. Not surprisingly, data skills came out very highly so we're looking at creating data apprenticeships to help drive employment with these partners.
“The other aspect of this social value side is digital inclusion. A large number of our residents don't have Wi-Fi access, don't have a phone. Just within the NHS you need an app to make hospital appointments or view your test results. We have a duty of care to make sure that our patients can access basic systems through a phone.
Diversity desire
The second workstream is around diversity and equity in clinical trials. “We run a lot of research and trials within Imperial but often the participants in those trials were not reflective of the population we serve.
“We would see trial participants of a white middle class background, more often males, and we want to really get a diverse representation in the research. Ultimately if we don't do that then we're actually not properly testing out these medicines in the populations they're intended to be used in.”
A case in point was use of clopidogrel, often prescribed after a heart attack to reduce the risk of a further heart attack. Research in 2023 revealed it might not be effective for British South Asians who had been underrepresented in the original clinical trials.
It underlined the need for a much more diverse trial population.
“And there are other examples where, say, there is a diabetes study but the protocol is to exclude patients with high blood pressure,” said Dr Balendra. “Some of those exclusion criteria actually exclude huge waves of our diverse population who are suffering from these kinds of challenges around blood pressure and heart disease.
“So one of the things we do is talk to companies that are developing these protocols to say: ‘You really need to think about those criteria because perhaps they are not always relevant. And actually you could take a risk and include some of those people in the trials.’
“ having this life sciences activity in p addington is great, but how does it benefit the local population?”
“That’s the other part of the project we're running through Paddington Life Sciences with a number of our partners such as Westminster City Council, to look at how we can upskill our residents around digital and give them access to Wi-Fi and phones.”
“At the same time we work in our local communities to really understand what the barriers are to taking part in research. So if members of the community are offered research opportunities what would stop them taking part? What do we need to do to change it?”
The third work stream is around health data. Global pharmaceutical
companies have long recognised the value of the vast NHS dataset – back in 2019 a report from EY Global Health Sciences and Wellness said the value of data controlled by the NHS was around £9.6bn a year.
Across North West London the Paddington Life Sciences team have access to very significant data assets, said Dr Balendra. “We have linked data between primary and secondary care - between our GPs and our hospitals - that provides a really valuable asset in terms of what you can do in research around real world studies for example.”
“Because our cluster is hosted by the NHS, it gives it a very different flavour than if it were hosted by a commercial organisation or life sciences business,” she said.
“Alongside myself, Paddington Life Sciences is led by Dr Bob Klaber, Imperial College Healthcare’s director of strategy, research and innovation. He is a paediatrician and between the two of us we have shaped Paddington Life Sciences to be true to our passion and beliefs, which is around serving our local communities and being a very research-active organisation.”
The fourth workstream is focused on growing the Paddington Life Sciences ecosystem.
“Since we launched, we've had two new companies join. Convatec make ostomy and wound care products for the NHS and they're located their head office in Paddington.
“The other company is a mid-sized biopharmaceutical company called Ipsen. Part of the reason they cited for moving to Paddington last year was due to Paddington Life Sciences.
penicillin by Alexander Fleming at St Mary’s Hospital.
It is part of the wider Fleming Initiative, established jointly by Imperial College Healthcare and Imperial College London to find solutions to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
“Lord Darzi, executive chair of the Fleming Initiative, is spearheading the campaign in terms of fundraising for the building,” said Dr Balendra.
“We will have a significant public realm part to the building. Very much keeping to what we've talked about with Paddington Life Sciences, we want members of the community to come in and understand the work we're doing around antibiotic resistance.
“ we believe that it's not just about the science, it's about behaviour changes... you need a whole shift”
“We want to grow the ecosystem even further, get smaller companies into the ecosystem and get more capital funding flowing in.”
Behaviour shift
Also on the horizon is the creation of the Fleming Centre in Paddington. It is due to be opened in 2028 in time for the centenary of the discovery of
“We believe that it's not just about the science, it's about behaviour changes. You need a whole shift to really think about the use of antibiotics.
“There will be clinical research space in there and we also want to have policy makers in the building as well because the policy side is as important as the science when it comes to this topic.”
Above Paddington Life Sciences launched with a new digital collaboration space
Below The Fleming Centre is due to be opened in 2028
There are a number of other major construction projects on the horizon in and around Paddington.
“It has become a really vibrant area,” said Dr Balendra. “We have had the Elizabeth Line opening, while the whole front entrance of Paddington station has been completely transformed with restaurants and bars. And that is helping to attract more and more companies.
“We work very closely with the landowners around Paddington like
Credit: Stanton Williams
British Land, Derwent London and Brockton Everlast. So that has been an interesting change for me, to be involved in the real estate industry. It has been such a pleasure to work with because we all have a very similar ambition around what we're trying to achieve.
“It's been a very collaborative environment to operate in and they see huge value in life sciences; it is a very attractive industry for them.
do WN load the b ro C hure Use the code to read more about Paddington Life Sciences
“Demand far outstrips the available space, which has led to the creation of all these life science clusters – hotspots such as the White City campus with Imperial College London, the Whitechapel Life Sciences cluster at Barts, and the Knowledge Quarter around the Francis Crick Institute.
“There's all this life science activity happening and part of my role is about collaboration between these London life science clusters. We don’t work independently, so the work on skills as an example has been a pan-London initiative.”
It has not all been smooth sailing for Paddington Life Sciences, however.
A key priority is to replace the ageing St Mary’s Hospital complex. It had been hoped to have a new hospital built on the site by 2030, before the disappointing announcement from the Government in January consigning the project to a ‘third wave’ of
building work not due to start until 2035 or even 2039.
At the time Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, called the announcement “devastating news”.
“The simple truth is that St Mary’s Hospital, in particular, will not last until the 2040s,” he said.
Dr Balendra said: “We have since established a task force with Westminster City Council and others to look at leveraging private finance to support the rebuild at the hospital to bring those timelines forward.
“We have all this life science activity, it makes absolute sense to build a new hospital at this site. We will continue to use Paddington Life Sciences as a really strong case for the redevelopment of our hospital.” n
DE-Clutt ERINg and E vA luAtINg lab space utIlIzatIon can lead to SA fER , MORE SuS tAINABlE scIence
Words
Dr Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar, Kathleen Brady
ne year ago, several UK research and funding organizations signed the Concordat for Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice1 a commitment to continue delivering cutting-edge research and innovation in a more environmentally responsible and sustainable way. Signatories to this voluntary agreement—which include funding bodies such as UKRI, Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Healthcare
and Research, and Wellcome — committed to reduce or eliminate environmental impacts and emissions and transition to practices such as sustainable infrastructure.
Meanwhile in the United States, recent policy changes initiated at the National Institutes of Health have put a spotlight on the overhead charges associated with conducting research and operating scientific and academic institutions. For over a decade, the Bringing Efficiency to Research Grants (BETR Grants) effort of the
d r r amirez- a guilar is Chair of the I2SL University Alliance Group, a Board member of I2SL, and Green Labs Manager for the University of Colorado Boulder. She has a PhD in chemistry and 15 years of lab experience.
C lea N lab S . S ave S pa C e.
Use the code for more about the I2SL Labsavers campaign
kathlee N brady is I2SL Executive Director and has over 30 years of experience in environmental communications such as the LabSavers program.
evaluatio N guide
Read a guide on how to conduct a lab space evaluation
International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) University Alliance Group (UAG) has worked to encourage funders to integrate efficiency and sustainability expectations into the research grant funding process. Whether research funding is limited or institutions are looking for ways to improve sustainability performance and reduce operating costs, evaluating lab space use and reallocating space to meet current research needs can help ensure institutions operate efficiently and optimize the positive impact existing lab infrastructure can have on science.
LabSavers: A Campaign to Improve Lab Space Utilization
Left Infographic available to educate researchers about efficient use of space through the LabSavers campaign
Last year, I2SL launched a free initiative known as the LabSavers campaign to promote lab cleanouts and space evaluations to ensure more safe and productive use of lab buildings before new construction is considered. LabSavers encourages researchers to de-clutter lab spaces through lab clean-outs; inventory, consolidate, and proper store of lab chemicals;
repurpose old or unwanted lab equipment; and evaluate and optimize lab space utilization for better research efficiency. The LabSavers web page, www.i2sl. org/labsavers, includes a guide on how conduct a lab space evaluation and checklists for lab clean-outs to reduce accumulation of unused equipment, supplies, and chemicals that can lead to cluttered spaces and, sometimes, unsafe conditions. A promotional tool kit provides posters, fliers, email templates, suggestions, and social media content that can be customized by green labs professionals; researchers; facility managers; or environmental health and safety (EHS) staff to fit the needs of their buildings and participants.
LabSavers resources are intended to help laboratory campuses create a cultural shift around space management, generate engagement in lab clean-outs, and inspire safer, more efficient and productive use of lab spaces. The annual Green Labs Spring Cleaning Event2 started two years ago by the Green Labs Program at the California Institute for Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California, serves as an example for research institutions to implement. Labs compete to clean out freezers, organize storage spaces, take inventory of lab supplies, and recycle or repurpose unused items. Prizes are awarded based on before-andafter photos, and all participants receive a free lunch.
Cutting Costs and Saving Space in Colorado
LabSavers was created with inspiration from the University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz Medical School; two CU Anschutz employees spoke during the 2024 I2SL Education Week about their 2021 lab clean-up project, which evaluated the use of about 550,000 square feet (SF) of lab space. Teams of scientists, facilities staff, environmental health and safety officials, and the Dean’s Office Leadership and Research Affairs identified 44,000 SF of underutilized lab space being used as storage and cleaned up that space for newly hired faculty, avoiding the need to construct new lab space. This effort won a 2023 I2SL Award; a recording of that presentation is available on the I2SL Lab Savers web page.
Inspired by CU Anschutz’s actions, the Green Labs Program at another large research campus in the University of Colorado system—CU Boulder—has been encouraging lab space optimization as well. To lay a cultural foundation among scientists, the program has been periodically placing posters throughout campus laboratory buildings on the importance efficient and optimized use of lab space. One poster focused on a case study3 of 16 CU Boulder research groups sharing resources in a shared cell culture facility, which resulted in reducing lab space needs by 30 percent and avoided $253,000 USD in annual costs compared to each research group having their own equipment.
Last year, community input led the CU Boulder 2024 Climate Action Plan4 to recommend a “campus-wide space optimization program, including labs, which are the highest energy users” among its actions to address Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. A 2025 pilot lab clean-up project is being offered in three CU Boulder lab departments in collaboration with Green Labs & Facilities Management Sustainability; Environmental Health & Safety; Property Services and Accounting; departmental property managers; and building managers to help labs streamline the process of purging items they no longer need.
Discussions are also underway with campus stakeholders on how to improve the research space evaluation processes already required as part of the U.S. federal process for overhead cost recovery and metrics to add to the space survey to benefit future institutional research space optimization efforts.
Save Now for Long-Term Sustainability
Scientific institutions often rely on researchers to propose ideas to win grants and perpetuate the flow of overhead funding needed to support research infrastructure and staff. Unless the processes leading to overhead funding rewards for efficient use of space (or penalizes for inefficient use), it can be difficult for administrators to take away underutilized space from principal investigators and reallocate it to other researcher needs, if an ownership culture for space exists. That said, the most sustainable lab building is the one that is never built in the first place. What’s more, safe and efficient use of lab space results in more productive research and avoids the additional costs and emissions associated with duplicative equipment purchases or new laboratory construction. Sustainable science leaders in the UK and across the globe can set the tone for lab space optimization. Initiatives such as the UK Concordat involving partnership between funding bodies and research institutions can change the culture —starting with buy-in from organizational leadership—to avoid inefficient use of lab space. Given that more research institutions will look to implement or strengthen evaluation processes for efficient and optimized use of lab space, why not use LabSavers now to get a head start? n
Above Sample poster used by the University of Colorado Boulder labs
Words Charlie Trumpess Marketing Manager, Modern Networks Ltd
froM Small to might y
how a I tools can help to accelerate steMM busInesses
Research has shown that the productivity of the UK's STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) workforce is notably hampered by limited access to advanced AI tools1
This productivity gap is costing the UK economy around £64 billion annually. STEMM professionals lose an average of six hours weekly due to inadequate AI tools. That’s £108 of lost productivity per worker per week on average. For STEMM companies, implementing AI solutions can provide significant advantages and commercial benefits. This article discusses how organisations can utilise AI tools to improve productivity, streamline operations, and protect intellectual property (IP).
