UKSPA Breakthrough Issue 26

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22 Advocacy 06 Dame Chi Onwurah MP The Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology on their anticipated Regional Innovation & Growth report 10 The Labs2Zero scoring system Reflecting on two years' progress of the system for rating lab buildings' energy performance 12 Golden developments Rounding up the latest news from across the Golden Triangle

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42 MIRA Tech Park + HORIBA MIRA The UK Government's Industrial Strategy launch site on its role as home to an ever-widening range of research and technology 46 A byword for UK Innovation Talking all things Warwick from automotive manufacturing to the new Innovation District

impact innovation 26 AMIDS: Scotland's home of manufacturing innovation One of the UK's most exciting innovation projects - the AMIDS site - as told by those behind it

support

30 Innovation is no longer a USP Strategic need for science parks to strengthen their proposition

16 The boost from Horizon Europe How the UK's research sector is already seeing major benefits from renewed funding access

32 UWSP: 30 years of innovation The University of Wolverhampton Science Park success story - three decades on from its bold vision

20 Securing innovation districts Cybersecurity for modern estates

lab innovations

22 A North West cyber corridor Lancaster University's growing reputation for cybersecurity work and its ambitious programme

37 Celebrating science, people and technologies shaping global labs A guided walk through the 2025 edition of the UK's largest gathering of lab professionals

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w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

growth

Contents

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50 Community values are key Liverpool property company Sciontec on its deep commitment to its city and its people 54 Clean energy where it counts Making the case for Solar PV in the science park community 56 Getting to grips with AI Why wisdom and integrity are core in Sue Turner's guidance for using AI... and what happens when the technology is misused

trends 60 Tackling the sector skills gap BIA's Kate Barclay on the life science sector's skills priorities as it faces a staffing shortfall

SCAN TO read more issues

64 UK Universities' crucial role The opportunities - and the challenges - facing the HE sector

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Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 3

Established 1995

30 YEARS OF INNOVATION! This year, as we celebrate 30 years in business, our commitment to supporting enterprises through innovation and collaboration remains steadfast We are proud to support our thriving business community by fostering an environment rich with opportunities to connect, innovate and grow alongside like-minded entrepreneurs and research experts Connecting Businesses - Building Communities - Inspiring Innovation

For more information about these exciting facilities contact :

joinus@wolverhamptonsp.co.uk www.wolverhamptonsp.co.uk 01902 824100 BT26

Read our 30th Anniversary feature on page 32 of this issue

welcome Grant Bourhill

UKSPA Vice Chair Managing Director, Barts Life Sciences Breakthrough is an Open Box Media and Communications publication produced in association with UKSPA.

UNITED KINGDOM SCIENCE PARK ASSOCIATION (UKSPA) Chesterford Research Park, Garden Cottage, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL

T +44 (0) 1799 532 050 E info@ukspa.org.uk www.ukspa.org.uk

a call to action he recent Industrial Strategy, which dropped in late June following the Spending Review, has been described as being both “unapologetically long-term and place-based.” There is much to be celebrated by UKSPA and its’ Members.

The 10-year Strategy is built around eight key sectors where the UK has genuine global strengths. These sectors are responsible for almost 1/3rd of the UK’s economy and encompass Advanced Manufacturing; Clean Energy; Creative Industries; Defence; Digital & Technologies; Financial Services; Life Sciences; and Professional and Business Services.

Individual Sector Plans, such as that for Life Sciences released in mid-July, add further directional and implementation focus, alongside specific sectoral funding plans.

The Strategy also recognises that the priority sectors have centres of capability in various locations across the country. This will come as no surprise to UKSPA Members who will recognise national capability in, for example, small satellite manufacturing in Glasgow; the video games industry in Dundee; Clean Energy and process industries in the North-East; Advanced Manufacturing in Wales; Defence in Northern Ireland; Life Sciences in the North-West; and Clean Energy and Defence in the South-West, to name but a few.

The Strategy therefore focusses much on the potential of “place” to boost both regional and national productivity, suggesting £90bn could be added to our economy each year, equivalent to a GDP boost of 3.5%. There is therefore welcome emphasis regarding City Regions and major clusters as engines of growth, with numerous interventions including enhanced investment funding for the British Business Bank; a £600m Strategic Sites Accelerator to unlock investable sites, including new AI Growth Zones; £500m for a new Local Innovation Partnership Fund that should crowd-in £1bn+ of non-public finance; a £500m Mayoral Recyclable Growth Fund for Mayors in the North and Midlands to prioritise local

T

Chair Dr Sally Basker

vice Chair Grant Bourhill

head of memberships and communications Adrian Sell adrian.sell@ukspa.org.uk

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editor Simon Penfold simon.penfold@breakthroughdigital.co.uk No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the consent of Open Box Media and Communications.

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download the strategy

Scan to download a copy of the recent Industrial Strategy growth schemes; alongside various interventions in infrastructure – transport, housing; utilities, etc.

The Government has also re-established the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, whose forerunner was axed back in 2021. It is heartening to see the Council chaired by a senior industry figure, and bringing Greg Clark, an unwavering champion of industrial strategy and now Chair of Warwick Innovation District, back into the fold.

The core goal of the Industrial Strategy is lifting our productivity, although as UKRI’s excellent Productivity Institute points out, the picture is complex with uneven productivity growth across the UK, and productivity growth not correlating with job creation. The problem of inclusive growth may well be further exacerbated through increasing deployment of AI, which anecdotally appears to be playing out in what has been described as “the worst job market for graduates in a generation.”

The Industrial Strategy is a welcome blueprint. The UK Science Park Association with its 150+ Members, containing over 6000 businesses employing around 140,000 people, should be a critical friend to Government, of whatever colour. We can provide an evidence-base and the views of our members to help inform and shape future economic, inclusive growth. However, we are not yet playing the role that we could, and arguably should. Following recruitment of our new Chief Executive, Ruth Hall, we now have the springboard to begin conversations with our Members regarding our role in informing national Policy, either alone, or alongside strategic partners. This will not be easy, but together we should also be unapologetically long-term and place-based. n

Autumn Conference and AGM

UKSPA's Autumn Conference & 2025 AGM will take place on 20 and 21 November. Scan to register Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 5

Advocacy

The world according to UKSPA and its members

Chi leads probe into regional growth

Official Parliamentary portrait by kind permission of House of Commons media team

Simon Penfold talks to Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology about the upcoming Regional Innovation & Growth report.

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n the coming months a major new report on regional innovation and growth will outline how science and technology could transform the economy in every corner of the UK. It will also detail the barriers to achieving that, and how they can be overcome.

The report, still tightly under wraps, will come from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology.

It is the result of nine months work – oral evidence sessions, research, site visits – by the 11 cross-bench committee members, led by their Chair, Dame Chi Onwurah, a Newcastle MP for 15 years and Labour’s Shadow Science Minister for four years before the 2024 election.

The Select Committee system has been described as the “jewel in Westminster’s crown”. Internationally unique and non-partisan, these committees have a well-deserved reputation for their ability to hold the government to account.

They scrutinize policy, conduct rigorous inquiries resulting in detailed published reports that

ADVOCACY

Clockwise from below Visiting Warburtons; Cutting-edge research at Newcastle's Hexis Lab; A continual MP for 15 years; Importance of carbon monoxide alarms from British Gas

“we want to support this Government’s ambitionS of driving innovation and science, creating engines of growth across the country” receive government responses, and engage with experts and stakeholders to influence policy development and ensure decisions are based on scientific principles.

As a result they also wield considerable influence.

Chi Onwurah added: “It is the role of the Select Committee to scrutinise the work of the department, but also our role is to look at the scientific and technological basis for all government decisions across all departments.”

One of the Committee’s most high-profile inquiries was launched in the wake of the riots that followed the horrific attack in Southport in 2024, when 17-yearold Axel Rudakubana killed three children and injured 10 others in a mass stabbing at a dance studio.

The Committee’s report on Social Media, Misinformation and Harmful Algorithms, published in July, pulled no punches.

Among its conclusions and recommendations it said: w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

In August Chi Onwurah – created a Dame in the King’s Birthday Honours List in July for her political and public service – hit the headlines again when ministers had to publish an information security review triggered by the 2023 leak of personal data of about 10,000 serving officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The existence of this review had not previously been public knowledge but was published in response to requests from Chi Onwurah, as Select Committee Chair, for clarity about the government's work to prevent a repeat of the 2022 MOD Afghan data breach.

When it was finally released it was revealed the review by Cabinet Office officials had expanded to take in 11 public sector data breaches, encompassing the HMRC, the Metropolitan police, the benefits system and the Ministry of Defence.

Driving innovation and science

“The evidence supports the conclusion that social media business models incentivise the spread of content that is damaging and dangerous, and did so in a manner that endangered public safety in the hours and days following the Southport murders.

“Social media companies have often argued that they are not publishers but platforms, abdicating responsibility for the content they put online. We believe that these services, with sophisticated recommendation algorithms that directly amplify and push content to users, are not merely platforms but curators of content.”

committee report Download the Committee's full report on Social Media, Misinformation and Harmful Algorithms

But it is the Committee’s work on the Regional Innovation and Growth report that has dominated much of Chi’s time since she launched it in December last year – almost her first act as Committee Chair.

“The very first visit we organised as a committee was to Liverpool Science Park and the Innovation Park because we recognise the importance of science parks and business parks in bringing together innovators and giving them the opportunity to exchange ideas and have access to skills and capital.”

Chi continued: “I grew up in Newcastle in the 1970s and the 1980s. I was there for the deindustrialization of a great industrial region and that's part of the reason why I was inspired to study engineering. I had seen the value of engineering, from Stephenson’s railways to Parsons – inventors of the modern steam turbine – to the huge Armstrong Works.

“But it was also a source of good jobs for my friends’ parents. So I witnessed the deindustrialisation, the poverty and also the lack of pride that resulted from it. People want jobs they can be proud of, which is what science and engineering can deliver.

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ADVOCACY “Witnessing the impact on communities across the North East marked my ambitions when I came into politics, particularly given how much I had benefited from a career in engineering.”

She continued: “I now work as part of an absolutely fantastic committee from right across the political spectrum: Labour, Tories, Lib Dems. And almost all of them have a scientific or engineering background or interest – we’ve got three PhDs. “We’re from constituencies across the country so we all really want to support this Government’s ambitions in terms of driving innovation and science, creating engines of growth across the country.

“We wanted to see how we could ensure that could happen, how we could actually deliver in terms of the scientific and innovation ecosystems in the different regions across our country. A one-size-fits-all approach is not going to work, which is why the Regional Innovation and Growth Inquiry was one of the first that we agreed to set up.

“It has been fascinating, if not always encouraging.”

The report will assess the role of the UK’s innovation ecosystem in achieving the Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth across the country.

“We’ve taken all the evidence since December last year. Now we are digesting and writing the report up. It’s showing the huge opportunity that exists.”

In an Op-Ed article in the Financial Times this summer Chi made a strong argument for the need to ensure that the benefits of UK science and innovation are spread nationwide, rather than concentrated in the Golden Triangle around Cambridge, London and Oxford.

She wrote: “Today, investment has to mean science and technology.

In our enquiry into regional innovation and growth, the select committee has taken wide-ranging evidence. From the education and skilling of the workforce, to technology and capital deployment in businesses, start ups and spin outs, to lab facilities and ‘catapult’ tech centres, to internet and transport connectivity, disparities need to be addressed. That means building on the existing business and technology strengths of the diverse regions, working with regional governments and, in particular, mayors.

“To escape economic stagnation we must take up this agenda. And it must begin with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology — but not end there. Lifting productivity must be a co-ordinated project across government.”

“you can’t just have a centre for excellence where there’s no background for it. We have to build on what is already there, region by region”

Reinventing ourselves

As well as travelling the length and breadth of the country, there has been a series of hearings as the Committee took evidence for the report.

Chi said: “One of the innovations I brought to the Select Committee was that for the first 15 minutes of every session we showcased an innovator chosen by one of the members. And that really highlighted to us all the sorts of innovation and research that is happening across the country.

“In my home city of Newcastle, but also in Liverpool and Manchester, we have reinvented ourselves. In the North East now we have huge strengths in life sciences, in business processes and in video games as well. And there’s great work going on in all our different regions.

“The challenge is to enable that research, that science and innovation, and also encourage the sort of mindset that wants to change the world for the better. And we need to tie that up with the right finance, the right skills etc, so we can leverage that potential into real economic growth, great jobs and prosperity across our whole country.

“Taking evidence, we've spoken to academics, we've spoken to

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industry professionals, talked to local government both at mayoral and local authority levels about how innovation can drive economic growth in the regions.

“And we’ve examined the cliches, including one I hate: that we’re very good at research but very bad at commercialisation.

“We really looked at the evidence behind these cliches, examining the underlying causes.

Why don’t we have access to capital in the regions? What is the link between applied research, pure research, commercialisation and technology diffusion?

“I think we have succeeded in identifying a number of different ways in which we can connect that fantastic scientific and w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Top Learning more about Deloitte's new Technology Centre in Newcastle Above Hearing evidence in a session as Chair of the Select Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology Left Speaking at the Crisis UK Women's homelessness alliance event

technological potential to economic growth opportunities.

“At the same time it's also important to emphasise that we can't be doing everything everywhere. One of our committee members, George Freeman, was the Minister for Science under the previous Conservative government and he’s really leading the charge on clustering - bringing together scientific and technological strengths in clusters so you get the critical mass to drive investment, drive skills and drive an ecosystem engine.

“There will be a lot of detail, but I think we’ve been able to put it in a framework focused on regional economic growth, with science and innovation as drivers of that.

“It will also need to address the impact of the distance from Whitehall and the implications that has in different areas, in terms of access to capital and access to infrastructure. Historically there is a real lack public infrastructure in the regions. Where investment in Greater London was £34 per head, in my North East Combined Authority it’s £4.77 per head.

“But we are looking at private investment in infrastructure too.

We have had some great evidence from science parks and business parks about how to address that.

“We need to address the disparity between London and South East and the rest of the country. It’s a situation that is self-reinforcing: you effectively have two countries getting further apart because decisions on where to invest are based on the source of pure return. So you invest where there is already big investment and you get more infrastructure where it will deliver a greater return.

“At the same time we recognise that you can’t build something from nothing; you can’t just have a centre for excellence in, say, new technology somewhere where there’s no background for it. We have to build on what is already there, region by region. But there are themes that the committee has been looking at, which can be applied to build on local strengths.

And we’ve also been looking at what is happening on the ground and the barriers to achieving that regional innovation and growth that we want to see.”

Success over prejudice

Chi Onwurah was born in Wallsend and grew up in Newcastle, steeped in the industrial traditions of her North East home.

Her maternal grandfather was a sheet metal worker in the shipyards on the Tyne during the Depression. Her mother grew up in poverty in Garth Heads on the quayside, before marrying Chi’s father, a Nigerian student at Newcastle Medical School.

Chi, who joined the Labour Party at 16, went on to study electrical engineering at Imperial College London. In a minority of one – a working class woman of colour and an engineering student – she had to battle every kind of prejudice. But she built a successful career in telecommunications.

She was part of the team that set up the first mobile telephone network in Nigeria. “That's one of things I'm proudest of. I had spent time in Nigeria before and I was able to see first-hand how technology could be absolutely transformative. At that point just 1% of Nigerians had access to telephony and within two years of our launching the mobile network that had risen to 10%.

“I was part of building this network, providing technology which changes so many people’s lives for the better. It was really inspiring.

“My father was living in Nigeria and I was able to hand him the first mobile phone in his town before the network launched. I told him: ‘This doesn’t work now but in six weeks time you will be able to call me on this phone.’ That was very moving, both for me and for him.

“Like many Nigerian parents of the time, he thought medicine, law or perhaps accountancy were the only professions worth talking about. So he was very disappointed when I chose to study engineering, but when I gave him that phone he said perhaps this engineering malarky was worthwhile after all.” n

reach out to Dame CHI Onwurah MP

To contact Dame Chi Onwurah MP and her team, use the code to visit her official Government MP profile, or see her website at chionwurahmp.com Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 9

ADVOCACY

new and improved energy scores for better benchmarking of buildings The Labs2Zero scoring system for rating lab buildings’ energy performance will shortly be upgraded, signaling its progression from a pilot offering to the first official version of the score. In this latest article in the ongoing series from the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), we reflect on progress during the two years since the launch of the pilot Energy Score and present the updates that the widespread use of the score has enabled us to make.

“since the launch of the pilot Energy Score, more than 500 buildings have received their scores”

Words Alison Farmer, PhD; Labs2Zero Program Director and Secretary of the Board, I2SL Travis Walter, PhD; Energy/Environmental Technology Researcher, LBNL

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n energy score provides an at-a-glance picture of the energy performance of a building, allowing for prioritization within a portfolio of buildings, input into the design process, or tracking of performance over time. The Labs2Zero Energy Score is the first such score focused on lab buildings.

The pilot Labs2Zero Energy Score, launched in October 2023, was the first major deliverable of I2SL’s Labs2Zero program and was the subject of I2SL’s article in the Spring 2024 issue of Breakthrough.

As a reminder, the score incorporates adjustment factors for lab-specific functional requirements, such as the amount and type of lab space within a facility, to enable comparisons between lab buildings with different characteristics. The scoring method also accounts for weather variations. Lab buildings 10 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

are scored on a 1-100 scale, where a score of 80 implies that that lab’s energy performance is better than 80% of lab buildings. The scoring system was based on a statistical analysis of the buildings submitted to the Laboratory Benchmarking Tool (LBT) database (see https:// lbt.i2sl.org), collected over its 20 years of operation. The analysis was conducted in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

Labs2Zero energy score

Use the code for more details about the scoring system

Growth of the Labs2Zero program

In the time since the launch of the pilot Energy Score, more than 500 buildings have received their scores via the LBT. These scores have been used in a wide range of settings, such as corporate responsibility reporting, submissions to the GRESB rating system, applications for I2SL’s Sustainable Laboratories Awards program, and energy audit reports

Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) Report Use the code for more info

prepared by consultants. During the year following the score’s launch, building data submissions to the LBT were up 400% compared to previous years, indicating the industry’s significant interest in using scores for rating lab building performance.

An opportunity for improvement In addition to validating the demand for energy performance ratings for labs, the large volume of new data submissions presented an opportunity to improve the scoring system itself. Using the latest LBT dataset, I2SL and LBNL worked together to implement tighter data quality constraints on the subset of data used for the score analysis, including the exclusion of older data and of buildings with some missing data fields.

Using this higher-quality, more recent dataset revealed new trends in the data that allow improved adjustments for lab building

ADVOCACY every five years, to keep the scores consistent with the latest available lab building performance data.

Beyond the energy score

characteristics. The new scoring system, the Labs2Zero Energy Score v1.0, now incorporates adjustment factors for the density of fume cupboards within lab spaces and the amount of vivarium space in each building. These factors replace a general biochemistry factor that was in place for the pilot score, and therefore improve the accuracy of scoring for these types of facilities.

The v1.0 score also includes a correction for cold weather conditions experienced during each year of data, while the pilot included only a hot weather correction.

The switch from the pilot to the v1.0 scores will produce a slight decrease in most buildings’ ratings, which might be expected given that more recent data was used to develop the new version. Buildings

w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

The Labs2Zero program aims to provide a full scorecard for lab buildings, including scores for greenhouse gas emissions in addition to energy consumption. A score for location-based operational emissions was released in May of 2024, and this score will be updated along with the Energy Score. Scores for market-based operational emissions and embodied carbon are currently in development.

Labs2Zero Energy Scores also appear in the latest offering from I2SL, the Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) Report. This new software tool produces rapid automated energy audits for lab buildings, including custom energy savings and implementation cost calculations to highlight opportunities to improve building performance and reduce operating costs. The AIM Report will be the subject of a future Breakthrough article.

Lab benchmarking for the UK

Above The I2SL UK chapter held a well-attended event in London Below left Growth of LBT annual data submissions Below right Locations of visitors to the LBT site in Jan-Aug 2025

with high fume cupboard densities, high vivarium fractions, and in cold climate areas will see larger shifts in score – these facility types will mostly receive higher scores than before because the scoring system now takes more of their energydriving requirements into account.

The new v1.0 Energy Scores will be rolled out via the LBT around the end of 2025. The pilot scores will also be shown for a time to allow comparisons. This type of score update will be performed occasionally in future, perhaps once

In June, the I2SL UK Chapter held a well-attended event in London focused on benchmarking in laboratory facilities, and the chapter plans additional discussions and work in the coming months on approaches to optimize benchmarking for UK labs. The LBT is fully internationalized and is ready to receive more data for UK lab buildings, and I2SL welcomes all feedback on tailoring benchmarking offerings to meet the needs of the UK lab community. n

got a suggestion?

Contact us at Labs2Zero@i2sl.org

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ADVOCACY

golden DEVELOPMENTS Simon Penfold rounds-up the latest news from across the Golden Triangle.

New scale-up space TO BE launched mperial College London is launching a new scale-up space for science and technology ventures, One Portal Way, Old Oak, helping to alleviate London’s shortage of affordable lab space and enabling rapidly growing businesses to remain in the Capital as they scale.

One Portal Way, Old Oak will redevelop an existing building into 55,000 sq ft of fully fitted lab and office space, ready to occupy by a community of up to 30 scale-ups in mid-2026. The new facility is part of Imperial’s Old Oak Campus, which brings together commercial spaces for innovation-led businesses and accommodation for more than 1,500

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Stevenage BC developed Lynkuet™ approved The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved Lynkuet™, developed at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), to treat moderate to severe hot flushes caused by menopause.

Dr Mary Kerr and Dr Mike Trower co-founded KaNDy Therapeutics at 12 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Imperial undergraduate students, staff and key workers.

Imperial is partnering with specialist lab and office space providers Sciopolis to develop and operate the space.

Meanwhile, a new style of hip implant developed by researchers in Imperial College London’s spinout Embody Orthopaedic will enable women to have a type of hip surgery previously only suitable for men.

The treatment has now been awarded a CE mark.

Until now, women have been unable to have hip resurfacing surgery because it used metal implants that were not optimised for women’s hip shapes and which released particles that caused tissue reactions, leading to high failure rates.

The new H1 implant was designed to address these issues by using ceramic rather than metal to coat the two faces of the hip joint.

SBC in 2017, where the non-hormonal menopause treatment elinzanetant (Lynkuet™) to treat vasomotor symptoms was developed through Phase 2b. KaNDy was acquired by Bayer in 2020.

The UK is the first country in the world to approve this new class of non-hormonal, dual mechanism menopause treatment, seen as a major step forward for women’s health.

Above One Portal Way, Old Oak will be redeveloped into 55,000 sq ft of fully fitted lab and office space

Below Based at Harwell Innovation Centre, Oxford Digostics has developed a world first test for diabetes

quantum tech Initiative Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London are teaming up to drive an initiative to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum technologies in London.

The London Quantum Technology Cluster aims to position the capital as a global hub for quantum by uniting leading universities with businesses, communities, government and investors.

The cluster is being seeded with an investment from the Mayor of London through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as part of the city’s long-term economic growth strategy.

The initial phase will lay the foundations for a dedicated incubator that will support the translation of quantum research, and new widely accessible infrastructure to seed, grow, and scale quantum companies.

World first diabetes test developed at harwell The world’s first home-screening test for diabetes has been developed

by Digostics Ltd, a med tech company based at the Harwell Innovation Centre in Oxford.

The new diagnostic solution, GTT@home is a user-friendly kit that contains everything required for a patient to easily complete a remote oral glucose tolerance test OGTT. Digostics’ home test has been initially launched to detect gestational diabetes during pregnancy and it has now been adopted by two NHS trusts to replace in-clinic testing. The company has also completed a pilot with the Medical Research Council for Type 2 Diabetes screening, a pilot monitoring people with Cystic Fibrosis and is involved in a project with the University of Oxford to develop screening for Type 1 Diabetes in children.

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pioneering oxford spinout acquired rganOx, a pioneering University of Oxford spinout transforming kidney and liver transplantation, has been acquired

by Terumo Corporation, a global medical technology company based in Tokyo, for US$1.5 billion.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory and other approvals, would be the largest acquisition of an Oxford University spinout to date, and one of the most significant venture capital exits in UK university spinout history.

Founded in 2008 by engineering professor Constantin Coussios and transplant surgeon professor Peter Friend, OrganOx originated from Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences.

OrganOx specialises in organ preservation devices that keep donor organs functioning outside the body for significantly longer than traditional methods. Using a technique known as Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP), its devices circulate warm, oxygenated fluid through the organ, replicating

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The US$1.5BN transaction would be the largest acquisition of an Oxford University spinout to date conditions inside the human body.

The technology has increased the number of viable organs available for transplant and OrganOx systems have been used in more than 6,000 transplants worldwide.

Oxford University was an early investor in OrganOx, supporting the company with proof-of-concept funding via the University Challenge Seed Fund and investing further through the Spinout Equity Management Fund.

Adam Workman, Head of Investments and Ventures at Oxford University Innovation, said: “OrganOx’s acquisition is a landmark moment for Oxford University’s innovation ecosystem. It reflects the strength of our spinout model and the long-term value of investing in transformative science from the earliest stages.”

Above OrganOx specialises in devices for preservation of donor organs Above right The success of Cambridge has had a knock-on benefit for the community at The EpiCentre Haverhill

$2.3BN raised by cambridge startups and Scaleups A new analysis by Dealroom for Founders at the University of Cambridge showed that Cambridge startups and scaleups raised an impressive $2.3 billion in 2024, the second-best year on record and almost double 2023’s $1.2 billion.

The analysis showed an “explosion in entrepreneurship across Cambridge means the city is now top globally for the number of Seed companies that mature to Series A, ahead of the Bay Area, Oxford and London.”

The report goes to on to say that: “In recent years, 41% of Cambridge tech companies reached Series A, compared to 40% of startups in the Bay Area and 35% and 33% respectively for Oxford and London. The ROI has increased too: Cambridge startups produce $17.7 in value for every dollar for VC invested, up from $16.9 last year.”

expanding Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Platform

Planning approved for Oxford Science Park growth

Scitech has been working on the expansion of the Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Platform at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) – a critical development to meet the growing demand for clinical trial manufacturing of cell and gene therapies, in collaboration with the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at Kings College, London.

The facility, also known as the CRF GMP Unit, is a purpose-built environment for the manufacture of Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs) and Specials for patients on clinical trials.

Already a leader in regulatory T-cell immunotherapy manufacturing, the unit is now scaling up to support a broader range of advanced therapies, including stem cell-derived photoreceptors and adherent cell products.

The Oxford Science Park has secured planning permission for a new 80,000 sq ft laboratory and office building, unlocking the next major phase of growth at the Park.

The approved development will see the construction of a state-ofthe-art four-storey building offering high-specification laboratory and office space tailored to the needs of cutting-edge science and technology companies.

Located at the eastern edge of The Oxford Science Park, the site is near the proposed new Cowley Branch Line, with a new station scheduled to open in early 2030, bringing direct links to central Oxford and London.

The unanimous decision by Oxford City Council follows the unanimous approval of the 450,000 sq ft Daubeny Project in 2023.

w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

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CGT Catapult testbeds opened

by Lord Vallance

new INSMED facility opened Biopharma company Insmed has opened its new research and development facility at Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge.

The official opening was carried out Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The new 17,000 sq ft site is focused on synthetic rescue for serious diseases and represents a significant expansion of Insmed’s global R&D capabilities.

The new facility is focused on pioneering research in synthetic rescue - an innovative approach to identifying new treatment options for conditions with few or no effective therapies.

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he expansion of Cambridge Biomedical Campus, one of the world’s leading centres of life sciences research, medical innovation, and healthcare provision, continues with construction of 2000 Discovery Drive underway.

Designed by Scott Brownrigg for campus developer Prologis, two new speculative life science buildings, 2000 and 3000 Discovery Drive, will provide a further 215,300 sq ft NIA of state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to support growth of the world-class life sciences and biotech ecosystem at Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

The designs complement the recently complete 1000 Discovery Drive, creating a family of buildings visually united by a sleek appearance and striking architectural details including an exposed structural steel entrance and vertical accent fins.

Both buildings are flexible by design with the ability to accommodate multiple tenants and a 60:40 laboratory to office split.

A host of amenities, including a new “Grab & Go” café workspace, will be part of a landscaped area around the newly revealed buildings.

As part of the development’s landscape design, a series of diverse spaces will provide opportunities for recreation, working and socialising outdoors.

Designs will also integrate with existing pedestrian and cycle routes to support wellbeing and promote sustainable travel. A new CycleParc will sit at the heart of the landscaping, providing a subterranean solution to house over 450 cycle parking spaces within an elegant arching structure. In addition, over 130 electric vehicle and bike spaces will also be provided within a new multistorey car park as part of the expansion.

2000 and 3000 Discovery Drive will target a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, following a “fabric-first” approach with key features including aluminium louvres to help optimise building solar performance, and green roofs and high-quality landscaped spaces to increase biodiversity. Rooftop solar panels will generate electricity to power communal building services.

Building upon the success of the recently complete and fully let 1000 Discovery Drive, the latest developments will play a key role in helping to meet high demand for life science space and attract new businesses to the area.

Construction of 2000 Discovery Drive is expected to be complete in Autumn 2026.

Government backs collaboration to design clean hydrogen engines

teams Brunel’s world-class hydrogen engine research with rotary engine specialists Advanced Innovative Engineering (AIE) Ltd and engineering consultants MAHLE Powertrain Ltd, who are matching the UKRI investment.

Professor Hua Zhao, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, at Brunel (inset) said: “As the first university in the UK to establish dedicated hydrogen engine research facilities, we are proud to collaborate with AIE and MAHLE Powertrain on the development of highefficiency hydrogen rotary and piston engines.”

Brunel’s venture is one of 23 Prosperity Partnership projects across the UK awarded more than £97 million to accelerate technologies from battery design to cyber defence.

T

The Government is backing a Brunel University collaboration to design clean hydrogen engines for planes, ships and trucks.

Brunel University of London is leading a multimillion-pound drive to develop the net-zero emissions, affordable ultra-efficient hydrogen-powered engines.

Hydrogen is seen as a more suitable alternative to electric engines in heavy lorries, ships, aircraft, or machines used in farming and building.

Backed by a £1.3m award from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the three-year project

Discovery Drive image: ©Scott Brownrigg

The Stevenage-based Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s (CGT Catapult) Digital and Automation Testbeds have been officially opened by Science Minister Lord Vallance.

The facility has been delivered in part thanks to £2.75m Government funding through Innovate UK. The testbeds will support the improvement of manufacturing processes, making them more efficient, scalable and cost-effective. They are among the first facilities anywhere in the world that have been specifically designed to accelerate step-changes in the productivity of cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

expansion underway AT cambridge biomedical campus

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Oxford North opens for business as city’s flagship innovation district takes shape Oxford’s long tradition of innovation has entered a bold new chapter with the official opening of Oxford North, the city’s flagship global innovation district.

Formally opened by Lord Hague of Richmond, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, this purpose-built ecosystem marks a major boost to the UK’s science, technology and innovation sectors.

The £1.2 billion innovation district is being delivered by Oxford North Ventures, a joint venture between Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, with global investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and development and asset manager Stanhope.

Oxford North will cater to the science, technology and innovation ecosystem, from start-ups and spin-outs through to global giants, offering the full lifecycle of space, from fitted labs and turnkey solutions through to grow-on space and bespoke buildings.

The first phase of 158,500 sq ft comprising two purpose-built laboratory buildings along with office and amenities is now open and ready for occupation. Phase 1A provides units from 2,000 sq ft up to 56,000 sq ft, including 13,500 sq ft of fitted out labs available in December, as well as The Red Hall, totalling 33,000 sq ft of workspace over four floors.

Designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, Oxford North sits at the intersection of academia, commerce and experience and is a place where start-ups, scale-ups and global businesses can collaborate side-by-side.

27,000 sq ft of amenity space will include an 80-seat café, 100-seat townhall and touch-down co-working space, a market square, and Fallaize Park, a two-acre public park featuring Your planetary assembly, the first permanent public work in the UK by world-renowned Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Consisting of eight glass polyhedrons inspired by models of the solar system, it is reminiscent of the orreries at the University of Oxford’s History of Science Museum.

Sustainability is embedded into the scheme’s design to ensure the delivery of positive local environmental and social benefits, with an ambition to push beyond conventional practice to deliver a ‘net positive’ development.

Oxford North is located just a 15-minute cycle from the city centre in close proximity to Oxford Parkway Station, which is strategically positioned on the East West Rail corridor, coupled with its arterial advantages, will provide occupiers, visitors and residents with unrivalled multimodal connectivity.

Oxford is a world-renowned centre for research excellence and home to the highest concentration of science research facilities in Western Europe. Oxford North has world-class research and scientific institutions, including the University of Oxford on its doorstep, which has produced the most unicorn founders in Europe and accounts for 30% - £5.7 billion - of all the capital raised by university spin-outs, the highest share of any UK university.

With sustainability at our core and connectivity linking it to Oxford’s academic heart, Oxford North represents a new benchmark for how places of innovation can be designed: by scientists, for scientists, and for everyone.

Oxford North is now open and ready to welcome occupiers shaping the future of science and technology.

For further information, visit www.oxfordnorth.com

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Horizon Europe return boosting UK research The UK’s research sector is already seeing major benefits from the country’s renewed ability to access Horizon Europe funding, Simon Penfold discovers.