The Productivity Challenge
A recent study by STEM specialists SThree found that 30% of UK STEMM professionals believe their work productivity suffers due to a lack of proper AI tools. One in
five STEMM workers loses a full workday each week on tasks that could be done faster with AI technology. This productivity deficit should be a major concern for STEMM startups and small businesses, as they often operate with limited resources and must maximise efficiency to stay competitive.
Role of Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot can play a crucial role in addressing productivity challenges. By automating routine tasks, Copilot allows STEMM professionals to focus on more valuable and strategic activities. For instance, Copilot can transcribe Teams video meetings, summarise lengthy email threads, and assist with document generation and editing. It can also support customer service, project management, data analysis, insights, and reporting.
Generative AI Adoption
Generative AI is becoming increasingly popular. According to the latest Microsoft Work Trend Index, 75% of employees are using some form of generative AI, with nearly 50% of them starting to use it only in the past six months. This rapid adoption of AI highlights the growing recognition of its workplace potential to enhance productivity and boost innovation.
The Risks of Shadow AI
The use of unapproved AI tools by employees, often referred to as “shadow AI,” poses an emerging security threat to organisations. According to a BBC report2, many employees use personal AI tools at work without permission, which can lead to data security and compliance issues. These tools can harvest sensitive data and hold it outside the company's control, increasing the risk of data breaches and unauthorised access. Security Week reports3 that about seven percent of employees are using Chinese AI models like DeepSeek. This usage could lead to sharing valuable IP and confidential data with state-sponsored bad actors and cybercriminals.
Expert Help & Advice
Managed IT services providers like Modern Networks can offer valuable support in adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot. Our expertise ensures that STEMM organisations have the necessary infrastructure and tools to thrive, allowing them to focus on innovation and productivity without worrying about technical issues. Modern Networks provides businesses with an AI readiness assessment to help with AI adoption planning. This assessment offers a thorough evaluation of a company's existing capabilities and its readiness for AI integration. We have also established a mentorship program to support businesses during the AI adoption process, offering personalised guidance, support, and expertise.
Raising Digital Awareness
The SThree study highlights a significant issue: many business leaders are “digitally illiterate” regarding AI technologies, which impedes adoption. While over two-thirds of STEMM professionals believe advanced AI could drive company growth, 45% feel their leaders underestimate its benefits. To address this, leaders need more information and training on AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot to accelerate adoption and safely integrate them into daily workflows.
Implementing AI Solutions
Successfully implementing AI solutions requires a clear strategy and a focus on areas where these tools can drive productivity gains. Businesses should start by identifying the initial group of users who will benefit the most from tools like Copilot and ensure they are quickly onboarded and trained. This approach helps create a smooth transition and maximises the impact of AI adoption.
Strengthening Cybersecurity and Data Protection
For STEMM businesses, safeguarding intellectual property and sensitive data is paramount. Microsoft 365 Copilot has robust security features designed to protect sensitive information and prevent accidental sharing. It ensures that employees and AI tools only have access to the data necessary for their tasks. Regularly reviewing who has access to specific information is crucial for maintaining security.
Embracing AI
AI tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot can transform the operations of STEMM startups and small businesses. By automating routine tasks, enhancing efficiency, and improving data security, these tools can help businesses overcome productivity challenges and drive growth. For those ready to embrace AI, Modern Networks offers customised support to ensure successful adoption. n
a re you prepared to u N lo C k the pote N tial of ai for your S temm bu S i N e SS ? Contact Modern Networks to learn how they can assist you in implementing the right solutions tailored to your specific needs https://modern-networks.co.uk
Extending the frontiers of UK science and industry
Dundee’s life science ambitions take another step forward
The University of Dundee’s new Innovation Hub is a key piece in an ambitious life sciences masterplan, Morag Martin tells Simon Penfold.
this summer will see the first companies moving into the University of Dundee’s newly completed £39 million Innovation Hub – the latest stage in the creation of a major life sciences ecosystem on Tayside.
Its success will pave the way for an entire innovation district dedicated to life sciences businesses in the heart of Scotland’s fourth biggest city.
The Hub is expected to support 800 new scientific jobs and delivery £190 million to the benefit of the local economy by 2053.
More importantly, it is seen as a game changer for the University in its ability to support and nurture spinout companies, retain talent and expertise in the local economy and enhance the creation of high skills jobs in Dundee.
The Hub will provide flexible chemistry and biology laboratory space configured to company needs, with access to an array of technology platforms as well as networks of
investors and entrepreneurs. The aim is to support life sciences commercialisation, collaboration and innovation.
It sits in the heart of Dundee, immediately adjacent to the University’s city centre campus and its thriving centre of life sciences research and innovation.
Over three floors the Hub offers around 54,000 square feet of flexible incubator and grow-on space. It is structured across two wings flanking a central atrium which serves as the building’s social hub. The office/dry lab and laboratory spaces each occupy a dedicated wing and share the same modular design principles.
The facility will be fully equipped with laboratory fit-outs on completion. This ‘science ready’ offering combined with continued access to facilities from the adjacent University of Dundee is intended to help nurture the startups as they grow so they can immediately move in and focus on their R&D programmes rather than capital fit out.
Continued impact
One of the first occupants of the Innovation Hub was Morag Martin, the University’s innovation cluster manager, who has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Life Sciences campus for more than a decade.
She sees her work as a continuation of Dundee’s growth as a centre for impactful research in health and life sciences.
“Dundee is world-leading for life sciences research, the top university for Biological Sciences in the Research Excellence Framework 2021, which is the UK Government’s method for assessing independently the quality of universities’ research. Expertise is focussed on making
fundamental discoveries on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying health and disease to address global challenges.”
Morag continued: “A particular strength has been a focus on the delivery of societal impact through translation, and commercialisation. One example would be our Drug Discovery Unit, founded by Professors Mike Ferguson and Alan Fairlamb back in 2006.
“They made the very wise decision to bring in industry expertise and the DDU has grown to over 130 scientists. It started with a focus on diseases like African Sleeping Sickness, leishmaniasis and malaria, but also has an Innovative Targets portfolio which encompasses high quality projects in any therapeutic area where there is a clinical unmet need.
“That also takes in work on cancer and neurodegeneration, not just from research with the University of Dundee but sister universities across the UK and beyond. They are progressing those innovative targets into new therapeutics.
“They work up to the stage of delivering pre-clinical drug candidates, which they can either license to a pharmaceutical company, use to establish spin-out companies or partner with other organisations to take forward.”
The University has several long-standing partnerships with industry and a track record of generating high growth spin-out companies. In recent years it has created notable companies such as
NASDAQ-listed Exscientia plc, Amphista Therapeutics, Ten Bio, Outrun Therapeutics, Glen Clova Scientific, PhaSER Bio, Platinum Discovery, Tartan Cell Technologies, Tay Therapeutics and Rhapseda. The success of some of these companies was reflected in Dundee being named No 1 in the UK for spin-out success in 2023 in the Octopus Ventures Entrepreneurial Impact Ranking.
“Dundee is at its heart an entrepreneurial university; creating your own company and creating impact from research is very much championed, so there were quite a number of academics creating spinout companies from their research,” said Morag.
“Student entrepreneurs are supported in creating their own start-ups by our Centre for Entrepreneurship too. In terms of how we create companies, fostering great relationships between investors and founding scientists, and treating each company according to its individual circumstances is critical. This nurturing of talent and ideas was key to the University winning the accolade of Outstanding UK Entrepreneurial University of the Year in the 2024 Times Higher Education Awards.
the hub i S S ee N a S a game C ha N ger
“As a city, however, Dundee has lacked the commercial incubation infrastructure to help house and anchor some of those companies for the economic benefit of the region.
“That was a problem Mike Ferguson - Regius Professor of Life Sciences - and myself were trying to tackle. We had a couple of painful circumstances where we had really high-growth spinout companies but, unfortunately, they needed to go elsewhere in order to grow.
“It would be nice to have turned that into economic growth within Dundee and create new jobs locally, expanding the commercial cluster so there are greater opportunities for career progression outside of academia. That is the problem we’ve been trying to solve.”
Driving ambition
This led to the drive to create the new Life Sciences Innovation Hub for spinout and startup companies, on the neighbouring Technopole site.
“The original application for the Life Sciences Innovation Hub was made to the Tay Cities Regional Deal,” explained Morag. “We managed to secure £20 million for the Hub as part of a broader investment in our biomedical cluster.”
There were challenges, however. “The Tay Cities deal was originally announced in 2018 and subsequent unprecedented cost inflation affected many capital projects nationwide.
“That was extremely challenging. Without significant additional investment from Scottish Enterprise, charitable foundations, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the University itself we couldn’t have realised what we’ve got today.”
Morag continued: “The aim was always to create fit-for-purpose, flexible accommodation for high growth potential companies, In the Tay Cities Region we have three universities, two FE colleges and an internationally-renowned plant sciences research institute all of which produce innovative companies. But the Hub is open to health and life sciences early-stage companies from across the UK and can accommodate biotech, biopharma, medtech, and healthtech companies wherever they are from – such inward investment was part of the successful case for Tay Cities investment.”
innovation
“Tenants will also be in walking distance of the main campus. That gives them easy access to the technology platforms and expertise of the University, such as the large-scale proteomics platforms, our Drug Discovery Unit, our microscopy facilities, NMR spectroscopy and so on – that's all open to commercial enterprises.”
Building work was completed in the spring and the Innovation Hub has recently been handed over by the main contractor Robertson Construction to the University.
“We’re in negotiations with a number of companies just now and should be making some announcements this summer about new tenants.
“The building can cater for about 180 people, so we’d be expecting to house between five and ten companies, depending on their size. What we are also trying to do is provide space for more micro companies, such as a ‘rent a bench’ offering, as well as companies at the seed capital or Series A funding stage. We’re trying to be as flexible as possible.
“A unique selling point for the building is its chemistry space. Unlike most other incubator buildings we’ve gone quite big on chemistry space, in part because the University has an expertise in drug discovery, and there is a real dearth of chemistry space across the UK for commercial entities. So we are providing five dedicated 100 sqm fully-fitted chemistry labs within the new building. Hopefully we can attract some really high-quality biopharma or materials science companies.
“Part of the ambition of the project is to create and anchor more companies in the region so there’s a diversity of career paths in Dundee. We've got a very large academic base and if we grow more companies then people can move into industry here rather than having to relocate to pursue a career in the commercial sector elsewhere.”
Making the Hub a home
The new building sits on the eight-acre city centre site, just over the road from the life sciences cluster.
“The Hub is the catalyst to transforming this former industrial
site. It was originally a jute mill and has been brownfield land for a number of years. Most of the land is owned by Dundee City Council and we've got a really good relationship with them. Our plan, in partnership with the City Council and Scottish Enterprise, is to grow a Dundee innovation district particularly focused on health and life sciences.
“On the vacant plots of land next to the Innovation Hub we want to develop follow-on space, so we’re not faced with the situation where we grow a company and they have nowhere to go next.
“Clearly, we need to work with the private sector to develop this follow-on space. As soon as the Hub starts to fill, that should catalyse those discussions.
“The Council has been very supportive. The University purchased the land from the Council to build the Hub, but the whole site is allocated by the Council for life sciences development.
“They can see that life sciences is a sector of strength for the city for economic development.
“The Hub project has been a pretty long road to travel, but we've kept going. When we get the businesses in it will be brilliant to
“a u N ique S elli N g poi N t for the
see it buzzing. And then I can breathe a sigh of relief.”