16 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Photograph by Alecsandra Dragoi / DSIT

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he UK has made an impressive return to Horizon Europe – the world’s largest research and innovation funding programme – after it was frozen out for three years in a row with the EU over Brexit and Northern Ireland trading arrangements.

The dispute was resolved in 2023, with a bespoke deal opening up Horizon Europe to applications from UK scientists and researchers from the start of last year.

Recent data shows British scientists secured £635 million in grants through the scheme in 2024, its first year back in its new status as a non-EU associate member. It made the UK the fifth most successful of the 47 nations taking part in the programme - 27 EU member states and 20 non-EU associate members including Canada, New Zealand, Norway and South Korea.

The UK’s performance compares to the £1.21 billion secured by Germany and £777m in grants for Spain – the two biggest winners in 2024.

The Government is aiming to build on that success with a major promotion programme this year, encouraging more organisations and scientists to participate.

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "Science is stronger when we work together, and through Horizon Europe, UK

researchers, businesses and innovators have access to the world's largest programme of research collaboration.

"This is a massive opportunity for the innovators found on science parks across the UK and beyond.

Making the UK’s association to Horizon Europe a success is our priority, and we are starting to see positive results.”

Under Horizon Europe public and private organisations of all sizes – from major universities to small businesses - can access the £80 billion of grants available in the period from 2021 – 2027 to support their research and development from early stage to launch.

This funding aims to help equip firms to turn ideas, early-stage developments, new research and all forms of innovation into tangible opportunities to grow their business. Typically the grants enable organisations to work in collaboration including with universities and other research institutions, and across Europe, to develop their ideas into commercial opportunities.

what's it all about?

Scan to watch an explainer of Horizon Europe

Loss of access to Horizon Europe was seen as a major blow for the UK’s science and research sectors, hurting both its reputation and its ability to recruit top international talent.

But in just its first year back the UK was the second most successful country in terms of grants for proposals by individual scientists securing £209m.

Exploring new horizons

It is a promising start for the new Labour Government, which has made backing the science and technology sectors central to its mission to build economic growth.

Since the UK confirmed its association to Horizon in January 2024, the Government has been providing extensive support to help researchers and business secure funding from the £80 billion programme, and officials say they are already seeing some welcome signs of increasing UK uptake and overall success rates.

“This is a massive opportunity for the innovators found on science parks across the UK and beyond”

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Indeed, when looking at overall proposals, the UK performs strongly on success rates – which have increased from nearly 15% in Horizon 2020 – the previous scheme - to around 19% in Horizon Europe.

Researchers in both the public and private sector across the UK can apply for funding, hopefully leading to real-world benefits for UK science, economic growth and job creation – Horizon Europe aims to create 300,000 new jobs by 2040, 40% in highly skilled fields.

The Government is currently providing extensive assistance to UK R&D communities to maximise their chances of applying and succeeding with Horizon Europe.

This support includes concrete funding initiatives (known as pump priming), information and brokerage events conducted both in the UK and Europe, and large-scale advertising campaigns.

While data from the programme can take up to 12 months to surface, early indications continue to show positive signs of UK recovery although it is still too early to draw full conclusions on the impact of association. For example, for the latest ERC Synergy Grants, the UK hosted 18 projects - the second highest number.

To boost UK Horizon participation, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has launched a range of

Above The Arbikie Distillery say Horizon Europe's help has opened doors across the globe

Left UK Science, Research and Innovation Minister Lord Vallance speaks positively of the benefits of Horizon Europe

initiatives with its partners such as UKRI to help applicants from right across the UK, including Northern Ireland, engage with the grant application process.

DSIT is also working with key stakeholders on plans to boost UK participation as well as encouraging the international (in particular European) R&D community to collaborate with UK organisations.

This includes providing ‘pump priming’ support through the British Academy and Innovate UK to encourage UK organisations to join European consortia, lead applications and ensure effective uptake in opportunities.

On the publicity front, a series of awareness-raising roadshows have taken place in Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Belfast.

To support potential applications a team of UK National Contact Points – governmentnominated experts - offer advice and hands-on support with the application process.

While there is ambition in Government to improve the UK’s performance, the DSIT team say they are ‘realistic’ about the time it will take to achieve a significant recovery – at its historic peak in Horizon 2020 the UK reached a funding share of over 16%.

Government officials work with the sector to understand exactly where the UK is falling behind, so that they can target their action accordingly. As the data from EC comes in, officials plan to further pivot their activities, but there is a 9-12 month data lag.

In the meantime, thanks to the terms of the UK’s deal with the EU, we broadly only pay for what we receive – meaning we do not lose out on R&D funding if our participation remains low.

In terms of real-world impact, work with Horizon Europe has already led to the world’s first climatepositive pea-based gin, Nàdar.

Arbikie Distillery is a familyowned farm distillery perched on the east coast of Angus. Distillery manager Kirsty Black explained: “Arbikie is a farm to bottle distillery that makes an award-winning range of gin, vodka and whisky.

“Everything we make starts in the fields that surround the distillery. We grow a range of cereals and vegetables and then take them into the distillery where we perform every step of the process to make the spirit, flavour it, mature it and pack it in to the final bottle.

“The Horizon Europe project we were involved in was titled TRUE – TRansition paths to sUstainable legume-based systems in Europe.

“This project focused on legumes and aimed to identify the best ways of increasing their cultivation and consumption across Europe. We are so interested in legumes as they are a special group of plants.”

All plants need nitrogen to grow but, despite 80% of the air we breathe containing nitrogen, it is not in a useable form for plants.

Instead their nitorigen needs usually met through industrially produced fertiliser - a major contributor to agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“But this is where legumes come in; via biological nitrogen fixation they can use the nitrogen in the air,” explained Kirsty. “This means we can avoid the use of polluting nitrogen fertilisers. They also enrich the soil with nitrogen so the plants growing around them and after them benefit too.

“This project’s goal was to encourage farmers to grow legumes. To do so the consortium looked at every aspect of legumes - from breeding and growing through to developing markets by not only developing legume-based recipe books but also demonstrating that you could turn them into anything - from doughnuts to yoghurt and gin!

“Horizon Europe helped us to connect and collaborate with different, specialised, organisations across Europe that we would Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 17

support never have met otherwise. We’re a distillery so we understand how to make alcohol but the project consisted of 23 other organisations who had their own areas of expertise – through this we improved out upstream and downstream activities.

“For example we trialled alternative cropping systems on our farm, we quantified the carbon footprint of producing legumebased spirits through lifecycle analysis experts, and we explored uses for our by-products.”

Arbikie’s application process was led and guided by The James Hutton Institute, an interdisciplinary scientific research institute in Scotland.

Kirsty said the biggest impact came from collaborating with academic institutions: “Quantifying the carbon footprint of our pea-based products through lifecycle analysis allowed us to develop climate positive claims which have opened doors for us across the globe.”

Electra expansion

– 33 from Europe, and four from the UK, to develop and demonstrate the latest in electric drive and re-charging technology.

“The aim is to show that these vehicles can compete with existing diesel versions and bring confidence to markets across Europe and beyond that heavy duty electric drive is here and commercially feasible.

“The Electra vehicle will be a 40-tonne drawbar configuration, with refrigerated bodies on the truck and trailer.

Drive will be via a central electric motor through a gearbox and will incorporate innovations such as roof mounted solar panels to contribute to the batteries provided by one of the partners, and predictive maintenance via telematics.

“This Horizon Europe project has really helped Electra to expand and develop higher weight

“It helped us to connect with different, specialised, organisations we would never have met otherwise”

Another beneficiary has been Electra Commercial Vehicles, a manufacturing firm based in Brighouse. Managing director Benjamin Smith said “We are an OEM, manufacturing heavy duty battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from 7.5 tonnes to 42 tonnes, which cover a wide variety of applications in sectors such as waste management, refuse collection, GSE – ground support equipment at airports, and distribution.

“We were approached back in 2022 by the University of Surrey, who were putting together a bid to submit for Horizon 2020 funding to construct five electric drive pilot vehicles above 40 tonnes, called ‘ESCALATE’.

“As an innovative UK OEM Electra were a good fit to provide one of the vehicles, along with SISU, BMC Turkey, Mercedes Benz Turkey, and Ford Otosan. The €22m project brings together 37 partners 18 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Above Electra Commercial Vehicles has opened up new markets thanks to help from Horizon Europe

see how it's made Use the code below to watch how the world's first carbon negative gin was created with research funded by Horizon Europe

vehicles, opening up new markets and opportunities. Development of new vehicle types is very expensive in both time and resources, so the funding goes a long way to enabling our progress.”

The biggest single boost from Horizon Europe, said Benjamin, was: “The security of knowing that the funding is in place to take away some of the risk associated with new developments, but also important is Horizon Europe’s wider exposure to new markets.

“In addition, collaborating with 36 other partners – it is a particularly big project – brings new ideas, technologies and opportunities to grow both nationally and internationally.”

He added: “We are getting the Electra name and brand out into the wider world through more channels than we would on our own – communication and dissemination are important parts of Horizon Europe projects.” n

accessing horizon europe

More information on support for accessing Horizon Europe is available at horizoneuropeUK.org Discover more about the work of Arbikie at https://arbikie.com or more about Electra at electracommercialvehicles.com

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Securing Innovation Districts Cybersecurity for Modern Estates Science parks and innovation districts sit at the heart of the UK’s knowledge economy, housing sensitive intellectual property and valuable research data in increasingly digitised operations. These environments bring together universities, start-ups, and corporates, each with unique networks and technologies, creating a fragmented landscape that increases cyber vulnerability.

Words Tony Snaith CEO, Communicate (right)

T

raditionally, cybersecurity was seen as an IT issue.

Building owners focused on physical assets, tenants managed their own systems and facilities managers prioritised operational efficiency.

Responsibility was diffused, leaving estates exposed to ransomware on building systems and data breaches.

The Digital Risks in Buildings report (June 2025), published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, shows the scale of the challenge: 27% of respondents reported a cyberattack in the past year, up 11% on the previous year.

For a sector long focused on physical resilience, this highlights growing digital vulnerability.

These risks are amplified in innovation led campuses, where operational continuity, research

20 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Digital Risks in Buildings

Use the code to download a copy of RICS' report

integrity and intellectual property protection are non-negotiable, and any security breach can directly undermine regulatory compliance and hard-won reputations.

As Robin Stevenson of Knight Frank observed in the RICS report: “The property industry is a sleeping giant in the world of cybersecurity risks. We need to be more aware of the risks, how we can limit them and how we deal with them.”

The Expanding Attack Surface Modern estates are more connected than ever. Building Management Systems (BMS),

access control, tenant wi-fi, IoT-enabled labs and digital tenant platforms bring operational benefits but also create entry points for cybercriminals.

The consequences are no longer theoretical. In Q1 2025 UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) reported facing more than 5.4 million attempted cyberattacks, from phishing to malware, highlighting the exposure of research organisations. For developers, a single breach can undermine years of placemaking and brand equity investment. For facilities managers, accountability is critical: landlords assume FM teams will cover cybersecurity, FM teams assume suppliers will, suppliers often lack the remit or expertise. This creates a vacuum of responsibility contributing to heightened risk.

From Optional to Essential

The property sector is at a turning point. Just as physical security, fire safety, and environmental management became embedded responsibilities, so must cybersecurity.

RICS states: “It is essential that the sector looks again at buildings, the way they are managed and used, the role of property professionals and the standards that apply with a pair of fresh eyes.”

support ongoing monitoring and incident response planning. Owners, FM teams, suppliers, and employees must share responsibility, supported by training programmes.

4

Governance Integration

5

Third Party AND Incident Preparedness

Digital risk should sit within the corporate risk framework. Boards must be informed, and a security-first culture encouraged at all levels.

FM professionals must recognise that digital infrastructure is as much part of an estate as bricks and mortar. Owners and operators must accept that accountability for cyber resilience sits at the building level. Smart campuses, digital tenant services, and connected laboratories attract world-class occupiers, but without robust protection, these innovations can become liabilities.

Building-Level Cyber Resilience

The latest RICS survey not only highlights the risks but also points towards good practice. Building level cybersecurity is not about isolated fixes, but about embedding resilience across the estate. Five clear priorities emerge:

1

Risk Assessment

2

Integrated Approach

Understand your building’s technologies, how they store and protect data, and their risk landscapes. Ensure compliance with relevant laws and standards.

Design cybersecurity into buildings at an operational level. Modernise systems, enforce access controls, patch regularly, and deploy real-time monitoring.

3

Monitoring & Accountability Cyber threats evolve constantly, requiring

w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Strengthen supply chain security with strict standards, regular assessments, and controlled access. Support resilience with insurance and clear incident response planning.

Communicate’s Role in Science Parks

The Way Forward

A clear understanding of your exposure is the essential first step.

To support this, we provide a free Risk Survey Report, conducted by one of our experts. Over two to three days (depending on site size), we undertake a comprehensive assessment of your estate, after which you will receive a detailed, tailored report highlighting vulnerabilities and providing practical, prioritised recommendations. From there, we work with you to shape a realistic and achievable roadmap, aligned with your objectives, timeframes and budget.

What sets us apart is the breadth and depth of our service.

We are both connectivity and cybersecurity experts, with a proven track record across science parks and research campuses nationwide.

Our team and processes are ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and Cyber Essentials Plus certified, giving clients confidence in the robustness and compliance of our approach. Clients gain direct access to advisors who guide decisions across the full stack, from compliance and consultancy to penetration testing and threat detection.

With nationwide reach, rapid on-site support, and fully UK hosted data, our solutions are scalable, compliant, and trusted by boards, auditors, and tenants alike.

It’s a people-first model: dedicated account managers, named SOC specialists and hands on training that builds confidence at every level.

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue – it’s a property issue.

The sooner you act, the stronger your estate will be. n

“Just as physical At Communicate, security and fire safety we understand the unique challenge became embedded of implementing cybersecurity at responsibilities, so the building level within the science must cybersecurity” park community.

We have seen first-hand the critical importance of coordinated security and connectivity.

We deliver secure connectivity and full-stack cybersecurity services for multitenant sites and research campuses across the UK. Our work spans risk assessments, protection of building systems and resilient, high-performance connectivity for landlords and tenants.

We have extensive experience partnering with science parks, connecting and securing sites such as Discovery Park, University of Warwick, Kent Innovation Centre and Colworth Science Park.

Our approach is proactive: we protect shared infrastructure whilst ensuring tenants have reliable connectivity and secure foundations, backed by 24/7 monitoring through our UKbased Security Operations Centre (SOC). With expert led guidance, rapid nationwide support and scalable, compliant solutions, we help science parks remain secure, resilient, and innovation-ready.

CONNECT WITH CONFIDENCE

Book a free consultation with one of our experts today and take the first step towards making your buildings truly cyber resilient. Visit: https://communicate.technology/ Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 21

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Creating a cyber corridor across the North West Lancaster University is building a growing reputation for its cybersecurity work. Simon Penfold talks to Simon Cook, Lancaster’s Professor in Practise for Cyber and Data, to find out more.

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ancaster University is at the heart of an ambitious programme that has made the North West a UK hub for cyber expertise and research, second only to London and the South East.

Earlier this year it opened a new educational facility to train the next generation of computer science and cyber security students, including eight specialist teaching laboratories and a Data Immersion Suite equipped with a 22m floor-to-ceiling, wrap-around video wall, surround sound and audio capture, and a set of headsets for immersive engagement.

This enables students, academics, policy makers and engineers to explore complex problems using on-screen data visualisations with real-time updates from cyber and physical systems. It allows users to generate scenarios which unfold over hours or days to create a life-like experience.

The Data Immersion Suite also offers businesses and industry the opportunity to engage with experts from Lancaster University to

“The prime suppliers to national security and the cyber sector are all moving to the North West” 22 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

explore data-driven solutions tailored to their business.

The new facilities are central to Lancaster University’s Data Cyber Quarter and support the launch of Security and Protection Science at Lancaster, a £19m initiative to boost the University’s teaching and research capabilities around cyber security.

The opening coincided with the arrival of the National Cyber Force (NCF) in Samlesbury, Lancashire, where its new headquarters is due to open later this year, eventually house 3,000 people and cementing the North West’s position as a national cyber hub.

It follows the decision by GCHQ – the cyber and signals arm of the UK intelligence services – to open a major base in Manchester in 2019 – now home to several hundred staff.

Simon Cook, Professor in Practise for Data and Cyber Research, Enterprise & Engagement at Lancaster University, said: “What we are creating is a North West cyber corridor, joining Manchester with Samlesbury, Lancashire, Lancaster and beyond.

“We are building a coalition of people to make the most of that.

At the moment there are around 12,000 jobs in the North West engaged in cyber security. After London and the South East it's the largest area in the UK. “We think that with a bit of economic stimulation and intervention, we can take that up to 30,000 in the next five years or so. And those are high quality, lifelong careers for people.

“Likewise the economic impact of cyber in the North West at the moment is estimated to be worth around £750 million in GVA per annum, but we think we can grow that to £2.5 billion.”

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Lead academic partner

Academic partner

An exciting time

Left Simon Cook, Professor in Practise for Data and Cyber Research, Enterprise and Engagement at Lancaster University

Lancaster University is playing a central role in those efforts, in terms of education, research and working with a broad range of businesses from start-ups and SMEs to multinational tech companies across the breadth of the cyber field.

Simon Cook explains that his role is as professor in practice rather than an academic. “My background and area of practise is national security and intelligence.

“I’ve had a long career working in government in national security roles, most recently focused on the North West and developing the North West cyber ecosystem.

“After completing my previous career I was looking around and Lancaster was doing by far the most in that area. They have all the connections with all the national security organisations, so it seemed like a good place to work

support we have to build communities of trust, they need to get to know us and we need to invest money, time and resources up front before there is any payback.

“We are using our experience, with our new Security and Protection Science department and creating our Data Cyber Quarter on the campus.

“Physically that includes our Data Immersion Suite and LENS, our collaborative co-working spaces for working digital and cyber-related businesses.

There is also DiSH – the Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub.”

An interdisciplinary approach

with. I’ve been here now about two and a half years.

“It’s a very exciting time to be here, with GCHQ building its presence in the North West and the National Cyber Force opening its headquarters 20 miles down the road in Lancashire. With the thousands of jobs and multi-billion pound investment, they are once-in-a-generation catalysts for the region.

“They offer great potential but working with national security is also really hard. What they do has to be secret, so there is a culture of working closely with defined partners over very long periods of time. Getting on their commercial frameworks is tricky.

“So part of our role at Lancaster is working on that engagement, building the bridges so the region can maximise the w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Top The Data Immersion Suite at Lancaster University offers immersive engagement with experts Above The Data Cyber Quarter provides cutting-edge facilities and engagement space

benefit for the local economy.

“The prime suppliers to national security and the cyber sector are all moving up here to the North West. That is encouraging us here at the University to look at how we can best profit from the ideas coming out of research at Lancaster, creating spin-out companies and commercialising those ideas.

“It involves industry large and small, it's academia, it's local government, seeing how we can all work together with inventors and founders and also with investors and capital risk capital.

“That is the ecosystem we’re trying to build in the North West. It won’t happen by itself, because it’s a difficult sector and will require some interventions. But Lancaster is a university with deep roots in cyber. It probably started nearly 20 years ago when they started making it a specialism and now there is a wide range of activities going on.

“Lancaster was among the first group of universities to be recognised as academic centres of excellence for cyber security research (ACE-CSR) – which is an official accreditation from the National Cyber Security Centre.

“Manchester and Liverpool are also ACE-CSRs, which is good for the region and the economy.

“And it puts us in a great position working with national security. But it’s a slow burn thing;

Led by Lancaster University, this is a partnership between Barclays Eagle Labs, Plexal and Manchester University that has created a hub in Manchester city centre to bring together experts in digital and cyber security from the public, private and academic sectors to help Greater Manchester’s digital security startups to innovate and grow.

“At Lancaster the growth of the Security and Protection Science department involves the University recruiting 33 academics – we’re up to 20 so far – along with 10 professors in practise and a number of professional services people. It is part of building a world-leading research community to put around all this national security infrastructure.

“We've taken an interdisciplinary approach to cybersecurity research. That ranges from computer science, maths, statistics and AI, but we've also recruited to our cohort people in linguistics, management science, international relations, medicine, marketing and law.

“Cyber security research is going on across all those areas – it is much broader than most people would imagine.”

It comes in the face of increasing cyber attacks from criminals and state actors – and sometimes both. “The threats are enormous; in 2020, there were 50 billion devices connected online.

NCS predict that by 2030 there will be 500 billion.

“It's everybody's home and everybody's business.”

Simon continued: “Currently I am focused on commercialisation Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 23

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“we’ve got the LENS here at Lancaster which we hope will foster innovation and collaboration on a cyber theme” and innovation opportunities.

The first has been North West Cyber Security Connect for Commercialisation - NW CyberCom for short. It’s a Lancaster-led project with five other North Western universities: Liverpool, Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan, Salford and UCLan – the University of Central Lancaster, supported by Plexall, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and consultancy CRSI. “It’s basically seeing if we can take pioneering research at the universities and turn it into commercial opportunities. Currently it’s a pilot project, with £1.2m from Research England over two years.

We've been able to engage over 800 academics across those universities.

We've hosted numerous ‘sandpits’ intensive discussion forums - to come up with challenges for people to work on. We had 32 potential proof-of concept-projects, we've sponsored 14 of them. We’ve got three spinouts so far coming out of that cohort with some more to come.

“One of the Lancaster projects is Quantum Ring Single-Photon LEDs which enable quantum key distribution (QKD), a super-secure way to encrypt data that’s practically impossible to hack.

“Another project is putting cybersecurity on AI-driven robots to help decommission nuclear submarines. There’s also cybersecurity for software around exoskeletons to help with emergency services and combat troops, to give them super strength.

“The breadth of it all never ceases to amaze me.

“NW CyberCom was always conceived as a pilot project to see what we could do. People say all the time there's fantastic research in British universities but how much of it gets pulled through and commercialised? Is it more about 24 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

publishing and putting your research on the shelf or is it creating wealth and creating jobs?

“So it was a real test to see if that willingness and ideas were out there and we have been blown away by the response. As that project winds down, we're fortunate we've got £5m of funding from the UKRI Place Based Impact Acceleration Account for a project called Cyber Focus.”

Cyber Focus is a consortium of seven regional higher education institutions (HEIs), three of which are NCSC-recognised Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, with each contributing a distinct portfolio of research expertise and knowledge.

“So again, we're the lead with access to a series of funding streams - Seed, Growth, Accelerator, Public Engagement, and Policy - to conduct a whole load of activities to try and stimulate that North West cyber ecosystem.

“We've just done our first call for projects and the ones I've been able to review are quite wildly different but all advancing the agenda towards building a thriving cyber ecosystem in the North West.

So the good news is there is no shortage of projects and brilliant academic ideas, as well as academics who are prepared to go on that route to commercialisation.”

Top, above and below The LENS building is a space where academics and businesses can collaborate on cyber themes

Meanwhile there is talk of setting up an innovation and collaboration site near the National Cyber Force headquarters.

The Samlesbury Enterprise Hub has already secured £13.2m funding will involve building a 20,000 sq ft facility combining a mixture of private offices, collaboration space, events facilities and a café.

Simon said: “That could be a place where these businesses can spin out and accelerate and incubate and scale.”

“Meanwhile we’ve got the LENS here at Lancaster which we hope will foster innovation and collaboration on a cyber theme, where academics can can get together with businesses large and small, and hopefully government representatives as well.

“What we need to build across the North West is a number of innovation centres where this can take place.

“We're not the finished article yet, but the more you grow the more it snowballs. We're definitely in that position now.” n

discover more online

For more information, please visit either lancaster.ac.uk/security-andprotection-science or lancaster.ac.uk/ cybersecurity/cyber-focus

sponsored content

How Arise Innovation Hubs have been supporting a growing tech cluster since 2015 or those locating outside the Southeast’s big cities there are many benefits and opportunities to find your niche a stone’s throw from the capital. In Essex, Chelmsford and Harlow are home to Arise Innovation Hubs, supporting over 70 businesses and around 280 jobs.

More than just space, coworking and virtual offices, we are part of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). We facilitate connection to the community of researchers, students and business support partners. Wrapping business, talent and skills round our members in Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, and Digital Technology.

Between 2023-2025, we launched Arise Beyond Open Innovation Value and Entrepreneurship (ABOVE) programme to deliver innovation grants, expert support, and specialist events. A partnership between Arise Innovation Hubs, Medilink Midlands and Pioneer Group, funded by Essex County Council, ABOVE has helped 35 businesses innovate products, processes and services and supported 20 local jobs.

Essex is at the heart of the UK’s $1.2 trillion life sciences,

F

w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

agriculture, advanced manufacturing and healthcare revolution. Across our region there are more than 5000 businesses, employing over 20,000 and generating over £1billion1. ARU’s accolades include the 2023 THE Award and University of the Year at the UK Social Mobility Awards.

They were recognised in 2024 for their outstanding commitment to fostering enterprise and entrepreneurship by being awarded the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE) Entrepreneurial University Award.

Top The Arise Innovation Hub in Chelmsford Above The Arise team (from left) Jack Ellum, Angela Makepeace, Rebecca Stark, Dr Beverley Vaughan, Alex Solano, Katy Daniels, Adrian Owers Left Dr. Howard Wu, Founder and CEO of Antobot

ECOSYSTEM OF ENTREPRENEURS

To learn more or join our ecosystem, please visit ariseinnovation.co.uk 1 https://www.uktech.news/news/investmentnews/ltw-uk-tech-industry-valued-at-1-2trn20250609#:~:text=A%20new%20report%20 has%20found,British%20startups%20to%20 raise%20funding

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 25

Dr Wu photo by Ross Willsher Photography; Arise team photo by Paul Starr Photography

Ambitiously Essex

The journey of an innovator begins at day one. With an Entrepreneurs’ Community, the Anglia Ruskin Enterprise Academy (AREA), Alumni Network and connection to the NHS Clinical Entrepreneurs Programme, this is more than education supporting business, it’s economic uplift and community empowerment.

Start-ups like Aerial Icon exemplify the creative tech-based businesses within Arise. They develop VR therapy solutions for anxiety and phobias, powered by AI-driven video generation. CEO Ekene Ukemenam says “Being a member of Arise has been a game-changer. ARU’s clinical insight gave our tech the credibility it needed. We secured over £310,000 in non-dilutive funding to date. Our project proves what’s possible when innovation and academia align. We’re building something that truly helps people.”

Other stand out members Antobot and Japeto both featured in The Ambitious Essex Tech 50 as the most innovative and exciting tech businesses based in Greater Essex. Antobot combine AI, robots and agriculture to improve yield estimation and precision. Japeto used their ABOVE grant to develop an inhouse AI server now powering grant-writing tools for SMEs and non-profits, showing tech’s cross cutting impact.

The Chelmsford Hub offers riverside serenity just 30 minutes from London, while Harlow sits in the heart of the London-StanstedCambridge Innovation Corridor.

It’s not just about geography, it’s about lifestyle, affordability, and the freedom to build something meaningful without big city overheads.

This ecosystem is resulting in a tech cluster that’s agile, ambitious, and deeply rooted in place. So keep an eye on Arise. We are going to great places and we’re taking Essex with us. n

Innovation Extending the frontiers of UK science and industry

AMIDS

Scotl and’s home of manufacturing innovation Advanced manufacturing gap

Simon Penfold speaks to some of the team behind the groundbreaking AMIDS site, Scotland’s growing centre for cutting-edge manufacturing technology and research.

O

ne of the most exciting innovation projects taking place in the UK in recent years has been AMIDS - the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland.

The aim is to transform a 52-hectare site next to Glasgow Airport into Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation, creating a base for business alongside a range of sector expertise, resulting in a major boost for the region in terms of jobs and the wider economy.

The project’s first major success was securing two anchor tenants: The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC).

The £65m NMIS building opened in June 2023. Operated by the University of Strathclyde, it supports manufacturing, engineering and associated technology business with innovate R&D. It is home to a Manufacturing Skills Academy, a fully connected Digital Factory, and a publicly accessible collaboration hub.

But the first building to officially open on the site was the £88m MMIC, in November 2022. It is a unique collaboration between technology innovation catalyst CPI 26 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

and 23 partner organisations from across the pharma sector, business, academia, and government agencies. The Centre aims accelerate the development and manufacturing of new medicines by focusing on areas like small molecule manufacturing, sustainable processes, and automated clinical supply chains.

In December last year CPI started construction of a second facility on the site, a new Oligonucleotide Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (OMICE).

Oligonucleotides are a revolutionary new therapeutic in the pharma industry. These short, chemically synthesised fragments of DNA or RNA modulate protein expression through several different mechanisms to treat the underlying drivers of disease.

There was a further boost for the AMIDS site earlier this year, when green aircraft engine developer ZeroAvia announced plans to build its own manufacturing base on the site, creating around 350 jobs – a move backed by a £9m Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise.

The US company’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence will work closely with NMIS and produce advanced fuel cell systems for its hydrogen-electric aero engines.

The facility is expected to begin operating by 2028.

The AMIDS project has been led by Renfrewshire Council, working alongside Strathclyde University and backed by Enterprise Scotland, along with both the Scottish and UK Governments.

Project lead for AMIDS at the Council is Barbara Walker, City Deal and Infrastructure Programme Director. She recalled: “We started on the project back in 2014, when the Glasgow City Region City Deal was launched. At that point we called it the Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA), to bring forward this 52-hectare piece of land adjacent to the airport as a possible business district.

“We were doing the enabling work to get the land ready for development and started drawing up a masterplan, talking to the wider partners – universities, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government.

And it became quite clear the big gap in the market was for advanced manufacturing and innovation.

“Then the Scottish Government announced that the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland would be located at AMIDS, in about 2019. That gave us our big anchor organisation.

Clockwise from above The 52-hectare site of the development next to Glasgow Airport; First Minister John Swinney MSP (third left) at OMICE's groundbreaking; The MMIC (foreground) and NMIS (background) buildings; Barbara Walker is AMIDS' project lead at Renfrewshire Council

innovation

“We had a blank canvas so how could we turn it into a world-renowned innovation district?”

“We started studying what makes a good innovation district, visiting Sheffield and sites in Europe, doing a lot of background research.

We had a blank canvas, so how could we turn it into a world-renowned innovation district?

“We cherry picked ideas from everywhere, working with Scottish Enterprise. And then we were fortunate enough to have CPI decide to locate their Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre on the site, giving us two anchor tenants.”

While it has taken longer than originally expected to bring new companies onto the site, the Council and its partners have not been sitting on their hands.

“We’ve constructed a very high-quality public space called Netherton Square – the whole site is called the Netherton campus – and we wanted the site to be carbon neutral, so we have invested in a district heating network which is the first of its kind in Scotland,” said Barbara.

The source of the heating is a wastewater treatment works, with the water pumped through 1.7km of insulated pipes to AMIDS, and it already feeds both NMIS and MMIC. w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

“We see this as a city region, even Scotland-wide programme.

We want to see the site creating fantastic new jobs in Renfrewshire but it’s all about connectivity and the wider talent pool. So the new Renfrew Bridge over the River Clyde, part of the £117 million Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project, opens up the talent pool to the wider Glasgow city region.

“Meanwhile Tilbury Douglas have started work for CPI as the contractor for their new Oligonucleotide Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (OMICE).

“We’ve also brought in Buccleuch Property as a joint venture partner. We’re not property developers at the council, so they bring their expertise from similar work all over the UK and that has been really helpful.

“We also have a strategic advisory group which consists of Strathclyde University, the Scottish Government, NMIS, MMIC and other partners so we can respond to any kind of inquiry we got from an organisation potentially looking for space.”

Barbara continued: “One of the areas that Scottish Enterprise and the wider partners had identified that is really missing in Scotland is space for university spin outs - those organisations that are ready to move out the university and into a small space but with support. So, we're now bringing forward plans for Tech Terrace, a flexible space where they can take one unit, expand into two and then at some point go out into their own purpose-built premises on the AMIDS site.

“But they will still have the business support and be part of this cluster. That's what's going to make the site really unique and successful because firms will be able to work on joint projects with NMIS, calling on all the support they can provide.”

At the heart of AMIDS

NMIS is clearly at the heart of the AMIDS project. Its chief strategy and commercial officer is Siobhan Campbell: “As part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult network we absolutely embody its mission, to catapult businesses small and large, getting them over what’s typically called the Valley of Death – getting them from really good innovative ideas to a commercial product, with all the R&D involved in make it work and how to manufacture it in the most efficient way.

“It also involves all the validation and compliance checks, all the challenges that businesses face in coming up with something investable or marketable.

“And the NMIS building provides technical support on an industrial scale, so a manufacturing firm doesn’t have to shut down its production line – they can do all their testing, experimentation and R&D within our facilities.

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 27

innovation

“We can advise startups on the right equipment, the right design, the right processes. We also do help around the supply chain wherever you are going to be manufacturing through our work with Scottish Enterprise and the Government.

“NMIS is a fantastic facility. It’s not just testing and R&D; we’ve got some really cutting-edge manufacturing facilities. There’s a digital factory as well as facilities for additive manufacturing – also known as 3D printing.”