The University is also working closely with local colleges, including Dundee & Angus College, on a project called Science Futures – backed by £1.8m from the Tay Cities Deal – for more technical training provision.
“As we expand the life sciences commercial cluster, we need to ensure that we've got enough skilled technologists and technicians trained to meet the needs of the of the company base. Science Futures are doing some stellar work on encouraging more school leavers to think of life sciences as a career and offering training opportunities within the college.
“The growth and reputation of the School of Life Sciences, which has around 1,000 staff and students from across the world, shows that we attract the brightest and best here. The challenge has always been about providing the commercial space.
“The dream is retaining those successful biotech companies rather than seeing them having to relocate elsewhere. Then their wealth generation and job creation can benefit Dundee and the wider region.” n
i N the heart of du N dee
Discover more about The Dundee Life Sciences Innovation Hub at www.dundee.ac.uk/innovation-hub
The Life Sciences Innovation Hub has been supported by the Scottish Government through the Tay Cities Deal, Scottish Enterprise, the Wolfson Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the University of Dundee.
located in Renfrewshire, AMIDS is Scotland’s home of advanced manufacturing and innovation and provides a positive environment which delivers a major boost to Scotland’s manufacturing and Life Science sectors.
AMIDS will empower creativity, collaboration and cutting edge solutions, creating a dynamic ecosystem fostering synergy among industries and academia. This will drive technological advancements and accelerate innovation. We want to ensure that manufacturing excellence is harnessed to cultivate a vibrant community where forward thinking minds can work together to create change, delivering economic growth and pioneering breakthroughs that shape and meet challenges of the future.
AMIDS is currently home to two world-class innovation centres, the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Medicine Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) with a third, the Oligonucleotide Manufacturing Innovation Centre of Excellence (OMICE) under construction and due to open in 2026.
The next phase of development will see the establishment of Tech Terrace – speculative units ranging from 200 to 3,200 sq m providing much needed space for spin out organisations and those looking to scale up in a supportive, collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment. Design and build solutions will also be delivered to meet specific property requirements within a planning in principle consent for approximately 75,000 sq m.
Targeted occupiers include those working in the field of high-value manufacturing innovation in the Space, Life Sciences, Photonics and Net Zero industries.
The site, situated next to Glasgow International Airport, provides occupiers with excellent transport links, connecting them to global opportunities. AMIDS also features Scotland’s most advanced low-carbon district heating network, benefits from over £40 million in infrastructure
investment, and includes highquality public realm and green space in its plans.
AMIDS is being delivered by a 50:50 joint venture partnership between Renfrewshire Council and Buccleuch Property, a well established commercial property company with a development pipeline of 3.5m sq ft. AMIDS enjoys strong support from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise and is a key part of the wider regeneration work in Paisley. Over 1,300 jobs are projected to be generated for the area once the site is fully developed, expected in 2034. n
S C otla N d’ S home of adva NC ed ma N ufa C turi N g a N d i NN ovatio N Contact us at hello@amids.co.uk or please visit amids.co.uk our joi N t ve N ture part N er S Visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk and www.buccleuchproperty.com
the rIse of miCroSCaliNg In bIotech
For today’s life science ventures, growth no longer follows a straight line, and therefore their lab space requirements don’t either.
As start-up ventures grow out of shared incubators but aren’t quite ready for a full-blown HQ, a new way of scaling is taking shape: microscalingand it works best with the right kind of space.
cientific progress is unpredictable. Start-up life science companies may suddenly secure a fresh round of funding, double their headcount in six months, or pivot their focus based on a single breakthrough. And yet, traditional real estate often demands fixed footprints, long leases, and infrastructure commitments that don’t match the pace or unpredictability of modern R&D.
Microscaling is emerging as a leaner, smarter approach.
“In the current climate, ventures don’t want to over commit when it comes to R&D space,” Will Brown, Director, Commercial at Cheffins - explains. “Companies want the room - and the runway - to flex and succeed on their own terms.”
The era of microscaling
Rather than racing to become the next biotech unicorn with tens of thousands of square feet, today’s ventures are scaling incrementally - one lab suite, one milestone, one team at a time.
These companies are strategically structuring their space and resources to grow only when it makes sense. And they need an environment that grows with them - one that’s been specifically engineered to adapt to the needs of evolving science ventures.
“Expectations are shifting rapidly. ESG goals, operational efficiency, and resilience have moved to the top of the agenda,” adds Will.
Stretch, compress, reconfigure For founders and CFOs alike the path to success is no longer defined by square footage alone. Occupying more space than needed is no longer a badge of honour - it’s a liability. Yet many available buildings are far too large, pushing ventures into costly or mismatched spaces.
Recognising this pain point, Chesterford Research Park has responded with the development of the Sidney Sussex Building, purpose-built for ventures that are too advanced for shared laboratory space, but not yet ready for their own building.
Will says: “The Sidney Sussex Building creates a flexible real estate platform to enable the rise of microscale R&D. More than just a building – it represents a vision for new science spaces in 2025 and beyond: sustainable, scalable, and specifically tailored to the messy, non-linear reality of innovation.”
From its modular infrastructure to its plug-and-play laboratory spaces, the Sidney Sussex Building is designed to stretch, compress, and reconfigure in real time.
Equipped for scientific success
Chesterford Research Park’s Sidney Sussex Building is a state-of-theart, 55,764 sq ft facility situated within the thriving South Cambridge science cluster. From 10 fully fitted R&D suites starting from 2,210 sq ft to letting whole floors, the building provides flexible and scalable space for ventures that have outgrown communal or smaller shared spaces but are not yet ready for standalone headquarters.
Each suite offers an environment tailored for R&D success and is equipped with advanced mechanical and electrical systems, fume hoods, lab benches, and dedicated write-up areas, allowing companies to focus entirely on their research and development without the burdens of costly retrofitting or extensive fit outs.
The Park’s commitment to sustainability ensures that companies operating from the Sidney Sussex Building benefit from a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ design, an EPC ‘A’ rating, and a suite of environmentally conscious features, including photovoltaic panels, EV charging stations, and biodiversityenhancing green spaces.
Control, continuity, confidence
With a dynamic ecosystem of biotech pioneers, pharmaceutical leaders, and cutting-edge start-ups, Chesterford Research Park provides a perfect environment for collaboration, networking, and flexibility.
Its proximity to Cambridge’s world-renowned universities and research institutions further enhances its appeal, making it a prime destination for innovative life sciences companies.
Its rural, yet convenient setting means occupiers can concentrate on delivering ground breaking research without the distraction and congestion of urban locations. Already home to companies that have made a real difference, today, scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs work side by side on the development of life changing drugs within the Park’s sustainable environment.
For those seeking best-in-class lab space flexible enough to grow with them, there’s more information on leasing opportunities and contact details for the Park’s joint agents, Cheffins and Savills, on the website chesterfordresearchpark.com more tha N ju S t a buildi N g Use the code to delve into the features of the new Sidney Sussex Building (pictured above and below)
Whether science ventures are purposely growing at a strategically calm and slow rate, or simply find themselves on this trajectory serendipitously, the microscaling model offers control, continuity, and confidence. Exactly like the lab space within the Sidney Sussex Building. n
S t-i N - C la SS lab S pa C e
Growth
Sharing your success, best practice, and lessons learned
biohub brings deCade of life SCieNCe iNCubatioN SuCCeSS to birmingham
when The BioHub opened its doors in Birmingham 10 years ago it was the first facility of its kind the in the UK.
The purpose-built biomedical incubator has a combination of shared laboratory and office space, and was designed to grow biomedical companies from proof of concept, allowing early-stage life sciences companies – often spun out from universities and hospitals in the region – to stay in Birmingham.
A decade later the city is home to a strong ecosystem supported by the likes of the West Midlands Innovation Health Accelerator, soon to be joined by a new Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) to be housed in the first building on Birmingham Health Innovation Campus.
Over the past 10 years 28 companies have been incubated at the BioHub. The nine companies currently based there have developed 21 products, ranging from antimicrobial wound care to diagnostic testing kits. They have so far raised investment of £16 million and employ around 70 people.
The BioHub is the newest building at Birmingham Research Park, which was established by the University of Birmingham in 1986. Since 2008 the park has been operated by University of Birmingham Enterprise Ltd, the technology transfer company for the University.
Enterprise COO Angie Reynolds heads up operations including Birmingham Research
CEO David Coleman and COO Angie Reynolds talk to Simon Penfold about the work of University of Birmingham Enterprise and its BioHub incubator.
Park and the BioHub. She explained the background to the development.
“Birmingham Research Park was a joint venture between the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council, who wanted to create a location for companies to co-locate with the University and also to house innovations coming out of the university.
“It was purpose-built for the creation of new products and services and that's still the restricted covenant on the site to this day. All of our tenant companies need to be doing some form of research or developing new products and services.
“A lot of our activities are in the biomedical field, but it's not limited to that – we’ve got a diverse tenant community with innovators working on AI, genome sequencing, medical devices and everything in between.
“The BioHub Birmingham® - to give it its full name - was created because there was a need identified for incubation space, specifically for biomedical innovations coming out of the University of Birmingham and also for biomedical companies that wanted to work with our academics and with our tenant community.
“We've got a 24-bench shared laboratory and fully managed facilities for companies working in the biomedical field in areas such as microbiology, tissue culture and drug discovery. It is currently home to nine companies.”
Diverse tenants
Marker Diagnostics UK is pioneering the next generation of concussion diagnostics through ground-breaking biomarker research. Originating from a research programme at the University of Birmingham, it has worked with sporting organisations including World Rugby and British Cycling to develop a saliva-based concussion diagnostic.
MicrobesNG has developed a commercial suite of genome sequencing services, plasmid sequencing and metagenomics sequencing options. “Our ambition is to be the go-to microbial sequencing company globally, and our strong connections to the University and base at the BioHub will be pivotal to our success,” said Jennie Law, MicrobesNG’s Head of Operations.
Gifford Bioscience is a preclinical Contract Research Organisation (CRO), providing deep expertise in receptor pharmacology and occupancy, to characterise how a potential new drug binds to its target, giving critical insights for early-stage drug discovery and preclinical research.
“a lot of our a C tivitie S are i N the biomedi C al field, but it' S N ot limited to that – W e’ve got a diver S e te N a N t C ommu N ity”
Matoke Holdings joined the BioHub in January 2022, to develop wound management technology. Its SurgihoneyRO antimicrobial wound dressing has successfully tested against WHO priority pathogens.
“We’ve even got a company that is slightly away from the biomedical field researching new ingredients for cultivating meat,” said Angie. “It’s an emerging industry and they are using cell cultures and biomedical techniques.”
That company is Quest Meat, which aims to make cultivated meat affordable and sustainable by developing a revolutionary new medium to replace animal components such as bovine serum and provide edible scaffolding for meat production.
Angie continued: “There was a clear need for a facility such as BioHub on the campus because of the innovations coming out of the University. At the time there was an undersupply of laboratory and incubation space for early-stage companies outside of the Golden Triangle (Cambridge, London and Oxford).
A well-connected ecosystem
“We are lucky in Birmingham that we have a very well-connected ecosystem of innovation assets. But there is still a shortage of space. This is being mitigated as new buildings come on stream and the region attracts more developments.
“There's a health innovation campus being built very close to us, and we're also developing and repurposing space here at Birmingham Research Park, turning conventional space into laboratory space as it comes available.
“Some of our companies will outgrow us and move to the new facility, but interestingly of the 28 companies that have been incubated at the BioHub, 20 of them are still in the region.
“Nonacus is a great example. A liquid biopsy company established at the BioHub it moved to its own premises two years ago.”
Nonacus now has purpose-built offices and a private laboratory in Birmingham and another office in Taiwan, delivering non-invasive cancer tests around the world. Its flagship product Galeas Bladder –a highly sensitive, urine test for bladder cancer - was developed in partnership with University of Birmingham researchers.
“They are now talking to us about the possibility of some spinout enterprises that may emerge in the future and those will come back to us as companies that we might incubate here at the BioHub. So they're still very much part of our ecosystem and our community.
“Our current BioHub tenants have raised about £16 million in investment and employ around 70 people, most of them in highly specialised roles.
“We are receiving enquiries all the time from a really diverse range of companies that are attracted to Birmingham, having heard of the BioHub, or the Birmingham Research Park.
“Some of our companies will outgrow us and they will graduate on to larger facilities either at the
Precision Health Technology Accelerator down the road or at one of our other research parks or innovation parks within the area. Then we will bring the next generation of young enterprises into the building. It is a constantly replenishing cycle of companies that will join us at the early stages and then succeed and grow.”
Catalysing innovation
As CEO of Enterprise, David Coleman oversees all the technology transfer activities at the University: “As well as running the Research Park etc, we are responsible for commercialising the university’s intellectual property and academic expertise.
“We catalyse the adoption of innovations developed by, with or at the University. We identify and protect commercially valuable intellectual property, sometimes with patents, and to get these innovations developed and adopted we licence intellectual property and form spin-out companies.
“We also work with the valuable commercial expertise of our academics. If a business or an organisation wants to work commercially with one of our academics, then we will facilitate that consultancy activity. A lot of
organisations need that kind of academic rigour and also need to use some of the facilities we've got. This is an area that has really grown over the last few years.
“One of the other things that is pretty unique to Birmingham is a model called Operating Divisions.”
The EnterpriseOD™ programme supports Birmingham academics to set up a commercial entity that operates like a limited company, but with the legal management, insurance and financial management carried out by University of Birmingham Enterprise.
It allows the researchers to find and validate their offerings with industry customers who in turn receive rapid access to innovations, flexible services and academic expertise.
“If it isn’t successful, we can stop it quickly and move on to the next thing, or it might become a spin-out. We're seeing a number of these opportunities coming through at the moment, which we might have not have been able to support in the past,” David explained.
“Most of the innovations from the university that we commercialise are in need of millions of pounds and years of investments, often in highly regulated environments. That is what we’ve focused on.
“ oN e of the other thi N g S that i S pretty u N ique to b irmi N gham
i S a model C alled o perati N g d ivi S io NS ”
Above EvoPhase unveiled the world’s first urban wind turbine designed by AI - the Birmingham Blade
Right Biohub contains mixed office/ laboratory suites which provide grow-on space
“Now we have the ability to support other, more organically grown or boot-strapped ventures. We’ve created an environment that enables them to be tried and tested.
“Two great examples have been Dexter and EvoPhase.”
Operating Divisions
Dexter was founded in 2022 to commercialise a software originally developed to help scientists sift through anonymised electronic patient data to conduct observational studies, where researchers follow groups of people over a period of time, without any intervention.
These types of studies use Real World Evidence, and Dexter’s first product – DexterRWE – was developed to automate the labour-intensive task of data cleaning and extraction, saving months of researcher time. The software has been used in more than 130 scientific peerreviewed studies to date.
Above The team from Dexter have been through incubation as an Operating Division
A second product, DexterCare, allows healthcare professionals to automate clinical audits, which use patient data to establish if care is up to standard.
“Dexter is using AI to help understand patient data and they've been through incubation as an Operating Division, working with collaborators and identifying particular areas where data can inform research trials or clinical trials,” said David Coleman.
EvoPhase was founded in 2023 to develop an AI-led ‘evolutionary design’ approach to a range of equipment across various sectors. This is coupled with material characterisation, and digital and predictive model development.
Most recently, EvoPhase and family-owned metal fabricators KwikFab unveiled the world’s first urban wind turbine designed by AI and tailored to the unique wind conditions in urban Birmingham. The team has called it the Birmingham Blade.
It promises to be the solution to the pressing issue of how to produce small-scale, affordable, generators of clean wind energy.
We were able to generate, test, and refine over 2,000 wind turbine designs in just a few weeks, significantly accelerating our development process and achieving what would have taken years and millions of pounds through conventional methods.”
KwikFab produced the first iteration of the Birmingham Blade to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing the design. An aluminium version will be sited on a roof space in Birmingham for evaluation and testing, and the final product is expected to be available by late 2025.
David Coleman said: “The Operating Division model is an exciting evolution of the innovation services we provide. We're still refining it, and considering what other support we can provide. It’s part of what makes this such an exciting place to be.
More to come
“We're probably still just scratching the surface of the innovations that can be developed at the University of Birmingham. We are always thinking about how we can be more efficient and find more of those nuggets.
“But we can’t do this on our own. That is why we have worked with other universities across the region.”
EvoPhase used its AI-driven design process to generate and test designs for their efficiency at wind speeds found in Birmingham, which, at 3.6 metres per second are substantially lower than the 10 metres per second rating for most turbines.
“We needed a turbine that could capture Birmingham’s relatively low wind speeds while managing turbulence caused by surrounding buildings,” explained Leonard Nicusan, Chief Technology Officer of EvoPhase. “The design also had to be compact and lightweight to suit rooftop installations."
“AI allowed us to explore design possibilities beyond the scope of traditional human experimentation.
That in turn has led to the Forging Ahead initiative, launched by 15 Midlands universities – including the University of Birmingham –in May this year. The £16 million, five-year initiative aims to reshape how knowledge exchange, business creation, and investment attraction are delivered across the Midlands. It was officially unveiled during a visit to the Midlands by Science Minister Lord Vallance.
David Coleman added: “The Forging Ahead collaboration is essential to realising the vision of a highly connected commercial ecosystem in which companies can start, grow, and want to stay a part of. It will ease the access of spinouts, start-ups and other businesses, to the world-leading facilities, spaces, and expertise that we have within the Midlands.” n
biohub birmi N gham®
Use the code to learn more details about the biomedical incubator
Words David Broach Director, Allia Future Business Centre
from vISION to Impact
10 Years of Nurturing Social Enterprises at Allia’s Future Business Centre
The UK is approaching a critical inflection point in its pursuit of economic and social innovation - a moment where social impact enterprises are poised to shift from the margins to the mainstream.
allia, a pioneer in nurturing social ventures for over 25 years, believes that now is the time for bold, systemic transformation.
Through its Future Business Centres (FBCs) and new links with science parks and innovation ecosystems, Allia is activating a national strategy to double the share of social impact businesses in the UK - from 10% to 20% of all enterprises.
This isn’t just growth; it’s a redefinition of what business can be.
A New Era of Enterprise: Science Parks & Social Impact
Science parks have long been engines of high-tech innovation, clustering R&D, academia, and startups into fertile grounds for growth. However, these environments are often underutilised when it comes to social and environmental innovation. Allia sees science parks as vital infrastructure to embed inclusive, impact-focused entrepreneurship within the UK’s innovation economy.
By partnering with landlords, universities, and developers of science and innovation parks, Allia is bringing its FBC model to these spaces - creating physical and programmatic environments that support mission-led businesses, not just tech startups. These are businesses that tackle pressing challenges such as poverty, inequality and climate adaptation, while also contributing to local economies and job creation.
Strategy for Impact at Scale
Allia’s bold aim is to catalyse a nationwide shift - reaching a critical mass where impact businesses become a major economic force. This strategy for impact at scale rests on three pillars:
t ra NS formi N g
uN derutili S ed Spa C e S
Allia turns dormant or overlooked properties - like sections of historic buildings or vacant office blocks - into dynamic FBCs. These spaces provide flexible office setups, co-working zones, meeting rooms, and virtual office services. More than just workspace, they’re built to foster collaboration, innovation, and social capital.
b uildi N g i mpa C t eC o S y S tem S i N S C ie NC e park S
By embedding FBCs within science parks, Allia integrates social ventures into ecosystems traditionally reserved for commercial and technical R&D. This cross-pollination between sectors accelerates both commercial success and social value.
l everagi N g Strategi C part N er S hip S
Through alliances with local authorities, corporates, academic institutions, and property developers, Allia scales its impact model nationally. The result is a network of sustainable, selfreinforcing hubs that incubate and amplify social enterprise growth.
Ca S e Study t ra NS formi N g Spa C e S –a llia a N d f uture b u S i N e SS Ce N tre’ S S C ie NC e park v i S io N
For over a decade, Allia’s Future Business Centre campus next to Cambridge Science Park has been a thriving hub for social innovation. Positioned alongside one of the UK’s most renowned technology clusters, the centre has proven the value of locating mission-led enterprises near mainstream innovation infrastructurewithout being part of it.
While distinct from the science park itself, the FBC plays a vital role in the regional innovation
landscape. It provides dedicated workspace, flexible co-working areas, and tailored venture support for entrepreneurs focused on tackling societal challenges - from climate action and inclusive employment to health equity and local regeneration.
“We’re N ot ju S t filli N g buildi N g S - W e’re C reati N g opportu N ity”
The FBC fosters an ecosystem where social impact businesses are supported to grow and thrive. Through expert mentoring, access to funding opportunities, peer collaboration, and strategic partnerships, the centre empowers ventures to scale their impact and sustainability.
We’re not just filling buildings - we’re creating opportunity. By placing our campus next to Cambridge Science Park, we’ve shown that innovation and inclusion go hand in hand. These centres are more than offices — they’re launchpads for businesses that are shaping a better future.
This long-standing model demonstrates how purpose-driven enterprise, placed strategically within the broader innovation economy, can flourish - driving both local prosperity and systemic change.
Why This Matters Now
The challenges we face - economic inequality, climate instability, demographic shifts - demand more than incremental responses. They require a rethinking of how and where business happens, and who it serves.
Science parks and similar innovation clusters, when linked with Allia’s proven FBC model,
offer a scalable, strategic route to embed impact at the heart of the UK's economic future. It’s about harnessing infrastructure, capital, and entrepreneurial energy to build not just businesses — but resilient, equitable communities.
Join the Movement
The opportunity is clear: by investing in Allia’s FBCs, especially those within science parks and innovation campuses, partners aren’t just backing property developmentsthey’re building platforms for future-facing enterprises.
If the UK is to lead globally in social innovation, now is the time to act. n
all about po S itive impa Ct
Use the code to discover more about our flexible workspaces and vibrant communities
part N er W ith u S
Reach out to Allia Future Business Centre Director, David Broach via email: david.broach@allia.org.uk or calling 07801 577 491 .
CEO Dr Rich Ferrie has overseen dramatic growth at LBIC with the opening of the new Apex building. He talks to Simon Penfold about the achievements and challenges of increasing space for life sciences in London.
lbiC creatIng space In the capItal for 25 yearS
the London BioScience Innovation Centre (LBIC) was launched in 2000 to address an acute shortage of lab space for start-up life sciences businesses in central London.
This year, LBIC marks its quarter century with its expansion into four floors of the brand-new Apex Building at Tribeca in King’s Cross – more than doubling the size of its operations.
LBIC has signed a lease on 33,000 sq ft of space – almost a third of the building – to provide fully-fitted grow-on space.
LBIC occupies part basement, part ground and first two floors of the building, with the ability to provide laboratory support services to all occupiers in the building.
A subsidiary company of the prestigious Royal Veterinary College, LBIC has two other sites in the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter, with a fourth, LBIC: CVRM, in the Centre for
Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine on the RVC’s Hawkshead campus in Potters Bar.
The sites offer LBIC’s community of biotech and life sciences companies, at varying stages of development, access to top-tier research, biological support services, cutting-edge equipment and skilled bioscience graduates.
Filling out the facility
Dr Rich Ferrie, chief executive of LBIC for the last four years, has overseen the development of The Apex as well as the recruitment of the first two client companies to move in. Baseimmune, a discoverystage biotech developing universal vaccines with variant-proof antigens, has graduated from LBIC’s start-up facility to take 3,350 sq ft of lab and office space. Laverock, a programmable advanced therapies company, occupies 4,133 sq ft.
Rich said: “My role over the last four years has been to get Apex over the line, but it was also to
ensure we didn’t drop the ball in relation to our other activities, managing those facilities.