Like all catapults, NMIS receives a third of its funding from the Government’s Innovate UK agency, a third from competitive bidding for grants and one third from collaborative R&D. “The core funding lets us buy equipment and the collaborative, competitive work we do keeps us at the cutting edge.

We are constantly bidding competitively to identify those areas where we can work with industry and really push forward the cutting edge of manufacturing technology, be that digital or additive or any of other things that we do which allow us to do really good commercial work.

“It's that kind of model of the thirds that keeps us distinct at the commercial edge. We’re doing things that are not competing with the market, but they are genuinely unique, with a unique capability and unique facilities.

Premier material science

NMIS’s research and development work includes developing wind turbine blade recycling, making more energyefficient parts in the aerospace industry and developing a space and photonics manufacturing facility.

Siobhan said: “A lot of work is around efficiency and productivity, but also how manufacturers can get the maximum out of their materials. We’ve become one of the premier material science facilities in the world, which is why we have global companies like Rolls-Royce working with us around materials and material testing.

“Another area where we are making huge strides is around remanufacture, keeping products and components in service for as

“NMIS is fantastic it’s not just testing and R&D; we’ve got really cutting-edge facilities”

Top NMIS the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland Above inset Siobhan Campbell, Chief strategy and commercial officer, NMIS Below left The proposed site plan for AMIDS

view the brochure Use the code below to learn more about the AMIDS site

long as possible – which has huge environmental, social and economic benefits.”

She added: “The innovative work we do, with small start-ups and established global giants, means we can attract top notch talent really keen to work in this space. So, we have this great building, great equipment and then great people alongside that, which makes NMS a genuinely exciting place to work.”

Since May 2023, Buccleuch Property, a well-respected Edinburgh-based private property investment and development company, has been Renfrewshire Council’s joint venture development partner to advance and secure investment into AMIDS. The agreement with Buccleuch stipulated that speculative building work must take place and this has led directly to the Tech Terrace scheme: a speculative development that will see the construction of two terraced units comprising ten individual units for start-up or spinoff companies.

Sandy Smith, development director at Buccleuch Property, said: “I’m confident that by the time we put a spade in the ground for these incubator units they will be filled, which is why we're going to go for planning consent for not just the first phase, but a second phase as well.”

Sandy continued: “At the same time we are engaged in very detailed discussions with ZeroAvia and they're talking about a big scheme. I think the combination of AMIDS and our connectivity to Glasgow Airport next door makes us something of a natural home for them.

“Renfrewshire Council have done a really good job with Scottish Enterprise in kickstarting AMIDS. We now want to capitalise on that and deliver this collaborative project which we believe will end up being a huge success.” n

Go online for more

Discover more about Scotland’s New Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District at: https://amids.co.uk More on NMIS can be found at nmis.scot and MMIC at uk-cpi.com/ about/national-centres/medicinesmanufacturing-innovation-centre

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Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 29

innovation

Innovation is no longer a USP The strategic need for Science Parks to strengthen their proposition Words Ian Mumford, CEO, The Escape

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or decades, “innovation” has been the calling card of every science and technology park.

But in 2025, the word alone is no longer commercially viable to differentiate one science park apart from another. Occupiers, investors, and partners aren’t asking whether innovation happens on your campus, they’re asking “what does it look like here”, and “why should we choose you over anywhere else?”.

High-growth companies, spinouts, and research partners are demanding environments that actively enable their success.

They’re seeking a clear mission, not a slogan, and are becoming far more selective about where they choose to build their futures.

Beyond innovation fatigue

The conversation at this year’s UKSPA Summer Conference reflected a broader shift. Now more than ever, science parks are expected to be active shapers of regional innovation economies, meaning measurable value, not just well-designed space.

30 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Parks that integrate into their local ecosystems by working with councils, enterprise bodies, and universities create regions that are strategically investable as well as attractive to tenants. This includes influencing housing, transport, and amenities because location decisions are increasingly driven by the quality of life around the park.

Parks that assign independent engagement managers or enterprise network partners, separate from events and marketing teams, demonstrate real commitment to tenant success.

These roles focus on practical needs like recruitment, equipment sharing, and operational support, while hosting procurement or networking days to make business easier. This is culture more than customer service, and businesses are choosing locations that understand this.

Every park is a hub for innovation and collaboration, but stakeholders now expect evidence.

What does collaboration look like in practice? How does it translate into faster growth, lower costs, or greater impact?

Accelerator programmes are a prime example. They’ve become commonplace, but too many lack

differentiation or meaningful KPIs. Successful models focus on multi-year impact, companies grown, investment raised and partnerships formed, not just short-term headlines. If a park runs an accelerator, it needs to prove its unique value to both occupiers and investors.

This demand for proof is especially critical for parks outside the Golden Triangle. In early 2025,

innovation

“Those who articulate their community, areas of expertise, and untapped talent can position themselves as first-choice destinations” £1.3 billion of life sciences venture capital was raised in the UK — 70% of it went to Oxford, Cambridge, and London, home to over 2,600 life sciences companies (Oxford: 448, Cambridge: 620, London: 1,575).

For regional parks, differentiation isn’t optional — it’s survival. Those who articulate their community, areas of expertise, and untapped talent can position themselves as first-choice destinations rather than “good enough alternatives”.

Today’s occupiers are focused on the tools they need to achieve their outcomes: Can they access the tools, people, and expertise they need on site? Are shared resources genuinely committed to collaboration? Are facilities future-proofed for next-generation lab and data requirements? w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Above The Escape CEO Ian Mumford; 'Successful science parks define themselves by how they enable productivity, foster collaboration, and deliver measurable outcomes'

Smart infrastructure, energy resilience, and shared high-value equipment have become musthaves. Energy use for R&D is climbing fast, making energy strategy a core business issue.

Forward-thinking parks are already collaborating with local energyintensive industries, speaking with Distribution Network Operators, and even trialling on-site smart grids to secure long-term supply.

Shared labs, communal high-energy kits such as mass spectrometry or NMR machines, and facility audits can reduce costs, cut emissions, and maximise space.

Parks that help tenants operate sustainably, through practical measures like campus sustainability handbooks and green fit-out guidance, will win favour with both occupiers and investors.

Leadership, brand, and measurable impact

A science park’s proposition is about how clearly its leadership can articulate why it exists. Clear identity attracts the right tenants faster, keeps them for longer, and builds the reputation that draws investment into the region.

Defining this purpose is a leadership task, not a marketing afterthought. Boards and executives must be able to answer the following questions in just two

sentences: What is our park for?

Who do we serve? What makes us essential to this region’s growth? If they can’t, prospective occupiers will notice — and competitors will seize the opportunity.

Artificial intelligence is already accelerating scientific discovery within tenant businesses. It’s also changing how science parks themselves operate. From predictive maintenance and energy optimisation to tenant engagement and marketing insight, AI offers powerful tools for estate management. Parks that experiment now, starting with the data they already hold, will unlock time savings and smarter decisions that keep them ahead.

Public understanding of R&D remains limited. Most people don’t know what it involves, who does it, or why it matters, and that weakens political and funding support. Science parks have a role to play in closing this gap.

Outreach, storytelling, and school engagement help make research visible and relevant, strengthening long-term backing from both government and private investors.

Tenants want more than space; they want a location that adapts as they evolve, whether that means fast growth, consolidation, or spinouts. Flexible space is essential, but so is cost-effective refurbishment of older buildings through enterprise zone incentives and private partnerships. These strategies keep parks competitive without resorting to constant new builds.

Successful science parks define themselves by how they enable productivity, foster collaboration, and deliver measurable outcomes.

Those who thrive will tell an authentic, evidence-led story: leadership with purpose, infrastructure that works, energy resilience, and communities that create real value. In an environment where “innovation” is just the baseline, parks that sharpen their strategic identity will attract and retain the companies, partners, and investment that drive long-term growth. n

Connecting brands. creating value.

Find out more at the-escape.co.uk Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 31

innovation

30 years of

innovation When the University of Wolverhampton Science Park opened its doors in October 1995, it wasn’t just a new business location, it was a bold vision.

S

et on a 34-acre stretch of brownfield land just north of Wolverhampton city centre, the site had stood idle for more than ten years - what emerged from that derelict ground was a home for innovation, collaboration and growth, an ambitious experiment that would change the face of technology and enterprise in the region.

The journey to this point began in the 1980s, led by Dr John Cooper, the Science Park’s first chief executive. It was a plan that required vision, persistence and a nurturing approach.

When it opened, Dr Cooper declared: "Wolverhampton Science Park will provide an impressive gateway to the town and bring life to a once derelict area. We hope it comes to symbolise a new confidence.''

Today, as the University of Wolverhampton Science Park marks its 30th anniversary, it again finds itself at the heart of transformational proposals for the city.

Linking the university’s Springfield Campus, the science park site and the i54 advanced manufacturing park – home to Jaguar Land Rover’s electric propulsion centre and a Moog aerospace plant among others – the Green Innovation Corridor aims to deliver 20,000 sqm of new R&D, laboratory and commercial floorspace.

32 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Phase 1 will utilise £20 million of Levelling Up Funding to concentrate at the Springfield end of the corridor.

Phase 2, referred to as 6-mile green, will see four parcels of land around the science park site being brought forward for development supported by £7 million of Investment Zone funding. Public consultation on the 6-mile green proposal was completed in August, with positive feedback.

It will see a further stage in a development that started in 1993 when the science park site was just a patch of heavily polluted brownfield land.

Scientific history

Just north of Wolverhampton city centre, the site had been used since Victorian times for engineering works synonymous with the manufacturing heritage of the area.

Once occupied by Wolverhampton Gas Works, Hawker Siddeley and the Electric Construction Company, the land had been empty and unusable for more than decade, soaked in acids and chemicals from more than a century of heavy industrial use.

As well as its industrial use, the site had already made scientific history in 1862. On 5th September a balloon filled with coal gas from the Stafford Road works achieved a world record altitude without oxygen of 37,000 feet – around six miles.

Planned as a scientific venture, the hair-raising ascent by scientist James Glaisher and balloonist Henry Coxwell saw them narrowly

survive oxygen deprivation and near-freezing temperatures and their feat was captured in the 2019 Aeronauts film, all be it with a dash of Hollywood artistic licence!

The creation of Wolverhampton Science Park fortunately didn’t pose such risks, but did need the support of the Government of the day to help cover the £3.5 million cost of reclamation work on the 34-acre site, as decontamination work started in February 1993 to remove polluted topsoil down to a depth of 10ft, using 40 lorries a day to take it away.

The site was formally opened in October 1995 with the concept to be a home for hi-tech businesses and an incubator to help start-up companies get off the ground. The initial 50,000 sq ft of buildings, Technology Centre and

innovation

“as the science park marks its 30th anniversary it again finds itself at the heart of transformational proposals for the city” How far we've come

Development Centre, had companies queuing up for the combination of flexible rented space and knowledge transfer links with the university.

A 25,000 sq ft extension to the Technology Centre in 2000 was followed in 2004 by 35,000 sq ft of the Creative Industries Centre – which is home to UKSPA’s 2024 Most Innovative Company award-winners, hi-tech toy company Wow! Stuff - their story captures the essence of the Science Park: a place where bold ideas and creative ambition evolve into global success. The latest addition to the site in 2017 brought purpose-built Cat 1 and 2 laboratories to the site in the form of the 30,000 sq ft, award-winning Science Centre.

Nigel Babb (inset) has run the University of Wolverhampton Science Park for the past 12 years, joining initially as interim commercial director before taking over on a permanent basis at the end of 2013.

“A major anniversary provides an opportunity to look back at how far we have come,” said Nigel. “When you look back to where we were so much technology has changed. The original phase one building had office space, a conference centre and a café, but it also had, as part of the planning application, what was called “a state-of-the-art communications tower”.

“The original intent was that was how we were going to get the Internet: it was going to be beamed to us from the highest point in Wolverhampton. However, with rapid advancements in technology, dial-up modems and ADSL came along and it was never used” Technology has moved on, and today one of the science park’s attractions for new tenants is its secure and reliable superfast broadband network with back-up line – offering shared bandwidth and dedicated connection options depending on need and price point.

“it’s just expected now but I remember what a bid deal the upgrade to superfast broadband speed and resilience was when we replaced the old copper network.

But that’s the joy of working with a maturing estate!

“The most important thing we have achieved in my time has been construction of the £10 million Science Centre building, which gave us Category 2 labs on the site for the first time – it was one of the shortcomings I had identified when I joined.

“I could not have predicted, of course, that two short years later the Science Centre would prove a godsend; we were heavily involved in fighting the pandemic, opening up all our labs for businesses to carry out COVID-19 testing.

“We even converted some workshops into labs as well to give us extra capacity.

And we've managed to retain quite a few of those businesses since after the pandemic. We didn’t see a massive exodus; a lot of them stayed on and pivoted their business model.”

Nigel continued: “Part of the reason for bringing the Science Centre with the labs on board was to try and increase the number of true science-based companies into the mix. Back in 2015 the University of Wolverhampton invested £20 million in the Rosalind Franklin Building in the city centre, housing its science-based teaching and upgrading facilities.

“We needed to create a base in Wolverhampton for people to locate their science-based activity, creating a demand for the highly qualified, science-based graduates leaving the University – preventing a ‘brain drain’ to other parts of the UK – after all, the University of Wolverhampton is the University of Opportunity.

“At the time life sciences probably made up about two per cent of our tenants, whereas now it’s 12%. The other significant sectors tenant operate in are information economy, advanced construction, environmental services and creative industries.”

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 33

innovation Technology transfer

The science park is currently home to over 120 tenants employing around 600 people.

The science park is also home to a small cluster of water technology companies, including one that is home grown. WatStech was originally established as a University research group, then became a spin-out company 20 years ago and subsequently became founder-led and has grown into a specialist provider of sustainable water treatment solutions, collaborating with leading utilities including Severn Trent, Thames Water, and West Country Water. Its work has contributed to national initiatives under the Strategic Resource Options (SROs) programme, focused on optimising treatment processes to secure water supplies for the future. These projects address critical challenges such as climate change, population growth, and increasing demand on natural resources, ensuring that water systems remain resilient and efficient.

The site is also home to cybersecurity firm Goldilock, one of only four companies on the NATIO DIANA - Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic – programme. The global tech firm has expanded its manufacturing and testing site at the Science Park this year after doubling its workforce to meet a rise in demand for its products. The firm said it expects to increase its team to 32 employees by the end of 2025 and create 44 new jobs by 2027.

Nigel said: “On one end of the spectrum we have firms looking at ecological sustainability and better ways to optimise crop yields such as hydroponics. On the other end we have a tenant developing innovative materials that address the semiconductor industry’s need for ever-decreasing microchip feature sizes.

“construction of the £10 million Science Centre building gave us Category 2 labs on the site for the first time” 34 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

“Wolverhampton, with its history as a polytechnic, has always been less about blue sky research (although there is some excellent work going on there) and more about converting academic intellectual property into realworld practical uses. It’s all about the technology transfer, how we translate knowledge into practical things that people and companies can take, exploit, innovate and be entrepreneurial with.”

More immediately, the University of Wolverhampton Science Park is preparing to become part of the city’s Green Innovation Corridor.

“The focus now is on green innovation and green technologies.

We want to attract those sorts of companies to Wolverhampton.

There is plenty of derelict and brownfield land, and we can use the expertise of the university to identify pockets of land that can be brought back into economical use.”

One end of the Corridor would be anchored at the university’s Springfield Campus, Europe's largest specialist architecture and built environment campus and

home to the National Brownfield Institute.

“The city and university are becoming focussed on fields such as green computing, green construction, green manufacturing and circular economy. One of the things that the university is world-leading at is additive manufacturing, particularly 3D printing in metals such as copper.

So I’m really excited with the establishment of the University’s National Centre for Green Electric Material Manufacturing (GEMM) both from an engineering perspective and the knock-on effect for supply chains and their desire to locate in Wolverhampton.

“Looking ahead I also think we are about to see a quantum shift in spin-outs from the university.

There is a new research and enterprise directorate and the university is investing heavily with the aim of ultimately getting more spin-outs and even more technology transfer into businesses.”

“The opportunities as part of the Green Innovation Corridor are really exciting, and as part of the scheme, we will continue to be at the heart of innovation going forward as we have been for the past three decades.” n

A home for growth

For more information, head online to www.wolverhamptonsp.co.uk

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lab innovations

A guided walk through

Lab Innovations 2025 Celebrating science, people and technologies shaping global labs n October 29 and 30, the doors of the NEC, Birmingham, open to welcome back the UK’s largest gathering of laboratory professionals. Lab Innovations 2025 brings together more than 200 exhibitors and thousands of visitors in a two-day celebration of science, technology and collaboration. This year’s theme, co-LAB-oration, captures the event’s focus on sharing expertise and solving challenges together across disciplines.