“It can be so easy to get excited by the shiny new toy that you forget what you are about, so there’s been a challenge to do both those things at the same time.
“We have been over 90 per cent occupied over that time. We have 26 businesses on-site and we have a further community of around 30
Image: Martina Ferrera
early-stage companies - essentially a couple of people and a spreadsheet, writing a business plan and thinking about raising finance. They will eventually join us and require facilities. So our community is about 55-60 companies in one form or another. And then we have the new friends who are joining Apex. It was very important to start the client recruitment process alongside the fit-out process, so with our first two clients, we are about 38% occupied at the moment.
“We are in heads of terms discussions with other clients as well so I would anticipate that by the end of the year, we are going to be about two-thirds full, and full entirely next year.
“That performance underlines both the constant demand for biotech facilities in London and LBIC’s approach to offering top-quality premises and services. Client focus groups have been a fundamental aspect of the design process.
“When we were configuring our facility, we decided that we were going to fully fit it out. We also have a community of client companies that were able to help us design the facility.
“The voice of the client was central to what we did. That is part of our competitive advantage, so we could be confident that the facility was fit for purpose. The true test is whether clients sign up, and they are, so we are very pleased.
“I hadn't realised when I joined four years ago how challenging it is to fit out a new facility. We worked closely with Reef and Partners, our landlords, throughout the process. They were building the Apex facility, which is the first of five buildings on the Tribeca campus dedicated to bioscience research and development. It was quite challenging, but we managed to do what we wanted to do. We are delighted with the facility.”
Meeting the unmet need
It wasn’t all plain sailing, however. In September last year, the fit-out company, ISG, went into administration.
“Those were some dark days,” said Rich. “But we managed to appoint Epiphany as our new
building contractor very quickly. They were back on site within six weeks. It was probably as minimally disruptive as an event of that nature can be.
“We were able to open our facility on time to meet our obligations with our first two clients. We were delighted with that. Our project managers at Savills did a fantastic job to help us along the way.
“Our existing facilities are essentially on the Royal Veterinary College campus, which is on the Camden-King’s Cross border. The existing facility is essentially a repurposed laboratory complex.
finance the conversion of the facility to make London's first bio incubator.
“At that time, there was very little space in London for entrepreneurs with ideas for commercialisation coming out of universities to separate the commercial activities from the research activities and form new companies.
“The facility was set up to meet this unmet need. It has a variety of labs of different sizes and shapes, so generally, we can find something that is useful for the very earlystage companies to start out in.
“By careful management, we can move them on to larger facilities within the complex, and that's what we've done. But when companies were getting to a Series A funding stage, there was very little space for them in London at that time to be able to expand into.
“They faced the challenge of either moving to a distant science park or fitting out an existing building or building their own facility. Each of those options is very disruptive for businesses. Some are quite capital-intensive.
“It was quite challenging, but we managed to do what we wanted to do. we are delighted with the facility”
“It was formerly the pathology labs of the Royal Veterinary College. In 2000, our founder, Professor Colin Howard, won the support of both the College and the London Development Agency to
“In all cases, they take management’s eye off the ball of growing the company. You end up spending a period of time building or fitting out or whatever.
But that isn't really doing what your shareholders expect.
“It was with that in mind that we configured our new building. It will accommodate seven or eight larger companies that will either have graduated from our existing premises or will be welcomed into the community from outside.
“Our new lab/office suites are around about 3,000 sq ft each. The lab office complexes comprise 60% lab, 40% offices, and they're fully fitted.
“In addition, we provide a whole range of services that are very useful to companies as they grow. They don't have to worry about what happens to the waste or how the sterilisation happens. We take care of that, provide the gases, etc. It's a place where you can come straight in and get on with it.”
Images above and below: Richard Leeney
Dr Rich Ferrie’s work at LBIC and Apex builds on nearly four decades of work in science and technology, initially at ICI and then AstraZeneca as part of a team that developed DNA fingerprinting technology and later diagnostic tools testing for cystic fibrosis and various cancers.
“If I look at what unifies my career, it's typically been to do with helping academic entrepreneurs to realise their fledgling commercial ambitions.”
In 2000, he joined the University of Manchester to help commercialise its bioscience intellectual property.
“They had built the Manchester Incubator building and were looking to spin out new biotech and life sciences businesses from their research. I spent about 18 years doing that, moving on to look after IP across the whole university.
“In 2018, I went to University College Cork and took on the role of Director of Innovation. There, my brief was a bit broader, a similar kind of technology transfer role, but also looking after entrepreneurship more broadly, looking after its accelerator programmes, its incubator, consultancy, things of that nature. Anything to do with the commercialisation of research.”
After three years, Rich was struggling with Covid restrictions as he tried to regularly get back to the UK to see his elderly parents. Then the LBIC job came up.
“They were at that pivotal point, thinking about expanding and bringing a new facility online. I thought that would be an interesting challenge. I wanted to do something that was impactful, and I believe what we have been doing with the new Apex facility is exactly that.
“It’s doubling the footprint of the organisation, taking it from around 30,000 sq ft to 64,000 sq ft, and it’s giving it a plan for continued success; building on the platform that has been established by the team here over many years.
“When I joined LBIC four years ago, there was only about 150,000 sq ft across the capital with three operators, which is a tiny amount. Having brought our facility online, there is now about 600,000 sq ft in London.”
“i Wa N ted to do S omethi N g that Wa S impa C tful, a N d i believe W hat W e have bee N doi N g W ith the N e W apex fa C ility i S exa C tly that”
Sustaining success
Reflecting on LBIC’s performance, Rich said: “Over the 25 years we have been in operation, about 230 companies have been part of our community at some point, either resident with us or we have helped them to start out. Together, those companies have created about 5,000 high-value jobs, which is really important in an area like Camden.
“Those companies, between them, have cumulatively raised about £2.5 billion of investment over that time. Very importantly, 27 of them have floated on the
stock exchange or been acquired by a large company.
“Interestingly, in some form or other, 75% of those companies are still operational. They may not all have had a big stock market flotation, may not all have been acquired, but they are still operating and still employing people.
“When we look back at the ambitions the RVC had for LBIC 25 years ago, it is fair to say that those kinds of numbers are way in excess of what was expected. But this is no time to just sit on our laurels.
“Life sciences face a number of challenges as we go forward. Investment is still a problem. We are noticing that our clients are taking longer to find investors and to get investment deals over the line.
“We also have some challenges that are a carry-over from Brexit. The MHRA (the Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) is trying to position itself as a flexible regulator post Brexit, but there is still plenty of uncertainty around its alignment with the EU and international frameworks. There needs to be a harmonised regulatory approach.
“In terms of infrastructure, we are changing the availability of space for biotech companies, but there is an argument that we lack advanced manufacturing facilities for biologics, cell & gene therapies. They are expensive to put in place, and it could be a limiting factor in our getting our innovative new products to market.
“There are some challenges that the Government would be well advised to reflect on, and we, in our small way, are doing our best to play a part in helping the situation.” n
a ll about the apex Use the code for more on the new lab suites in the Apex Building
Images: Richard Leeney
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overbury is the UK’s leading fit out and refurbishment contractor, at the forefront of delivering over 250 high performance laboratory and research fit outs for the country’s leading science and innovation sectors every year. We’ve worked alongside 38 of the UK’s top 50 research institutions such as GSK, The Francis Crick Institute and British Land, ensuring their spaces meet the highest technical and regulatory standards.
A specialist in complex laboratory fit outs
From pharmaceutical giants to Russell Group universities, Overbury has extensive experience delivering high specification laboratories, including CL1 to CL4 containment facilities. Our expertise covers everything from cold rooms and clean rooms to medical gas systems and controlled environments, ensuring airflow, pressure regulation and HEPA filtration meet the rigorous
“We’ve W orked alo N g S ide 38 of the uk ’ S top 50 re S ear C h i NS titutio NS
demands of scientific research.
With a deep understanding of the commissioning process, we help occupants, landlords and investors transform existing facilities into state of the art laboratories.
Precision and excellence, guaranteed
Our Perfect Delivery™ pledge ensures every project is completed on time, snag free and safely, all while meeting the specialist needs of science and research facilities. With 97% of our projects delivered in occupation, we ensure that your people can continue their vital work without disruption while we create their new environment around them. Working in highly regulated environments requires meticulous attention to detail, which is why
W orki N g W ith fra NC i S C ri C k View the full case study of our work as Development Partner with the Francis Crick Institute (pictured above)
our established supply chain and expert project management guarantee an efficient and seamless fit out process.
Advancing sustainable facilities
Sustainability is embedded in our approach. Our CarboniCa tool enables clients to track, measure and reduce the carbon impact of their fit outs, supporting sustainability certifications such as BREEAM, LEED, SKA and NABERS. From energy-efficient systems to responsible material disposal, we are committed to reducing environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency and long term cost savings. By creating adaptable, sustainable and future ready spaces, Overbury is proud to play a role in supporting the UK’s science and research community. Our work ensures laboratories and research spaces are not only built for today’s needs but are ready for tomorrow’s discoveries. n
more about overbury
Visit overbury.com/science-andresearch-fit-out or contact:
Emma Keyse
Head of Business DevelopmentEducation, Public Sector, Science e emma.keyse@overbury.com
Ollie Lewis
Business Development Manager e ollie.lewis@overbury.com
t he eSC ape joi NS uk S pa : s trategic creative partner for U k science parks
We’re incredibly excited to join the UKSPA community and introduce The Escape as a new affiliate member. As an integrated, creative marketing agency, we specialise in helping science parks and innovation hubs achieve their commercial, innovation, and community goals through creative and resultsdriven solutions.
Our journey with UKSPA was inspired by our longstanding relationships with organisations like University of Southampton Science Park and Milton Park, where we have acted as strategic creative partners to help tackle challenges unique to the science, technology and innovation sector. Through brand strategy, digital innovation, and marketing expertise, we support parks in building stronger identities, enhancing engagement, and positioning themselves for future growth.
The idea to join UKSPA was sparked when our CEO, Ian Mumford, attended
the 40th Anniversary Conference last year. The conversations and insights shared at the event highlighted how much value a strategic creative partner could bring to the wider network. Motivated by this, we reached out to UKSPA to explore ways we could contribute.
At The Escape, we believe that marketing should not only reflect a brand’s story but also drive tangible results. We’re passionate about working with UK science parks to help them grow their communities, attract investment, and elevate their brand presence within the innovation ecosystem.
We get that every business is different — each with its own community, ambitions, and challenges. That’s why we take a personal, tailored approach to every relationship, helping tell stories in a way that’s true to who they are while
reaching the people who matter most. Whether it’s building stronger brands, driving engagement, or helping create a real sense of place within the community, we’re passionate about supporting parks to grow, innovate, and thrive.
Through this partnership, we aim to become a trusted marketing voice within the science park community. Sharing ideas, sparking conversations, and helping parks and innovation hubs navigate the evolving challenges of the sector with clarity and creativity.
We’re thrilled to be part of this community and look forward to collaborating with members across the UKSPA network. n
Find out more at www.the-escape.co.uk
rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) is delighted to become a member of UKSPA, reinforcing our commitment to clients in the science and research industry. We are a global independent construction and property management consultancy that offers a full range of services to improve the design and delivery of learning environments and research facilities.
Sustainability is a major focus of the multi-phase redevelopment of Riverlabs, a 400 sq ft sciences campus in Hertfordshire
In the life sciences sector, we have a strong track record of supporting developers, investors, tenants and owner-occupiers to build or manage a range of wet lab, dry lab and manufacturing facilities.
One of our recent projects is Hexagon Tower in Manchester, a 10-storey life sciences incubator originally designed by Richard Seifert. The building has
undergone a sympathetic over-cladding and is now home to international companies such as Intertek, Lonza, and Fresenius. Working on behalf of Pioneer Group, we addressed the degradation of the existing façade and replaced the windows. RLB provided project and cost management services to procure the contractor and deliver the project.
A growing area of our work is helping clients to achieve their net zero and decarbonisation goals. Sustainability is a major focus of the multi-phase redevelopment of Riverlabs, a 400,000
sq ft campus strategically located in Ware, Hertfordshire, within ‘The Golden Triangle’ of London, Oxford and Cambridge.
This retrofit involves significant shell and core upgrades to create state-of-theart lab spaces and enhancing existing services with more energy-efficient solutions. The projected carbon savings are expected to exceed 75% versus a comparable new-build and will facilitate carbon-neutral operation upon completion. We are supporting the developer Global Mutual with our cost and project management expertise as well as providing specialist services including utility and infrastructure management, decarbonisation delivery and sustainability consultancy.
We understand the variety of construction challenges faced by UKSPA members and we are keen to share our knowledge and forge new partnerships that will benefit our clients and the entire science and research community. n
let’ S S tart a C o N ver S atio N Please visit www.RLB.com or contact e Michael.Wright@uk.rlb.com
Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible. We understand it is critical to take time to discover and progress innovative research and development work. Having collaborated with the industry’s leading companies for over 60 years, we appreciate the complexities of science parks and are able to work alongside research scientists and user groups to design facilities that work for our clients. Whether it’s a research and development building, biomedical laboratory,
e nabling i nnovation t hrough i ntelligent l aborator Y d esign
klick Laboratories is a trusted partner in the design, supply and fit-out of highperformance laboratory environments. With over 40 years’ experience, Klick specialises in delivering expertly crafted solutions for science parks, research hubs and innovation centres across the UK.
Adapting to evolving R&D demands
We understand the evolving demands of research and development and the increasing need for adaptable, collaborative and energy-efficient workspaces. We provide cost-effective solutions and offer sustainable options to help minimise running costs.
Our holistic service spans the full project lifecycle—from in-depth consultation and space planning to
radiochemistry lab, or biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant, our experienced planners and designers can help achieve science park operator’s objectives.
Through an integrated design approach, our teams deliver sophisticated laboratory buildings for research or production to private clients and institutions around the world. We can draw on experience to integrate the latest trends with sustainability at the core. Like the spaces we design, our teams are flexible and adapt to new and innovative technologies, often applying creative design solutions and proven strategies to make lab buildings more efficient.
Our science and technology teams specialise in research laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccines and biologics, cleanrooms and GMP suites, pilot plants, kilo labs, specialty warehouses, critical utilities, compliance and commissioning, decommissioning,
project management, installation and post-completion support.
Bespoke lab solutions, designed with users in mind
Our expert team works closely with architects, developers, research institutions and science park tenants to create bespoke lab solutions tailored to both current workflows and future growth. We engage with end users during the consultation phase to ensure designs reflect real-world processes and priorities.
Cross-Sector expertise
Klick’s expertise spans biotech, life sciences, pharma, medical, food & drink, industrial and R&D sectors. Whether fitting out a start-up incubator lab, a research facility, or a large-scale
and demolition. In the UK, we also focus on a variety of research labs and institutes – making us familiar with the integration of processes, clinical environments, and laboratories.
Our UK teams are currently acting for institutions, developers, and public sector clients across the science, innovation, and technology sectors. We are working with, or have worked with, many UKSPA Members and Business Affiliate Members and enjoy collaborative working relationships with them. Our experience at the junction of planning, design, environmental consultancy, engineering, infrastructure, and delivery gives us unique insight and an ability to positively contribute to the aims of the UKSPA. n
di SC over more o N li N e
Pay a visit to www.stantec.com/en
innovation hub, we deliver flexible, future-proofed spaces designed for safety, efficiency and high performance.
Solving real lab challenges
Our experience with science park clients means we're adept at solving common lab issues—from outdated layouts with inefficient processes to inadequate storage, lighting or ventilation. Our modular and mobile lab furniture supports the adaptability needed for today’s evolving research environments.
Certified quality and sustainable practices
We are certified to ISO 9001 and accredited by SafeContractor, CHAS and Constructionline Gold. Klick is committed to quality, safety and sustainability, with a team dedicated to delivering exceptional results with minimal disruption.
If you’re looking to create a world-class laboratory facility that supports cuttingedge research and innovation, Klick Laboratories has the experience and creativity to bring your vision to life. n
University of Edinburgh Institute of Regeneration and Repair located at the Edinburgh BioQuarter
Photo credit: Keith Hunter
Clean Energy Solutions
as a proud UKSPA member, RenEnergy supports the UK’s science park community with highperformance, low-carbon energy infrastructure. Since 2006, we’ve delivered bespoke solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging systems that reduce operational costs and help businesses meet their Net Zero goals.
From rooftop and groundmounted installations to solar carports and battery storage integration, we offer full-service solutions - including consultation, financing, delivery, and long-term asset management. Our work is defined by engineering precision, tailored design, and enduring partnerships. Now part of the Aggreko group, RenEnergy combines the agility of a specialist with the strength of a global leader - delivering future-ready energy systems to the UK’s most forward-thinking science and innovation campuses.
We understand that science parks and R&D facilities have specific energy challenges: high baseload demand, critical uptime requirements, complex infrastructure, and a growing focus on net-zero delivery. Our solutions are designed to meet these needs with minimal disruption - integrating clean energy systems seamlessly into existing operations while building resilience for the future.
“We do N ’t ju S t build S y S tem S ; W e build part N er S hip S ba S ed o N tru S t, i NS ight, a N d S hared purpo S e”
S torie S to tell Read about some of the 1,100 projects we've completed
“Working with forward-thinking organisations like Cranfield University and UKRI has been an incredible experience - these are clients who truly understand the long-term value of renewable energy. At RenEnergy, we don’t just build systems; we build partnerships based on trust, insight, and shared purpose.
From calculating the levelised cost of energy to tailoring each installation to a site’s specific needs, our focus is always on long-term performance and sustainability. It’s about helping clients navigate today’s energy landscape while preparing them for tomorrow.”
Shau N Wightma N -Smith Business Development RenEnergy UK n
Below One of RenEnergy's largest public sector carparks
C a N you be N efit from a r e NeN ergy part N er S hip? Visit us at www.renenergy.co.uk or connect via email with: Shaun Wightman-Smith e swsmith@renenergy.co.uk
Taking care of your people, places and public perception
M-SParc aims to be UK’s first net zero science park
Dr Debbie Jones talks to Simon Penfold about the drive towards net zero at Wales’ first dedicated science park –M-SParc on Anglesey.
-SParc – formerly Menai Science Park – aims to become the UK’s first net zero science park.
But its ambitions don’t end there. It aims to become the hub for a region-wide alternative energy sector driving the sustainability agenda not just in Wales, but internationally.
Officially opened on the isle of Anglesey by Bangor University in 2018 as Wales’ first dedicated science park, M-SParc laid out its sustainability targets in 2021, when Dr Debbie Jones, M-SParc’s Low Carbon Innovation Manager, and the science park’s Egni team – egni is Welsh for energy – declared a goal of achieving net zero by 2030.
That goal was brought considerably closer earlier this year with a £624,500 funding boost from publicly-owned Welsh energy company Ynni Cymru– it has allowed M-SParc to slash its carbon footprint by 86% with the aid of additional solar panels and air-source heat pumps.
“Up until this point our work towards net zero has involved a lot of little steps,” explained Debbie.
“When the science parked opened from 2018 we had some solar capacity on the site – that was always the plan from the beginning.
“We then established our Engi team in 2021 as part of a broader conversation in North Wales with all the different low carbon technologies we host in the region, and the businesses and social economic opportunities that creates. And our focus has widened from low carbon energy to decarbonising, to emissions and sustainability.
“We calculated our first carbon footprint in the December of 2021 working with one of our tenant companies. Since then, we’ve continued to add more solar at every because we recognised very early on that planning restrictions on the site make solar pretty much the only on-site energy generation we can use. There's no way we could get a wind turbine - we're too close to the village of Gaerwen, which is just a few hundred yards away.
“We also started tracking our energy use throughout the site and realised it's huge in terms of both gas and electricity. We needed to increase the efficiency."
'Dim the spark'
“There's no way we're going to be able to reach net zero if we're just installing more and more solar. That’s not addressing the fundamental problem of how much energy are we using. So we launched a campaign to ‘dim the spark’.
“M-SParc is all about the spark and igniting ambition, so we decided to flip the narrative with ‘dim the spark’, to try and be more efficient in our energy use, working with our tenant companies.
“We really did a big sweep across the site and managed to reduce our consumption and our emissions by about 10%.
“But there’s only so far we can go. We can’t tell our tenants not to use gas or electricity.
“There was more solar installed in January and February of 2023, thanks to some grant funding. And then we did an updated carbon footprint as we started to get to grips with SCOPE 3, which is the downstream impact. That is everything from our supply chain to how people are commuting to and from work, what paper we are buying, how much we are printing, what equipment we use and what plastics are used in our 3D printers.
at the heart of m- Spar C Use the code to learn more about the Egni initiative and the low carbon team
“So far W e’re about 86% of the Way to Ward S N et zero C ompared to our 2023 C arbo N footpri N t”
Above
Funding enabled the roof space to be fully filled out with solar panels
Top right
Engaging the locals with tree planting on site
It’s endless but we felt we really needed to pick up on that, otherwise it’s a bit of a cop-out.
“And it was clear that a huge part of achieving net zero centred on our gas usage. But we are still a functioning science park. We can’t limit our tenant companies in terms of how they operate.
“We also had to acknowledge we are going to emit a certain number of kilogrammes of CO2 The only option then is offsetting the carbon emissions that we
cannot get rid of by taking that equivalent out of the atmosphere via trees or some other method.
“Carbon offsetting can be controversial, because traditionally it's been lumped in with ‘greenwashing’. We’re still on the very early stages of that carbon offsetting journey because it's important to us that we do that properly, genuinely and as locally and effectively as possible.
“We have the opportunity to do things on this site where we can engage local people and schools, such as creating a community garden. Or making the site more attractive for people walking their dogs, planting more trees and looking at our hedgerows.
“We have also got involved in accreditation, working with the Science Based Targets initiative, a globally recognised body that helps companies set scientificallygrounded emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science.
“You get accredited on the science behind your targets. And we secured that in July last year.”
Energy explorations
In terms of encouraging more sustainable behaviour among staff and tenants, the science park has also installed super-fast EV charging stations. “Alongside that we've bought an electric pool car for M-SParc. We called it Taran, which means lightning in Welsh. And that is available for people on the site to hire in the same way as you would a meeting room.
“We were then very aware that the next big ticket item was going to be our gas boilers. The building was gas heated and that was a big, big part of our emissions so we looked at getting air-source heat pumps for this building.
“They take cold air from outside, heat it electrically and then pump it into the building. It would increase our electricity costs but we worked out that the differences were negligible in terms of reducing our gas bill and increasing our electricity bill. Unfortunately it involved a large capital cost and we weren’t in a position to do that.
“Then we came across the funding from Ynni Cymru, which is an organisation set up by the Welsh Government to support smart local energy projects across Wales.
“We managed to secure £650,000 from that fund which enabled us to put a few more solar panels in, get the air-source heat pump sorted and upgrade our building management system so we could gather more data to help with the efficiency effort.
“It also enabled us to carry out more trenching and ducting for our solar array outside the front of the building - the solar array on the roof is now full.
“So far we’re about 86% of the way towards net zero compared to our 2023 carbon footprint. Part of the reason we have achieved that is because our electricity is on a green tariff. In the longer term we want to be generating all our electricity on site.
“At the moment it’s a very small amount, maybe 10%, even with all our solar panels.
“So what we are currently exploring is what we are calling Solar Spark, looking at solar developments. We’ve got some additional land near to us and some other land in the village which is
designated for commercial use. We’re looking at the feasibility of a solar park that would give us the power we needed here at M-SParc so that we could be off-grid.
“We could be generating our own energy and supporting the village as well. We would want to set up a smart local energy club for the village, because our needs are very much during the days rather than the evenings and weekends.
“If we were able to incorporate battery storage, we could then be saving electricity and providing cheap energy to the local village as well. There's an industrial estate in Gaerwen which has some of the highest energy users on the island so we are wondering if we could bring them in?