O

entering the show As you step through the double doors and scan your badge, the energy of Lab Innovations immediately comes alive. w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Handshakes, conversations and curiosity fill the air, while the latest technologies are showcased across the exhibitor stands. More than 4,300 laboratory professionals, first-time visitors and returning attendees gather to exchange knowledge and ideas.

Directly in front, major exhibitors like Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS), Monmouth Scientific and LTE Scientific showcase their latest solutions. To the left, Calibre

“Lab Innovations is more than a show, it is a living laboratory of ideas, technology and collaboration”

Scientific adds to the line-up of leading suppliers and to the right, Gilson UK.

the heart of the floor register now Use the code to be a part of the UK's largest gathering of laboratory professionals

Down the central aisle, the Shimadzu VIP Lounge offers a space for exclusive networking, connecting leaders and decisionmakers from across the industry.

Next to it is Lab Square, sponsored

by LabOS, an open networking hub where professionals from every discipline can meet, share ideas and spark new collaborations. Designed as a central gathering point, it’s the perfect place to connect with peers, troubleshoot challenges and explore fresh perspectives.

As Tom Whipple, The Times science editor, explained, “One of the things I’ve learned doing science is that most of this is about meeting each other. It’s about getting a sense of community, a sense that there are all these people around doing similar things, making contacts.”

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 37

lab innovations At the far end of the hall on your left, the Sustainable Lab, hosted by Green Light Laboratories and Uni Green Scheme, gives you the chance to try the latest energy-efficient technologies first-hand. Technical experts are on hand to answer questions, while live demonstrations show how real-world labs can cut waste and reduce emissions.

To the right is Total Clean Air’s mobile laboratory that offers an immersive experience, complete with virtual reality simulations of cleanroom environments. It’s an opportunity not just to observe, but to step inside, the technology shaping the future of laboratory practice.

Take a stroll along the innovation and sustainability trails to see the most cutting-edge solutions and sustainable products available on the market, navigating by the brightly coloured floor tiles.

Key areas to look out along your way are the five conference areas: Quality Infrastructure Forum (QI), Biotech Forum, The Royal Society of Chemistry Theatre, Live Lab, and Insights and Innovations Theatre.

day one

These annual awards celebrate excellence across the industry and recognise achievements in a wide range of categories, including: Outstanding Achievement; Lab Technician of the Year; Rising Star; Laboratory of the Year; Sustainability Best Practice – Laboratory; Supplier Excellence; Best Technology Innovation; Best Automation and Data Innovation and Best Research Project.

day two On day two, there is still much more to discover. Alongside a wide range of exhibitors, you can also explore the co-located Advanced Engineering event, creating even more opportunities to co-LABorate across disciplines. Many Lab Innovations exhibitors have built long-term partnerships through connections first made at Advanced Engineering, and this year offers the same chance to expand your network further.

At 1pm, you can make your way back to the Royal Society of Chemistry Theatre for the second keynote speech, where Dr Marc Reid, academic research leader and science communicator, will present on the latest thinking in laboratory culture and sustainability.

Later in the afternoon, the Sustainability and Innovation Pitches take place on the Future of Laboratories Stage, with companies showcasing cuttingedge products designed to reduce environmental impact while boosting efficiency.

Across both days, you will also find live demonstrations in the Sustainable Lab and interactive features such as mobile laboratories, ensuring that there is always something new for you to experience.

“With live demos and interactive features across both days, there is always something new to experience”

Bright and early the Future of the Labs Stage opens with ‘Skynet with a lab coat - Are we ready for the lab of tomorrow?’

After spending time with exhibitors, taking photos in the human-sized test tubes and connecting at Lab Square, you can head to the Royal Society of Chemistry Theatre at 1pm for the first keynote speaker.

There, Liz Bonnin, science and natural history broadcaster, will share her perspective on the power of research and communication to inspire change.

At 2pm, VIPs are invited to the Shimadzu VIP Lounge for networking drinks, before the day builds towards one of the most anticipated moments of the show: the Lab Awards at 3pm on the Future of Laboratories Stage.

Watch the prestigious Lab Awards ceremony from 3pm.

38 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

five themes shaping the future of labs Your walk through the show floor is only part of the story. Lab Innovations 2025 is also built around five key challenges driving the future of science...

quality & compliance As you engage with the Quality Infrastructure Forum, powered by UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL), you will learn how organisations are working to ensure resilience, safety and excellence in the face of a complex global supply chain.

On the show floor, exhibitors such as Achiever LIMS Interactive Software demonstrate how digital systems support compliance and good practice. Trusted by clinical research labs, diagnostics providers and NHS trusts, these tools help you manage data securely and reproducibly in accordance with the Good Clinical Laboratory Practice and the UK Health Security Agency guidelines.

lab innovations

sustainability

biotechnology In the biotechnology sector, you will see how cross-disciplinary collaboration is transforming healthcare. With the global market projected to reach USD 3.88 trillion by 2030, exhibitors and speakers at the Biotech Forum will explore areas from drug discovery to genomics.

Breakthroughs in gene editing, including CRISPR-Cas9, are opening the door to precise DNA manipulation. Improvements in delivery systems, such as lipid nanoparticles, are expected to make gene editing safer and more effective for clinical use. At Lab Innovations, you can hear how these developments are moving from research labs into real-world medicine and visit exhibitors pushing biotechnology frontiers such as ELPRO, Festo, MP Biomedicals and Nippon Genetics, along with many more. w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Sustainability remains one of the sector’s greatest challenges. Freese et al. (2024) explain how laboratories consume ten times more energy per square metre than office buildings, with 40 per cent of global CO₂ emissions linked to energy production. Despite great strides in energy efficiency and waste reduction, more innovation is required to make STEM research sustainable.

At the show, you can see exhibitors such as Liebherr, which brings decades of engineering expertise to energy efficient laboratory refrigeration solutions, as well as Merck which will display exciting technology including the Milli-Q® IQ 7003/05/10/15 systems. These systems were voted “Sustainable Lab Product of the Year” in the SelectScience® Scientists’ Choice Awards 2022.

skills The STEM skills gap is a major focus at this year’s show. You will see how the industry is working to close the gap, which currently costs the UK economy an estimated £1.5 billion a year, according to the 2025 UK STEM Skills Pipeline Report.

You can hear from educators like Laurence Dawkins-Hall, who highlight the importance of training and continuous professional development on

October 29 at the Quality Infrastructure Forum, and meet exhibitors such as Skills4Science, a training provider dedicated to supporting science apprenticeships. By engaging with these initiatives, you can see how the next generation of laboratory professionals is being prepared for the future.

STEM educator Dawkins-Hall explains "My talk is about the fast-track route to professional registration for qualified STEM apprentices. These apprentice standards take end point assessment materials in lieu of the full panoply of competency evidential standards normally asked for, streaming the online application process.

“The talk will clarify the expedited route and explain benefits of Science Council professional registration over and above the apprentice qualification itself, which include networking, enhanced CPD opportunities and improved job prospects in STEM.”

ai & automation Finally, as you visit exhibitors across the AI and automation space, you will discover how technologies such as robotics, machine learning and digitalisation are reshaping laboratory workflows.

Companies like Applied Scientific Technologies and Hamilton Robotics showcase advanced robotics and automated control systems, supporting your journey towards the “lab of the future.”

Lab Innovations 2025 is more than a show, it is a living laboratory of ideas, technology and collaboration. Whether you are looking for the latest products, exploring sustainable solutions or connecting with peers across disciplines, the event offers a unique opportunity for you to shape the future of science.

JOIN US at the nec

Lab Innovations 2025 takes place on October 29 and 30 at the NEC Birmingham. Find out more at lab-innovations.com/why-visit or use the QR code to register now and be part of the UK’s largest gathering for laboratory professionals.

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 39

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40 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

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Growth

Sharing your success, best practice, and lessons learned

MIRA TECH PARK A global hub for the UK’s Industrial Strategy

Declan Allen and Sarah Windrum talk to Simon Penfold about HORIBA MIRA’s role as home to an ever-widening range of research and technology businesses.

W

hen the Government launched its Industrial Strategy this summer, it chose to hold the event at HORIBA MIRA, the renowned automotive engineering and development centre in Warwickshire.

For the Government’s purposes, it is hard to imagine a more ideal setting.

Originally established 79 years ago as the Motor Industry Research Association, HORIBA MIRA now sits at the heart of MIRA Tech Park as both a tenant and the anchor institution that enables Europe’s largest automotive and mobility R&D cluster through its worldleading technical capabilities and infrastructure. MIRA Tech Park spans over 850 acres and is home to leading global names including Bentley, Bosch, Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, and Aston Martin.

And in a year that marks the 10th anniversary of MIRA’s acquisition by HORIBA - the Japanese-based scientific instrument and testing group - the Tech Park is continuing to expand, with 140,000 sq ft of new space currently under construction and 2.3 million sq ft with outline approval on its South Site, taking it to 1,000 acres.

Sarah Windrum, head of cluster development at HORIBA MIRA, said: “We’d been in touch with key figures in the new Government well before the election, with them getting our feedback and talking to the cluster of companies we have based here.

42 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

read the industrial strategy

“I think it became clear we were a logical choice for launching the Industrial Strategy, because we touch all of the different sectors in terms of technology, and because we have a proven track record of growth and enabling a global pipeline of new manufacturing.”

Use the code to download a copy of the Industrial Strategy launched at HORIBA MIRA

Making a difference

MIRA Tech Park is home to over 40 forward-thinking companies and connects with an extensive network of supply chain partners.

Its tenants include Polestar’s UK development centre, hydrogen powertrain company Viritech, vehicle software company ClearMotion, manufacturing giant 3M, university spin-out Warwick Acoustics, and vehicle battery

Above left Sarah Windrum, head of cluster development at HORIBA MIRA Below left Declan Allen, MD of HORIBA MIRA Below The MIRA site in the 1940s

safety business Oerlikon as well as HORIBA MIRA itself.

HORIBA MIRA managing director Declan Allen added: “We have established a high-potential cluster of global developers, turning our great innovation in the UK into actual products and services that make a difference in this marketplace.

“You look at the companies that are here, the technologies that are here, the skills that are here and the potential that's here, I think we have a great story to tell. I think we recognised a little while ago that we risked becoming the best kept secret in the world and Sarah has been playing a big role in encouraging people to come and see us.

“So, if you're looking for an industrial site with the technology that shows a bright future and the skills that are already attracting a large global customer base and huge foreign investment, you can’t imagine a better place.”

growth

“The Government team also wanted early careers involvement in the launch event,” said Sarah.

“They wanted to meet the next generation of talent, the people who are going to be driving that industrial strategy over the next decade.

“Obviously we've got very strong talent development here, partnership with the universities and with our further education college - the MIRA Technology Institute – but also a number of global developers on-site with apprentices in high value, high opportunity roles.

“I don't think there's any other place in the UK that would be able to do that in quite the same way across so many different companies.”

While the team at HORIBA MIRA appreciate the kudos of hosting the Government’s Industrial Strategy launch, they are determined there should be practical benefits from the plan.

Sarah Windrum said: “As a nation we suffer now because we haven’t paid close enough attention to global competitiveness in the past, and we're hoping the Industrial Strategy now marks a change.

“We've got to see some action as a result of that. It can't just be warm words. A strategic direction is important, but we need to see action and the delivery - and I think they recognise that.

“We need to see support for those high growth businesses and global companies coming to the UK. How are we presenting a joint narrative that competes on a global stage? Because our competition isn't in the UK, it's in Europe. So how are we putting the best UK case forward?

“We've got global companies that want to land here and we need to make sure the right people are aligned and showing that company that they'll have a soft landing, and the UK will support them.

“Similarly, we’ve got great opportunities in energy and in water that could really benefit our local communities. But who's aligning with us and helping us to deliver that for the wider benefit? w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

“look at the companies, technologies, skills and potential that's here - i think we have a great story to tell”

Top and above The Industrial Strategy was launched at HORIBA MIRA in June with attendees including Prime Minister Keir Starmer (top), and Secretary of State Jonathan Reynolds, Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker and Chancellor Rachel Reeves (above, L-R) Below HORIBA MIRA's MD Declan Allen (centre) greets the PM at the Industrial Stategy launch event

“We’re an enabler to creating jobs and making things happen.

We’ve shown what we can do.”

Declan Allen added: “We struggle with the inertia to build on the momentum that's been achieved. You know if you look at how we can signpost and do more on this site, that will make better use of taxpayers’ money than creating new sites elsewhere.

“A lot of the things that we're talking about can be delivered in the near term. So why isn't that resulting in local, regional or national government jumping on board and really accelerating things?”

One-stop shop to market

In the meantime, HORIBA MIRA is continuing to plan for growth as it builds on its near-80-year history.

Declan said: “We’ve gone through various stages in the past at MIRA where we may just have been a test and verification site.

“But over the last couple of decades, we've added to our engineering and technology capabilities to develop what we call

a ‘one-stop shop’ which is a toolkit containing everything a global developer needs to get their product to market quickly.

“We’ve only got to look at the speed of development in China, for instance, to help us all realise how we need to challenge ourselves and push to develop quicker as a nation - and in the West as a whole.

“Our vision has been to build this one-stop shop, allowing customers to tap into that capability so they can move quickly and concentrate on their core business.

“If you look at the majority of startups who get into trouble, they overcommit. They try to do everything themselves and burn up whatever funding they have in a ridiculously short period of time.

They run out of cash and haven’t got anything to show for it.

“We felt the need to complete our portfolio, so the one-stop shop could then cover not just research and development and testing but actually lead to commercialisation and scale-up.

“Our expansion footprint is aimed at advanced manufacturing, providing that good step forward so customers at that point can see the opportunity to innovate and scale-up in one location. It will take time out of the process, collapse logistics, collapse their CO2 footprint and satisfy true net zero requirement by building the product locally.”

The expansion for MIRA Tech Park has received outline planning approval for 2.3 million sq ft of large-scale manufacturing and industrial facilities that will complement the extensive R&D facilities and campus on the existing site.

With around 600 working at HORIBA MIRA and over 1,000 at tenant companies, the employment potential of the site rises to over 5,000 with the advanced manufacturing expansion.

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 43

growth Recent work by Oxford Economics has also shown that 2.5 supply chain jobs are created for every new job at MIRA Tech Park because of the high-value nature of the work.

Declan continued: “We are building on that heritage of test and development, primarily for mobility, but now looking at other areas such as defence, water, clean energy, and then the South Site provides the opportunity to take that into manufacturing, particularly low volume or prototype manufacturing.

“Automotive is a complex and challenging sector for product development. The modern motor car is probably one of the most complicated devices on the planet.

The technology is all about optimising performance in real time - given split second information about traffic conditions and safety concerns.

“If you take the complexity on board with hundreds of microprocessors you then end up creating a highly connected and vulnerable device and criminals can take control of a fleet very easily.

“The motor car presents so many safety, energy and cyber requirements and its operation presents so many challenges - but therein lies the opportunity. You take the skill set involved in engineering vehicles to be safe and efficient, and lo and behold, you can see they are applicable across a whole range of other sectors.

Water works

“A major focus for us at HORIBA globally is the water sector because of our collective expertise.

“That includes cyber resilience and functional safety at water processing plants, data capture of engineering processes, data analytics, real-time decision making to avoid spills or reduce energy consumption.

“All the disciplines we have from a very tough automotive platform are relevant across defence, water, air quality, so that is where we are migrating to as a technology cluster that services all of those sectors.

“And actually, you'll find that the sectors overlap. Road runoff is a good example. One of the unintended consequences of 44 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Atsushi Horiba, Chairman and CEO, HORIBA Group; Rachel Taylor, MP for North Warwickshire & Bedworth; Jodie Gosling, MP for Nuneaton; Stuart Knight, President of HORIBA UK; Declan Allen, Managing Director of HORIBA MIRA

increased electrification of road transport is that the tyre life on these heavy, extremely powerful electric vehicles can be compromised and degrade very quickly.

“Around 40% of the contamination in our waterways is down to road runoff. When it rains, all the debris gets washed off the roads into the waterways, and all the microplastics and rubber particles from worn tyres get into the system and processed through wastewater treatment and goes back onto the land.

“Engineers at our facilities here are looking across the mobility and water sectors, at tyre companies, National Highways, between vehicle developers and water companies, to see if we can solve that problem.

“we've developed a ‘one-stop shop’ a toolkit containing everything a developer needs to get a product to market quickly”

Above The new Analytical Solution Plaza at MIRA Tech Park was opened in July

“Our water analysis is all based around our HORIBA equipment which has fuelled our growth in terms of automotive capabilities and now that growth and expertise are servicing the other sectors.”

MIRA’s acquisition by HORIBA a decade ago has been “transformational” for the business, said Declan.

“Many of the investments we have now wouldn't have been possible without HORIBA’s support. Our global group has enabled us to develop our technologies here and those are the technologies now that are relevant across all the sectors for instance using our precision measurement instruments to measure water quality layered with our expertise in applied system engineering to deliver a robust and complete solution that solves real world challenges.”