“It’s very early days and still very exploratory. It depends on grid connectivity and funding.
“The first step is to get to net zero by electrifying everything with this green tariff, getting as much solar as we can on the site and offsetting as hyper-locally as we can.
“A number of our tenant companies have been working on the project with us, such as consultants Viridian who did our original carbon footprint and helped project manage the air-source heat pumps. And chartered surveyors Baileys and Partners have helped us with the solar park project, looking at the land and helping with the feasibility work.
“At the same time, through the Shared Prosperity Funding for Anglesey, we’ve been able to work with schools and businesses to help them understand and calculate their own carbon footprint and get them started on their own net zero sustainability process.”
Leading by example
The aim is to use M-SParc’s profile to lead the drive for net zero across the region, using its experience with the technology as a test-bed for other businesses.
“A big part of it is leading by example,” said Debbie Jones. “Trying it for ourselves, because what was really important to us was that we weren't here preaching to other people about how to do certain things having not tried to do it ourselves.
“We are very lucky. Technically we're an SME, based on the size of the organisation, but we are wholly owned by Bangor University, so that gives us that that little bit extra support.
Top and above Work is set to start on a second building at M-SParc dubbed Egni (seen on left in top picture)
Below left
A funding boost from Welsh energy firm Ynni Cymru has allowed M-SParc to slash its carbon footprint
“We're able to try things and maybe take on a little bit more risk than a non-university backed SME would do.
“And it's really important for us to share our learning with the wider community, be they SMEs, other science parks, universities or the public sector.
“We are the o N ly regio N i N the uk - pote N tially i N e urope - that ha S all of the differe N t e N ergy te C h N ologie S W e have”
Pictured left to right: Dr Debbie Jones and Pryderi ap Rhisiart (M-SParc); Rebecca Evans MS, Rhys Horan (Ynni Cymru); Edmund Burke (Bangor Unviersity Vice Chancellor); Nicola Kneale, Grant Paisley and Ness Dean-Richards (Ynni Cymru)
“We have had a really positive response from the local business community. I think people are probably interested in net zero more because of the financial savings but we're seeing more and more companies saying they need a net zero plan and asking about what support they need, what an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) plan entails, how do they ensure they are being sustainable. And what do they need to be doing to ensure they are competitive when bidding for work, as more contracts require evidence of sustainability.”
Egni evolution
Meanwhile M-SParc is growing, with work set to start on a second building. The three-storey first phase currently houses around 50 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). “Our occupancy rate is not far off 100% because there's always somebody
coming in to replace people leaving,” explained Debbie Jones.
“We're just retrofitting one of the offices to break it down into modules so that we can try and fit a few more people in because we so busy.”
The second building, dubbed Egni, will serve as a central hub for SMEs and larger manufacturers in the low carbon sector.
Egni will provide an estimated 1,000 sq m of new business incubation and research
Top Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens (centre) welcomes R&D leaders to M-SParc
Above First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan (left) on a visit accompanied by Pryderi ap Rhisiart, MD of M-SParc
Left All smiles for Debbie Jones (centre), with fellow Egni team members Molly Jackson (left) and Ffion Davies (right), when she picked up the 'Best Newcomer' accolade at the UKSPA Awards in October 2024
collaboration space with complementary business development support. It will create additional offices, workshops and laboratories, training and circulation/reception space. Work on the £6.73 million construction phase is due to start early next year.
One key aspect of the project is the growth of the University of Bangor’s low-carbon research, including the Nuclear Futures Institute (NFI). This investment is intended to create a powerful innovation ecosystem bridging the gap between academic research and real-world applications, attracting top talent and further investment through the inclusion of a large innovation hall and a dedicated materials analysis laboratory.
Debbie Jones said: “It's about bringing that inward investment into the region. What we'd like to see is North Wales as the Silicon Valley of low carbon energy. We are the only region in the UKpotentially in Europe - that has all of the different energy technologies we have.
“This strong energy ecosystem includes the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University doing a lot of work on innovation. There is an offshore renewable energy catapult looking at innovation and offshore energy. And there is the HydroWing tidal power project.
“We’ve got solar projects, Electric Mountain (Dinorwig pumped-storage hydroelectric power station), we've got hydrogen projects being delivered in the region. We're trying to lead the way with decarbonization and net zero projects such as retrofitting social housing.
“The next goal is to start pulling that together and really showcasing the region as the place to be if you want to innovate.
“If you want to help deliver net zero for Wales, for the UK, for the world, you need to be based in and around North Wales and you need to be part of this ecosystem because this is where it's happening.” n
ig N iti N g ambitio N
For more information about M-SParc, pay a visit to https://m-sparc.com/
Right Ridge led the landscaping strategy for UKAEA's Main Gate facility in Oxfordshire
OxBRIDgE CORRIDOR
why wI nn I ng over local co MM un I t I es I s
key to success
It’s great news that the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor is back on the agenda, but how can we make sure it stays there? We need to make sure there’s something for local communities as well as international investors.
we work with clients across the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, in academia, industry and everything in between, including the residential development required to support these uses, and we’ve seen how powerful the clustering effect can be for driving momentum and success.
So it’s very positive that the government has pushed development in this region back up the agenda, seeking to make it an economic engine for the whole of the country. By coordinating action
between local and national planning authorities, businesses and universities, the aim is to attract inward investment and make the UK a global destination for companies in cutting-edge fields such as AI, life sciences and semiconductors.
From a planning point of view, the key question is how exactly the government will leverage the corridor’s existing strengths to deliver more for the UK as a whole. Funding is important, but it’s not the biggest challenge – ultimately, it takes leadership to get ideas like this off the ground, backed by cohesive, joined-up policymaking.
Words
Liz Sparrow (left) Architecture Partner and Science and Research group leader, Ridge e lsparrow@ridge.co.uk
Nick Stafford (below left) Town Planning team Partner, Ridge e nickstafford@ridge.co.uk
In Science Minister Lord Vallance, it does have an appointed “Innovation Champion” at a senior level. The new National Planning Policy Framework also emphasises regional thinking and crossboundary working, although it stops short of bringing back regional planning. The concern is that the growth corridor remains vulnerable to the same political cycles that led the previous government to scrap the OxCam Arc in 2022.
Developers don’t have to sit back and wait for a favourable context to materialise. They need to make it clear that there is an appetite for significant investment, and play an active part in decisionmaking around the policies and framework to support it. Crucially, we need to articulate the contribution that science park developments can make to the local economy, and how projects will create wider benefits and onward investment.
Winning over local communities
Last time around, there was fierce opposition to the level of housing development proposed, the associated infrastructure, and the potential destruction of natural landscapes. This was partly because people couldn’t see what they stood to gain from being at the heart of a “science superpower”. Local communities will accept even significant development where it will create opportunities and improve their quality of life. The hard truth is that science and technology parks can seem as remote as Oxbridge colleges – places where you need a postgraduate qualification to work, and where large numbers of people drive to carry out opaque activities, contributing little to the local area beyond higher volumes of traffic and soaring house prices.
need to counter if the growth corridor is to be a success.
“ we have a dedicated social value team who advise clients on how to get the greatest impact from projects”
The Oxford-Cambridge corridor is theoretically on the doorstep of four million people, but the opportunities within it are perceived to be inaccessible to the vast majority of the population. This is something that we urgently
It makes sense to piggyback off the strengths of Oxford and Cambridge in education and commercialising innovation, but there is a much bigger opportunity. A lot of the growth that science and technology parks generate is symbiotic, within associated industries such as advanced manufacturing and supply chain partners located just outside key hubs. In-between places like Milton Keynes, Bedford and Bicester may not get as much airtime, but they will be very important to delivering on the corridor’s potential. They are also more affordable in comparison to the overheated Oxbridge property markets. Investing in these areas is a way to spread the benefits beyond the core clusters, and it will be essential for generating and maintaining support for development over the long term.
Many elements come into play during the planning approval process, but job creation and wider economic benefits carry a lot of weight. This is about social value, and it’s something we think about a lot at Ridge. We have a dedicated social value team who advise clients and local authorities on how to get the greatest impact from projects and maximise the knock-on benefits. What could separate some schemes from others is where developers have genuinely thought about social value from the outset, rather than it being an add-on or a soundbite.
Bringing social value to life
That means putting objectives and plans in place that can be delivered throughout the project, from giving careers talks in schools to providing training facilities that will produce future generations of technicians. The UK’s global competitiveness in science doesn’t just hinge on attracting the brightest PhDs. We also have an acute skills shortage outside academia, at a technical and vocational level. One way to address this is to include tertiary colleges within science and technology developments. This is something that our client, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, has done very successfully on its Culham campus near Abingdon. Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) provides high-quality training for apprentice engineers and technicians for technology businesses in the Thames Valley. It’s a way to bring 16-18 year olds into the industry at a more accessible level, while providing a valuable supply of qualified workers.
Demonstrating the value of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor to the many communities it encompasses will be critical for getting it off the ground, and delivering on its enormous promise over the years to come, both for this region and the rest of the UK. Clusters are very powerful for generating innovation and wealth – but we also need to make sure that this trickles down to permeate the whole of society. n built e N viro
Read
insights from the team and see what Ridge and Partners can do for you at ridge.co.uk
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the innovation ecosystem
Wave of aCtivity surges across the North WeSt Trends
Simon Penfold takes a look at the latest news from the North West, where a string of developments are hitting milestones while new facilities are being snapped up by technology and biotech companies.
It’s been a busy year so far at science parks across the North West, with a string of major projects starting up or nearing completion.
At the St Helens Manufacturing and Innovation Campus developer Network Space has submitted a full planning application for its new Project Halo life sciences development.
The aim is to deliver four state-of-the-art Tech Box units –hybrid industrial and office buildings – on a five-acre council-owned .
The scheme is designed to meet the needs of life science advanced manufacturing and forms a key part of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone, which aims to stimulate innovation and create high-value jobs across the region.
Network Space Development previously partnered with the council to deliver the £54 million Glass Futures centre for sustainable glass research and innovation, on an adjacent site.
NSD has already led enabling work at the site to the pave the way for the 85,000 sq ft Project Halo.
Network Space development director Joe Burnett said: “This application represents a pivotal step
in realising the vision for a high-quality employment space that addresses a productivity gap within the manufacturing science sector. By attracting life sciences businesses, there is the potential to create hundreds of skilled jobs while reinforcing St Helen’s key role in the region’s Investment Zone.” Subject to planning approval, building work is expected to start in early 2026.
Below Network Space have submitted full planning for its new Project Halo life sciences development
Revvity marks new generation
Meanwhile, at Cheshire’s Alderley Park, global life sciences and diagnostics firm Revvity has chosen the Bruntwood SciTech site as its newest UK hub.
Revvity provides products and services in translational multiomics technologies, biomarker identification, imaging, screening, detection and diagnosis. It’s move to Alderley Park comes after securing a world-leading research collaboration with Genomics England on the Generation Study, in collaboration with NHS England. The research aims to screen up to 100,000 newborns and will help inform decisions on using whole genome sequencing to screen for rare genetic conditions, advancing abilities for early detection.
Revvity will occupy 6,000 sq ft of custom designed and fitted CL2 open-plan lab space within the Mereside hub.
Chris Hughes, managing director, North Europe at Revvity, said: "With access to world-class lab infrastructure and unrivalled connectivity to the NHS collaborators and industry peers, our new Alderley Park base will be central to supporting the delivery of the Generation Study as one of the study’s extraction and sequencing collaborators.”
Biobank base
Meanwhile Bruntwood SciTech has been marking a construction milestone on the creation of the £60 million Greeheys lab development at Manchester Science Park, which will house the new headquarters of UK Biobank.
Pictured left to right: Jessica Boname, UKRI
Dr Kath Mackay, Bruntwood SciTech
Michael Poole-Sutherland, Willmott Dixon
John Busby, UK Biobank
‘toppi N g out’ marked a S ig N ifi C a N t S tep for Ward for uk b ioba N k a N d b ru N t W ood S C i t
C h
The ‘topping out’ ceremony in May marked a significant step forward for UK Biobank and Bruntwood SciTech – the joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF). The new hub will provide much-needed specialist lab and workspace in Manchester’s knowledge quarter within Europe’s largest clinical academic campus, and immediately neighbouring The University of Manchester.
Led by construction firm Willmott Dixon, Greenheys will provide 131,000 sq ft of workspace across six floors, with spaces ranging from 2,500 sq ft bespoke suites to 22,000 sq ft whole floorplates, including specialist CL2 labs. Having reached this important milestone, the project is due to complete in the summer of 2026.
UK Biobank is the world’s most comprehensive source of biomedical data available for health research in the public interest, with up to 20 million biological samples. Greenheys will also house businesses operating across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, and ranging from scale-ups to large companies who are looking to grow and develop their product offerings.
Above ‘Topping out’ at Greenheys
Below Sciontec has added Central Tech to its assets portfolio
The developer has also been celebrating signing up global sportswear brand Puma to its £87 million Circle Square development. Puma is leasing 20,000 sq ft for its new UK headquarters in Manchester.
No.3 Circle Square forms the latest phase of the neighbourhood’s masterplan and offers 267,000 sq ft and 15 floors of new workspace focused on innovation businesses. The building is finalising construction and will open this summer.
Changes in Cheshire
Meanwhile, over in Cheshire, construction work on a £30m supercomputing centre has been completed. Main contractor Russell WBHO has handed over the new 33,000 sq ft facility at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Daresbury Laboratory.
Delivered on time and on budget following a five-month commissioning process, the centre is now ready to host the latest supercomputing artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies.
STFC's Professor Kate Royse, director of the Hartree Centre, added: "Handover of the new centre to our team marks a major milestone in our mission to provide UK businesses with the infrastructure and expertise they need to thrive globally.
"The facility will become home to high-performance computing systems, supporting the Hartree Centre’s rapidly expanding supercomputing and AI activities. Providing access to these technologies enables businesses to boost productivity and growth, benefiting the economy both in the North West and nationally."
The new centre is part of the Hartree Centre’s £210 million Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI), which provides UK industry access to state-of-the-art digital technologies and expertise. HNCDI is part of a £172 million collaboration with IBM.
The Hartree Centre is one of the UK’s only supercomputing centres dedicated to supporting industry. Located within the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus in the Liverpool City Region, it provides businesses of all sizes access to advanced supercomputing technologies that are normally only available to academia and large-scale industry.
Success for Sciontec
It has also been a successful few months for Sciontec, the commercial, spin-out property development company of Knowledge Quarter (KQ) Liverpool. It owns and operates Liverpool Science Park and is developing new science and technology facilities across the Liverpool City Region (LCR).
Sciontec has secured pre-let agreements with seven innovation organisations at its 27,000 sq ft innovation hub Central Tech, on Copperas Hill, which joined its portfolio of innovation assets in March. The building officially launches in May as part of the LCR Innovation Investment Fortnight (IIF) programme.
Among the new tenants is Bellrock, which is creating a head office for its integrated workplace management system (IWMS) Concerto and will take a 2,635 sq ft office on the building’s third floor.
AI-enabled platform Harker, which helps homelessness charities to manage their data more effectively to demonstrate social impact and provide more personalised support, has taken two new first floor spaces which will also accommodate software development and digital services firm Jamescape.
The Royal Academy of Engineering is launching its new Enterprise Hub Liverpool within the four-storey building.
Labman, which specialises in laboratory automation hardware and software, occupies an allinclusive space on the second floor while Sciontec itself has relocated its team to the building, occupying a 600 sq ft ground floor.
Leanne Katsande, head of commercial at Sciontec, said: “The arrival of Central Tech has created a real buzz among the city region’s innovation community and we have been inundated with enquiries.”
Colin Sinclair, CEO of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec, said: “We are delighted to be launching Central Tech on LJMU’s Student Life Campus, adding more much needed innovation space to Sciontec’s thriving portfolio of science and tech buildings.
“Demand for Central Tech has already been unprecedented showing that Liverpool City Region is riding a wave of innovation. The building perfectly complements Liverpool Science Park and Sciontec AI at The Spine and is further growing our community of start ups, spin outs and SMEs.”
Sciontec has also seen three new deals done at its Liverpool Science Park site for a combined total of 4,589 sq ft of Containment Level 2 labs.
The new tenants include Pierian Bioscience, which was expanding following its initial inward investment into LSP’s iC3 innovation centre in 2022 and University of Liverpool spin-out ReNewVax, which aims to prevent life-threatening bacterial infections and combat antimicrobial resistance with vaccines, has also joined the community.
“dema N d for C e N tral te C h ha S already bee N u N pre C ede N ted S ho W i N g liverpool C ity regio N i S ridi N g a Wave of i NN ovatio N ”
Sciontec CEO Colin Sinclair added: “The general sentiment is that lab demand still outstrips supply, and that is certainly the case in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool Innovation District.
“The North West new build development lab pipeline is circa 850,000 sq ft, including our new buildings, Hemisphere One and Two, of which a significant percentage is pre-let or in advanced negotiations.
Above Three new deals have been done for a combined 4,500 sq ft of labs at Liverpool Science Park
“With lab space at LSP once again hitting 100% occupancy, innovative, research intensive occupiers are now able to lease the new-to-market labs within Central Tech, which will help to meet some of that demand in the immediate term.”
Hemisphere One and Two, at Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site Paddington Village, will offer 183,183 sq ft of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator and grow-on space, with some of the world’s most advanced robotics and AI facilities.
In March, Sciontec selected Morgan Sindall as its preferred contractor for the £61m, 117,000 sq ft Hemisphere One project. Work is due to start later this year.
UK’s first low carbon refinery And finally, the long drawn-out sale process at Thornton Science Park continues. Essar Energy Transition revealed a year ago that it had signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire the University of Cheshire science park, due to its work identifying innovative energy transition solutions.
Below The Hemisphere buildings are part of a North West new build development lab pipeline
The company said the acquisition was in line with its US $3 billion investment in energy transition across the North West. The deal is part of Essar’s plan to create one of Europe’s leading energy transition hubs – Thornton Science Park neighbour’s EET Fuel’s Stanlow Manufacturing Complex.
Thornton Science Park will be the UK headquarters for EET operations including EET Fuels, which is transitioning Stanlow to become the UK’s first low carbon refinery; EET Hydrogen, which is developing one of the first large scale, low carbon hydrogen production hubs in the world; EET Hydrogen Power, which is developing the Europe’s first hydrogen fuelled combined heat and power plant; and Stanlow Terminals Ltd, which the UK’s largest independent bulk liquid storage terminal, and is developing enabling transport and storage infrastructure for biofuels and new energies
A spokesperson for the University of Chester said: “Following exchange last year, completion of a sale to Essar remains the trajectory.” n
The Cambridge healthcare market offers investors a blueprint for success
mong the UK’s healthcare hot spots, Cambridge stands out. Its transformation into a thriving hub for medical real estate
offers a compelling case study for investors seeking growth underpinned by structural demand, operational stability, and sectorspecific clustering.
A Decade of Demand Growth
Over the past ten years, Cambridge has experienced a 40% increase in the medical use of office stock, with 6% growth recorded in just the past year (CoStar, 2025). This trend isn’t limited to a single operator type. Demand spans the spectrum - from GP surgeries, dentists and physiotherapists to specialist clinics and medical charities.
At Bidwells, our data reveals that occupier requirements in the city have more than doubled over the last five years. In 2024 alone, 107,000 sq ft of healthcare space was let, with major moves from providers such as AM Healthcare Group, which focuses on mobility and accessibility services, and SpaMedica, the UK’s largest provider of NHS cataract surgeries.
The UK healthcare property market has evolved from a niche asset class into a mainstream, institutional-grade investment opportunity. With the sector now worth £8.5bn in the MSCI UK investment universe, both institutional and private capital are recognising healthcare's resilient fundamentals and attractive long-term characteristics.
Words Sue Foxley, Research Director, Bidwells
“at b idwells, our data reveals that occupier requirements in the cit Y have more than doubled over the last five Y ears ”
Why Cambridge?
It’s More Than Just Real Estate
Cambridge’s advantage lies in its cluster effect - a unique concentration of research institutions, universities, NHS facilities, and private providers. This creates powerful synergies:
• Proximity to testing and diagnostic facilities reduces patient turnaround times
• Access to specialist equipment increases service delivery potential
• Referral networks support consistent patient flows
• Brand association with a globally recognised health and life sciences ecosystem
Together, these factors allow occupiers to offer high-quality services efficiently, supporting stronger lease terms and premium rents - benefits that are equally attractive to landlords and investors.
Staffing and Infrastructure: Depth Matters
While staffing shortages persist across the UK’s healthcare sector, Cambridge’s depth of talentdrawn from its universities, hospitals, and biotech firmsprovides a strategic advantage. A strong local labour pool not only supports service delivery but also makes it easier for new providers to enter and scale within the market.
The public sector, too, is contributing to demand. NHS-led initiatives toward integrated care models and centralised hubs are accelerating investment in purposebuilt, modern healthcare facilities. Cambridge is already seeing these trends unfold, reinforcing its long-term potential.
“ i nvestors seeking sustainable growth and income resilience would do well to watch c ambridge - and consider replicating this model in other emerging healthcare ecos Y stems ”
Long-Term Investment Stability
From an investor’s perspective, healthcare real estate offers a few defensive characteristics:
• Leases are typically long-term due to the significant capital investment required for fit-out.
• Operators tend to remain in place because they rely on geographically anchored patient relationships.
• In the public sector, especially GP environments, financial ties to the NHS often result in index-linked leases, creating predictable, inflation-protected income.
These fundamentals translate to low vacancy risk, stable returns, and a strong alignment with the needs of pension funds, insurers and long-term capital providers. In fact, recent research shows the sector has delivered an annualised total return of 7.1% over the past decade to the end of 2024, according to MSCI.
A Broader Market Shift
While Cambridge offers a uniquely attractive proposition, it also illustrates a wider shift in the UK healthcare real estate landscape. With an ageing population, increasing public-private collaboration, and persistent
pressures on NHS infrastructure, demand for modern, communitybased healthcare space will only grow.
Healthcare is no longer just another “alternative” asset classit’s becoming a core part of diversified real estate strategies.
Final Thoughts:
Follow the Cluster Investors seeking sustainable growth and income resilience would do well to watch Cambridge - and consider replicating this model in other emerging healthcare ecosystems. The key lies in targeting locations where demand fundamentals, operational maturity, and sector clustering converge. Cambridge doesn’t just present a local success story - it offers a blueprint for future healthcare investment across the UK. n
more.
Above The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe
150 Years of Shimadzu
S h i m a d z u c e l e b r a t e s 1 5 0 y e a r s o f p i o n e e r i n g s c i e n t i f i c i n n o v a t i o n . F r o m l a u n c h i n g J a p a n ’ s
f i r s t m a n n e d a i r b a l l o o n f l i g h t t o d e v e l o p i n g e l e c t r i c c a r b a t t e r i e s o v e r a c e n t u r y a g o ,
S h i m a d z u h a s c o n t i n u a l l y s h a p e d t h e f u t u r e .
A s w e h o n o u r 1 5 0 y e a r s o f i n n o v a t i o n , w e l o o k f o r w a r d t o s h a p i n g t h e n e x t e r a o f s c i e n t i f i c
d i s c o v e r y a n d e m p o w e r i n g l a b o r a t o r i e s w o r l d w i d e w i t h c u t t i n g - e d g e t e c h n o l o g y .
S c a n t h e Q R c o d e f o r t h i s m o n t h ’ s q u i z q u e s t i o n a n d p r i z e !
S h i m a d z u 1 5 0 y e a r s o f e x c e l l e n c e , i n n o v a t i o n , a n d a f u t u r e w i t h o u t l i m i t s .