A decade on from HORIBA’s acquisition, HORIBA MIRA continues to build on its heritage as a world-class engineering consultancy while anchoring the growth of MIRA Tech Park. Backed

by HORIBA’s global strength in precision measurement and data analysis, and surrounded by a thriving ecosystem of innovative tenants, the site is now a unique UK asset: an integrated cluster where research, development, testing, and advanced manufacturing come together to drive industrial growth and address global challenges. n

sustainable mobility innovation For more information go to www.miratechpark.com and www.horiba-mira.com

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25/09/2025 09:37:20

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 45

growth t is a year of anniversaries for the University of Warwick. The University itself is marking 60 years since its foundation, while its ground-breaking Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) was established 45 years ago.

In 1965, under its first Vice-Chancellor, Lord Butterworth, Warwick sparked a revolution in UK higher education by becoming the first university to develop close links with the business community and exploit the commercial value of its research. Lord Butterworth was credited by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya as his mentor as he launched the Warwick Manufacturing Group in 1980.

Those industry links were deepened by the opening of the University’s science park in 1984.

Warwick Science Park (WSP) was one of the UK’s first universitybased science parks and now spans four locations: The Venture Centre, Business Innovation Centre in Coventry, Warwick Innovation Centre in Warwick, and Blythe Valley Innovation Centre in Shirley.

It has recently expanded to a fifth site, sharing space on the University of Warwick Innovation Campus in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Meanwhile, the University has created the Warwick Innovation District, with former Conservative Cabinet Minister Greg Clark appointed as its first executive chair last year.

Commenting at the time of his appointment, Greg Clark said: “The creation of the Warwick Innovation District is part of the University’s vision to ensure that education and research drive positive economic and societal impact in collaboration with the public and private sectors. It will build upon WMG’s work over four decades as a role model for collaboration between academia and industry, driving innovation to develop the brightest ideas and talent”.

The Warwick Innovation District will oversee developments such as Arden Cross, a regeneration project to be anchored by a HealthTech Campus, and the expansion of the Innovation Campus, Stratfordupon-Avon, as well as the University’s Science Park.

46 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Warwick: a byword for UK innovation Simon Penfold talks to Warwick Science Park COO Mark Tock (below left) and WMG’s Professor David Greenwood (below right) about all things Warwick, from automotive manufacturing to the new Innovation District.

Supporting new sectors

Against this background, Mark Tock, Chief Operating Officer of University of Warwick Science Park, is overseeing a period of change and expansion, both in terms of facilities and the breadth of work.

While Warwick’s focus on engineering and manufacturing innovation led to the rise of WMG, the work at the Innovation Campus at Wellesbourne, a former DEFRA site, has seen the creation of Warwick Agri-Tech in a combined venture between the University’s School of Life Sciences and WMG. Mark Tock explained: “The School of Life Sciences at Wellesbourne is working on crop research, agriculture and botany, while WMG have been delivering robotics and digitalisation to industry for decades.

growth

“creation of the Innovation District will build upon WMG’s work as a role model for collaboration between academia and industry” “Over the last 12 to 18 months, we've seen the interesting evolution of the coming together of those two departments into Warwick AgriTech, focused on the concept of addressing productivity in agriculture by bringing the lessons WMG has learned and its research and capabilities from working predominantly with the automotive and aerospace industries.

“The result is glasshouses with robots weeding, patrolling, tending the plants, carrying out the functions that a human would normally do and, in addition, we’re looking at breeding crops which better suit an automated environment. It’s a super hi-tech productivity step that is really interesting.”

Warwick Manufacturing Group Professor David Greenwood, CEO of WMG’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult and director for industrial engagement sees recent developments as building on Warwick’s heritage: “You've got a university that is celebrating its 60th year, having been born out of an entrepreneurial spirit, linking academia with business. We have w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

established ourselves as the university of choice for leading car manufacturers.

“The vision of Professor Lord Bhattacharyya around 1980 was very much to improve the quality of the management and technical capabilities of the UK auto industry, which was not a particularly pretty sight in the 1970s and 80s.

“The focus there was definitely to bring the best of industry and the best of academia together for the benefit of industry.

“As it turns out, over the years, that's widened in focus to engineering materials and now process-driven industries and sectors like Agritech.

What WMG does now covers an enormous breadth of high-value manufacturing, which is why it’s one of only six High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) centres.”

Operating from centres around the country, the HVMC is a Government-backed strategic research and innovation hub for industry, aiming to commercialise the UK’s most advanced manufacturing ideas.

Professor Greenwood continued: “WMG’s initial vision hasn't actually changed. At its core, it's been pretty constant: to deliver the knowledge, skills and technology needed by industry now and in the future.

“That reflects the journey of innovation within the UK economy.

Actually, it's two things. It's that innovation is both sequential and additive, but it also involves certain step changes which might evolve, transferring learnings from one industry sector to another.

“What has changed is how WMG now supports a much wider group of industries. The technologies and skills we're developing and teach have evolved hugely over four and a half decades. Which is just astounding.

“At a research-intensive university that is 60 years old, WMG has been an absolute bulwark of manufacturing innovation for 45 years, which coincidentally overlaps with one of the UK’s oldest science parks, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. So, you can see how those things came together.

“Physically, at one point, Warwick Science Park and the University were fields apart. Both have grown, but a large part of that space in between is occupied by WMG. So, we have facilities like the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), developed with JLR and Tata as key innovation collaborators and partners with the University. And that’s a 33,000 square metre building.

“WMG is also carrying out postgraduate training, as well as applied research and near-market research. A large part of what WMG does is blue sky research, but an equally large portion of the research that we do is near-market, the stuff that you can see make an impact in the shorter term. It’s quite inspirational in the way that our teams work.

“We have the Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory (APRL) in the NAIC building for testing engine components and electric powertrains within sealed, controlled environments that go from very low negative temperatures to Saharan conditions.

“We can test pretty much any kind of component you would see in terms of engineering, and these facilities sit side-by-side in the middle of a university campus within easy walking distance of the science precinct.

“There’s even a battery abuse centre where the University figures out what happens to a battery if Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 47

growth

“WMG probably has more than £100M of research assets It has become an enormous enterprise” any one of a number of unpleasant situations arise. But it also looks to identify second-life uses for car batteries.

“When they are no longer useful to power vehicles, there will still be some capacity left, so they can still have a useful second life.

And then there is the question of how you recycle them without all the attendant pollution. That becomes increasingly important as the number of electric vehicles increases.”

The expansion of its reach has also seen physical growth for WMG. It occupies 13 buildings on the main Warwick campus and across the Science Park, as well as teaching remotely across the world in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Azerbaijan.

“It’s become an enormous enterprise – WMG probably has more than £100 million of research assets. WMG has grown to just under 1,000 staff since its foundation, and it accounts for about £140 a year in turnover. And then there are the students in the Degree Apprenticeship building at WMG – around 1,000 of them.

“With its links to the HVMC network, WMG has become influential in terms of shaping national industrial and engineering policy. Take something like the Faraday Battery Challenge: it enabled companies like JLR to move into electric vehicles and has supported thousands of regional SMEs in that supply chain, leading to 10,000s of jobs and quite literally billions of pounds in terms of GVA in the UK.”

Warwick Science Park

Mark Tock continued: “There is a notional boundary between the Science Park campus and the University of Warwick main campus, and it's particularly in the area where WMG has its facilities, alongside the Degree 48 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Apprenticeship building.

But we're increasingly trying to make that boundary more porous because the best and most effective form of knowledge transfer and knowledge exchange comes in the form of people.”

“A large number of our tenants – both big names and lesser-known names – come because they're attracted by the potential to locate within an easy walk of WMG. We have Bosch Mobility UK, LG, Lotus at the Stratford site, and Drive Systems Design, owned by Hinduja Tech, a major Indian conglomerate doing loads of automotive and engineering testing.

“We have designers like Simpact Engineering and P3 Mobility R&D, which is a subsidiary of Rimac, the Croatian hypercar company.

“As a science park we are quite agnostic. That gives an enormous opportunity for those areas of overlap where emerging tech comes from. That’s why we're quite excited about things like the rise of agritech.

“Apart from the use of robots, it also brings in capabilities from autonomous vehicle technology and the use of drones.”

Warwick Science Park currently houses just over 160 resident companies – a 30% increase over the last three years.

Top Warwick Science Park opened in 1984 as one of the UK's first university based science parks Above Warwick Innovation Centre is a purposebuilt facility for start-up and growing tech-based businesses

“Our ten-year strategy looks to increase the number of resident companies to 300,” said Mark.

“That means we have to build. In this case, we have to revive, rebuild, refurbish or repurpose. We have some buildings that are 40 years old. If we want to create space for wet labs and bioscience, we need to repurpose one of our old office buildings.

“This will be the Vanguard Centre; it will be redesigned to give us 14,000 sq ft of wet lab space, which could also support electronics or medical devices if necessary. It will also give us another 8,000 sq ft of office space.

“We are turning a currently unlettable office into a higher value, higher yielding property to support a sector where we already have the Warwick Medical School alongside WMG and the Business School.

“It gives us an absolutely immense offer to the world.

“There is so much here that is just inspiring. And the appointment of Greg Clark as Chair of Warwick Innovation District really ties together the industrial engagement that WMG is well known and well respected for, with the kind of activity that the Science Park supports with the Warwick Innovation group.

“It is joining everything together, with staff, student and alumni innovation, taking us from concept into areas as varied as deep tech, fintech, biotech, engineering and manufacturing, AI... It’s endless.

“And we can take it all the way through academic study and entrepreneurship to starting a company and engaging with the wider business community. There's a potential there for consortia that I've not seen anywhere else, and that's particularly exciting.” n

creating a better tomorrow

For more information, please go to warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg or warwicksciencepark.co.uk

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Impact

Taking care of your people, places and public perception

Community values are key for Sciontec

Liverpool’s Sciontec is a property company with a difference – a deep commitment to its home city and its people, as head of property George Barclay explains to Simon Penfold.

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or Sciontec, the spin-out property development company of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, 2025 is turning into another landmark year.

The rapid transformation of a previously closed innovation hub saw the opening of CENTRAL TECH in May, while enabling work has just got under way at HEMISPHERE One, the first of two new laboratory and workspace buildings at Paddington Village.

“It’s both exciting and daunting,” said George Barclay, Sciontec’s head of property. “I think we’re seeing that right across the UK science and technology sector at the moment, with the level of growth and development opportunities.”

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Sciontec is at the heart of a vision to make Liverpool the go-to destination for innovation, technology, health and life sciences focused businesses, with Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) leveraging the groundbreaking successes of the city region’s universities, hospitals and digital sector.

KQ Liverpool, the quadruplehelix partnership between the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool City Council, Bruntwood SciTech, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG), is the city’s innovation district.

“The vision was to join up all the strategic angles of those six organisations, creating the Knowledge Quarter as an urban innovation district covering around 450 acres, or about half of the city centre,” said George Barclay.

“When you arrive at Liverpool Lime Street station and head out the main doors, that’s where the boundary starts and stretches right up to Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site. Our innovation district is home to two major universities’ campuses, world leading hospitals, and a dynamic business community, as well as a big cultural element including two cathedrals, theatres and hospitality venues.

Above The Knowledge Quarter covers around 450 acres of Liverpool city centre Below left George Barclay, Sciontec's head of property Below Colin Sinclair, CEO of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec

“KQ Liverpool is home to tens of thousands of students, academics, clinicians and a lot of small and medium-sized businesses. However, we are always looking to support and positively impact upon the entire city region, not just within our physical boundaries.”

Colin Sinclair, CEO of both KQ Liverpool and Sciontec, was headhunted from developer Bruntwood to lead the venture right from the start. Alongside his background in commercial property, he had a previous five-year spell as the highly successful chief executive of MIDAS, Manchester's inward

impact

“The vision was to create the Knowledge Quarter as an urban innovation district covering about half of the city centre” investment agency, which led the promotion of the city as a global business location.

George continued: “Colin was brought in and one of his first jobs was to look at the existing assets within KQ Liverpool which were owned by the partners and bring them together.

“The big one at the time was Liverpool Science Park; three buildings based next door to the Metropolitan Cathedral, owned by the two universities and the Council.

“KQ Liverpool set up a commercial development organisation, originally called KQ Development Company, that later became Sciontec Developments Limited (Sciontec), which took over ownership of the science park. It was about that time that Bruntwood SciTech came on board too as the sixth member of the KQ Liverpool partnership.

“Part of the reason for the change of name to Sciontec was that it didn’t pin us down geographically. So our prime focus at the moment is developing properties within KQ Liverpool, but that doesn’t rule out looking at opportunities further afield in the city region in the future.” w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Below The latest property addition is the innovation hub now known as CENTRAL TECH

Wider community purpose

Sciontec was given the role of bringing together, modernising and expanding KQ Liverpool’s existing science and technology assets. But six years later, its remit now extends far beyond that. “We are a property development company with a wider community purpose,” said George.

Alongside three floors of The Spine, a 14-storey office building completed in 2021 at Paddington Village, and Liverpool Science Park – almost constantly at full occupancy - Sciontec also looks after marketing and lead generation for the Cotton Exchange and Cotton House and The Plaza. The company’s newest addition is the

former Sensor City building, which had closed five years ago amid the Covid pandemic.

The landmark gold-clad building on Copperas Hill was taken over by Sciontec in March and reopened as a tech innovation hub, called CENTRAL TECH, just 65 days later. The 27,000 sq ft facility now provides a range of flexible workspaces and event spaces, aimed at business customers looking for offices, labs, and coworking hot desks, within the health, life sciences, engineering, technology and digitalisation sectors.

Around the same time, Sciontec unveiled Morgan Sindall as its preferred contractor for its £61m Hemisphere One project at Paddington Village.

George said: “This is a dual development: Hemisphere One and Two, a pair of new eight-storey buildings offering a net total 216,861 sq ft laboratory and workspace, providing occupiers with access to a unique combination of bio labs, data labs, robotics labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator and grow-on space.

“Paddington Village is a 30-acre strategic development zone created as part of KQ Liverpool and is home to The Spine, which is owned by the council and is a Liverpool showcase of great quality office space. The key anchor tenant there is the Royal College of Physicians, which has attracted a huge mix of other medical companies. We manage three floors of serviced workspace at The Spine, through our Sciontec AI products, so we also have tenant companies in the building.

“Paddington Village is on a former brownfield site that used to be the school where both myself and our head of commercial, Leanne Katsande, were pupils, along with a number of our other colleagues.”

George continued: “One of the biggest announcements for us in recent years was the government’s investment zone funding, which Liverpool was fortunate to benefit from. The Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone will help us unlock future benefits of both what we will do at Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 51

impact HEMISPHERE, but also in terms of the work we do to inspire the next generation, delivering workshops, tours and events for kids from across the Liverpool City Region through KQ Futures, showing people the opportunities in a range of innovation sectors right on their doorsteps.

“We are encouraging aspiration among the local community as we position ourselves as a centre for technology and life sciences. We want local people to see the career opportunities available, take up training and secure the high value jobs that are coming here. It’s part of that wider community purpose I mentioned earlier.”

A great entrepreneurial tradition

While the creation of new jobs is a positive thing, George explained: “ here’s not a huge amount of availability of top-of-the-range office space. That’s one of the challenges we have in Liverpool.

“But we are attracting many kinds of innovative new companies because of access to our universities, as firms choose to relocate here. As a city, Liverpool has a great entrepreneurial tradition; we get a lot of people starting businesses here so inevitably space is a problem, which is one of the issues that CENTRAL TECH will help address.

“That was so exciting, because it is a landmark building that we were able to bring back into use.

Conversations around the building had been going on for years but when it finally happened, it was all fairly rapid.

“The relaunch has had a great response from the local community.

People who have walked past it for years on their commute, or local residents, were coming in asking what was happening and saying how fantastic it was to see it back in use.

“In those 65 days between completion and the opening, we secured more than 50 per cent pre letting of the space, which underlines the demand. It was a hard couple of months but well worth it.

“And it is creating an air of confidence. The market was a little stagnant but this shows what we can achieve in Liverpool.

“Because within Sciontec we really care about achieving that success for the city. The majority of us are Scousers and it’s really exciting because we all genuinely care. We went to school in the area and now we are working with schools, even sometimes working with our old teachers.

“At the same time we recognise the importance of bringing new people and new business into Liverpool, creating more high-value jobs through science and technology.

“We also have a very good quality of living that is relatively cost effective compared to other cities, there’s green spaces, good transport networks. I’ve got two kids and it’s a great place to raise children.

“Within Sciontec we really care about achieving success for the city - the majority of us are Scousers”

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Above Hemisphere One and Two are a pair of new eightstorey buildings

great spaces for great minds Use the codes below to download the brochures for CENTRAL TECH and Hemisphere

central tech

hemisphere

“Sciontec’s community element also comes from our ownership structure. As a result there is a big desire to give back to the city, and a huge amount of charitable work from people across our sites. So in September our CEO, Colin Sinclair, ran 52 miles – the equivalent of two marathons – around all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region to raise money for six local children’s charities.”

George added: “Liverpool, like many other cities, had a very tough time over recent years, hit by Covid, and impacted by the war in Ukraine and energy costs. But there is a feeling now of things turning around.

“We’ve got a really proactive combined authority that will go out and pitch the city region; they were in Hong Kong recently, they've been in Boston and they've brought in a company called Kyndryl, who will create 1,000 AI-based jobs within Liverpool City Region.

“At the same time we are seeing a real increase in spin-outs, part of a conscious effort from both of our university partners.

And we have seen more localised funds and investment group partners such as LYVA Labs, based in CENTRAL TECH, who work with early-stage businesses to help them grow, through seed funding and business support. And they are just one of several similar businesses in the city region now, often focused on clean-tech and deep-tech.”

“Within Liverpool Science Park we have two high-value manufacturing catapults as customers; the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). The arrival of the MTC was particularly transformational for us – and it took occupancy at Liverpool Science Park’s original site to 100% for the first time.

“All the pieces are falling into place, so we are in a position where we can shout about Liverpool as being a really innovative city.” n

discover more online

Sciontec provides outstanding office and lab space in Liverpool. Find out more at https://sciontec.co.uk or https://kqliverpool.co.uk

member profile

The Next Golden Triangle in the North Words Jon Moister Board Director – Curtins

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s a Golden Triangle of Life Sciences emerging in the North, and can this compete with the likes of the London – Oxford – Cambridge contingent, which accounts for a significant proportion of Curtins’ work in this valuable sector?

That was the discussion point I put the roundtable I chaired at this year’s Life Sciences & Research Clusters Conference, which, you may note, takes place in London. What came out of the discussion was recognition of what’s needed, where we are, and the challenges we may face in the North of England in developing this cluster further.

The placement of some our largest schemes in the South suggests that a successful life science cluster needs the following ingredients: research focussed academic institutions, access to talent with affordable and attractive places for them to live, links to modern healthcare facilities and close proximity to allow collaboration.

In my role as Science & Technology Sector Lead for Curtins, I can confidently say that there are research and life science hubs across the North – we are working on many of these. Collectively they account for a significant portion of the UK’s life sciences, biopharma, med tech and digital health workforce; however, several challenges exist to allow these hubs to form a cluster. And I say this from my hometown in Manchester.

BIOS Building at Teesside University Copyright: John Kees Photography

Connectivity across the North is poor and whilst the recent Government spending review identified several £bn of infrastructure investment, this feels like maintenance as opposed to improvement – better public transport East/West and North/South is the key, providing reliable, cost-effective transport links but also a journey that supports digital connectivity.

This is a long-term strategy therefore, perhaps the next cluster needs to plan itself around future transport investment and development?

Devolved political powers allow the Mayoral leaders to work together to support this master plan, with designated hubs specialising in areas to compliment and support others in the cluster. Whilst sensible, the main threat to this approach is the voting cycle, where aspirations to create a new cluster may far out live the term of office.

The future would appear to be a city centre location, where the viability challenges of science building development could be overcome by taking advantage of other changes in society. Hybrid working could create a surplus of office space, and alongside the changes in the high street retail industry, there are likely to be opportunities to redevelop existing buildings for science use. Adaptive thinking will be required to make this work, but close consultation with the users/ occupiers is the key – who better to help overcome a problem than the inventors and problem solvers?

Another approach (arguably much quicker) could be to access the laboratory spaces which already exist in the universities - capacity seems to be there if a commercial agreement could be reached. This would require some alignment or marriage of public / private sector to manage this carefully. n

“Adaptive thinking will be required, but close consultation with the users/occupiers is key”

At Curtins, our Science and Technology projects range from under £1 million to £900 million, spread across the North, Midlands and the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London, as well as Scotland and Wales, demonstrating that this sector is thriving across the UK. For more information on our capability in Life Sciences, please contact us at liverpool@curtins.com or visit www.curtins.com

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The Case for Solar PV in the Science Park Community

Clean energy

where it counts cience parks are where business and academia meet.

They’re the engine for research and development, as purpose-built communities designed to tackle some of society’s most intractable challenges. Chief among these challenges is decarbonisation.

To make good on this work, many of the UK’s 150 science parks are now engaged in some form of net zero pathway of their own.

Savills Earth, for instance, has worked with some of the country’s largest science parks to improve energy efficiency and drive down the emissions generated by the offices, laboratories and research spaces found across these estates.1 Many of the interventions in these studies involve some form of retrofit work, such as building

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fabric upgrades. Longer-term changes involving electrification and microgrids are also mentioned.

However, there is one notable omission. And it has the potential to make a significant impact on emissions without as much disruption: solar in car parks.

Mounting evidence

Highlighting the omission above is not to suggest a lack of care or insight on the part of Savills.

Rather, it’s to show there’s a wealth of potentially useful space across the country that’s often overlooked simply because it’s already being used in some capacity - just not to its full capacity.

As the name suggests, solar carports combine the function of a traditional car park canopy – i.e. providing shelter for vehicles – with photovoltaic panels fitted on top to generate electricity. They’re convenient and powerful – and now

“Beyond the practicalities, the work at Cranfield showcases the financial advantages of installing solar arrays in previously disused space” attracting attention in Whitehall.

In May 2025, the government called for evidence on the role these installations can play in support of its Plan for Change – a cornerstone initiative which, among other objectives, seeks to make the UK a ‘clean energy superpower’.

Early assessments have been positive. According to Ed Miliband, supermarkets, retail parks and offices could save up to £28,000 a year on their energy bills by fully exploiting the latent potential found across many existing estates.

As part of his statement, Miliband referred to the “hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country, which can be used to power homes and businesses with clean, cheap and secure power.”2 Miliband’s comments are accurate, though science parks have one key advantage over these other sites as they are often occupied and managed by the landlord. So, while they typically use more electricity than an office park of a similar size, it’s also easier to make changes as

impact

companies like RenEnergy will be dealing directly with the owner and decision-maker.

Noticeable improvements

Gareth Ellis, Head of Energy and Environment at Cranfield University, has firsthand experience of maximising the potential on campus with solar PV. Much like the nearby technology park, Cranfield University is research-driven and focused on advanced STEM topics at postgraduate level. Because of this work, the site requires a substantial amount of energy; somewhere in the region of 20GWh annually, with peak demand around 5MW. “We use a lot of energy each day,” says Gareth “so it was essential to explore on-site renewables as a way to drive down emissions in line with our 2030 net zero target.”

Cranfield’s large rural campus, which totals 600 acres, made it an ideal candidate for a solar array.

Recognising the available space, Gareth’s team working with w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Above Regulatory changes, such as the introduction of mandatory EPC ratings, make solar increasingly attractive in universities and science parks Left Witham Leisure Centre showcases how combining rooftop solar with a carport solution can maximise on-site energy generation and deliver lasting sustainability gains

RenEnergy first installed a standard 1MW ground array in 2017. “This first project was installed on the east side of the campus, near our airfield. It was effective and reliable. And it led to us adding 0.5MW in 2021 and then a further 1MW in 2023, the latter being installed on disused car park.”.

The latest project – which can be seen in the photo – is typical of the opportunities found across universities and science parks.

Many of these estates feature underused or even neglected space that can be put to work more effectively with relatively little planning required.

According to Gareth, this unique low-level array on a disused car park was more cost effective: “These installations supply Cranfield and the adjacent technology park with green energy via a private wire. It’s a noticeable improvement, especially during the week when our electricity consumption is at its highest. And it’s space we’d have otherwise left.

Really, we’d like to add a lot more solar but DNO restrictions limit us”.

Cranfield finds itself on the edge of the local electricity distribution network and for a long time has been unable to obtain a licence to export electricity. This constraint means solar output can be wasted if site demand is too low.

It’s a common challenge for organisations seeking to maximise on-site generation in pursuit of decarbonisation targets. According to Ofgem’s July statement, an estimated £80 billion is needed to improve grid transmission infrastructure in the future, so

projects like those at Cranfield can come online without overloading the network.3 Still, even without these infrastructure upgrades the university can use its solar as a stepping stone to support other initiatives on site. Moving forward, the team plans to upgrade its building fabric and phase out gas in favour of ground and air source heat pumps. This electrification will increase demand but it’s a change easier to accommodate with the ability to generate green energy on site.

Beyond the practicalities, the work at Cranfield showcases the financial advantages of installing solar arrays in previously disused space. “We managed to get an interest-free loan from Salix,” Gareth adds. “It was among the first sizable projects in the country without any feed-in tariff. We went ahead with just the interest free loan, which paid for itself quickly, much quicker than we thought it would really. Everyone was very pleased with that first solar farm.”

Cranfield is just one example, but it makes clear why the government is doubling down on this type of solar installation, not least with mandatory EPC ratings of C and B fast approaching. And there are still so many plots left that are ripe for development without having to sacrifice the land’s primary function. In places at the cutting edge of research and development, it makes good sense to also lead with new ways to decarbonise energy. n

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For more information on RenEnergy’s Solar Carports, visit: www.renenergy.co.uk/carports 1 https://www.savills.com/research_ articles/255800/355130-0 2 https://www.independent.co.uk/climatechange/news/ed-miliband-supermarketsgovernment-british-b2746092.html 3 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/ ofgem-approves-initial-ps24-billion-operateand-maintain-critical-gas-networks-andupgrade-britains-electricity-supergrid

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 55

impact

Getting to grips with AI Wisdom and integrity are at the core of Sue Turner’s guidance for using AI. She explains why to Simon Penfold – and offers some examples of what happens when the technology is misused.

he importance of Artificial Intelligence to the UK was underlined in January when the Government published its AI Opportunities Action Plan, with the avowed intention of “ramping up AI adoption across the UK to boost economic growth, provide jobs for the future and improve people's everyday lives”.

So a timely lecture on harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence was one of the biggest talking points at the UKSPA Summer Conference at Rothamsted in July.

The speaker, Professor Sue Turner OBE, is an experienced company director and leader across the commercial, charity and education fields who has forged a second career as founder director of AI Governance, a business established with the aim of encouraging the use of AI “with wisdom and integrity”.

The company developed from Sue’s own journey to explore how AI worked and the impact it could have.

“In my career I’ve had lots of different roles – chairing, nonexecutive director, chief executive and so on - of both commercial organisations and charities. In all the different roles, I've been really frustrated that we generate data in our organisations and then we keep it in silos.

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“I provide an understanding to what AI is all about and then we talk about good governance - no one wants to pull a Zillow” “As a leader, you just have a gut feeling that if only you could find the patterns hidden in that data across the silos, you'd be able to find insights that would really help drive the organisation forward.”

It was in 2019 Sue heard the government was backing the creation of new masters degrees in AI and data science.

“These were conversion courses specifically to bring different people from different backgrounds with diverse thinking into this world of AI and data science. So I put my hand up and said I wanted to be in that first cohort of people doing those new masters degrees, because I want to learn this stuff and then I want to figure out how to cascade that information to as many people as possible.

impact “So I started the masters in September 2020 and at the same time I set up AI Governance with the mission to inspire as many people as possible to use AI with wisdom and integrity.”

The misuse of AI has become notorious, with tools such as FraudGPT and WormGPT developed as to create malicious code, to write more effective phishing emails, hack websites and steal people’s money and information.

“Beyond that deliberate misuse, we have the types of things that go wrong with AI where people either misuse the tool, using it without thinking through the consequences properly, or are just really unaware of the risks,” said Sue. “For instance, last year Serco Leisure in the UK was upbraided by the Information Commissioners Office because they were using AI computer vision to clock people in and out of work. It involved 2,000 employees going into 38 leisure centres across the UK, so facial recognition was checking them in and out.

“You could see why it was getting around a legitimate problem that the business might have had, but they didn't justify why they needed to use such a high order of personal data.”

The ICO issued enforcement notices instructing Serco Leisure, Serco Jersey and seven associated community leisure trusts to stop all processing of biometric data for monitoring employees’ attendance at work, as well as to destroy all biometric data that they were not legally obliged to retain.

“That’s one order of not thinking through what you're doing. Another order would be the American company Zillow, an online business helping people buy, sell and rent houses. w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Right (from top) Slides from Sue Turner's presentation at the UKSPA Summer Conference

The AI Maturity Spectrum McKinsey research found 92% of organisations plan to invest in AI capability over the next 3 years but only 1% believe their organisation is mature on the AI deployment spectrum

The 10 Steps to Getting Started with AI Focusing on the first two steps is vital

Responsible AI Framework Gives teams the key areas to look at each AI use and across all AI uses in an organisation

see all the slides Use the code below to see the full set of Sue Turner's presentation slides

1

Stages of AI maturity

Spectator Leadership is sceptical about the value of AI No Board awareness of potential AI use cases Observing sector developments

2

Explorer

3

Discussing ideas to use AI Investing in skills development Discussing the technology and identify use cases Learning from small-scale trials

Experimenter Specific use cases identified Testing the effectiveness of AI solutions Building skills and confidence Identifying areas for improvement

4

Scaler Portfolio of successful and failed experiments Scaling AI use across the organisation Strong understanding of how to maximise the ROI of AI and integrate it into core processes

5

Optimiser

Significant AI adoption achieved Continuously monitoring and fine-tuning AI solutions Using AI for competitive advantage

10 steps to getting started with AI Start small with test projects to build confidence

What problems do you have that AI could solve?

Check your culture allows people to experiment with AI and learn lessons

CONFIDENCE PROBLEMS

Consult diverse stakeholders

CONSULT

Keep a close eye on emerging regulations and standards

CULTURE REGULATION

IMPACTS

GOVERNANCE

DATA SKILLS Understand what data you can access & how it can be used

PROCUREMENT Set up data and Responsible AI governance and controls from the start

Invest for the longterm in everyone’s data skills

What is Responsible AI?

Revise your procurement processes

Consider the environmental & social impacts

Accountability

Societal & environmental wellbeing

Diversity, nondiscrimination & fairness

Human agency & oversight

Continuously evaluate & address all elements throughout the AI system’s lifecycle

Transparency & explainability

“They figured they were pretty good at knowing when a property was being offered for sale at a low market price. They thought they could buy it themselves and resell it at the higher price. So they set up an algorithm, they tested it, they found that they could tell the difference between low priced houses and what the market rate was. So in 2021 they started buying in property, but the failure was they hadn't tested their algorithm, the AI model they created, on enough data.

“Once they started using this in the real world - with many, many things that were different from

Technical robustness & safety

Privacy & data governance

what the machine learning model had been trained on - it failed horribly. They lost $300 million in the space of just a few months and they wiped $9 billion off their share price.

Understanding what AI is

Much of Sue’s work now involves educating organisations to prevent exactly those kinds of horror stories.

“When I started out, I thought I would spend most of my time writing policies for organisations, helping them figure out what their governance of AI should look like, because that was my background.

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 57

impact “But some research in 2022 showed 58% of boards had nobody on them who understood what AI was, and 91% of organisations had no controls on their AI use.

“That was the spur for me to say, OK, I need to go upstream and not just talk about governance but actually give people the fundamentals to understand what AI is; how does it work? What are the opportunities? What are the risks? Then help them work on what they're going to use it for.

“Quite often when I do sessions like the one for UKSPA at Rothamsted, you'll get people in the audience saying ‘Tell me the one AI tool I need to have in my business tomorrow’. And the answer is, it depends.

“What is your business? How is your data organised? What problems are you trying to solve?

There is no single magic bullet that everybody needs to have; that's why it's exciting working with groups and help tailor the solutions to fit exactly what they need.”

Another common issue is organisations rushing to make use of AI without understanding what it is and what it does.

“There’s this fear that you're missing out on something and that's driving people too. I've seen examples of where, for example, a chief executive has said: ‘We need five AI applications up and running by the end of 2025.’ It's a real example from somebody in one of my sessions. I asked why? What problems are you trying to solve?

And he said: ‘No idea. That's just what the chief executive said he wants, and we don't know where to go with this. Help us.’

“So that's fairly typical. I've co-authored a recent report for IT leaders and the main reason why they are going for Generative AI is simply because of that pressure,

“move away from hype and fear - focus on adopting AI tools because of the value they're actually going to create” 58 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

that fear of falling behind, rather than because they've got a clear understanding of the benefits they're trying to achieve.

“My message is always to move away from responding to hype and fear. The focus should be on adopting AI tools because of the value they're actually going to create for the organisation.”

AI maturity

Another area of discussion is identifying where organisations may be in terms of their ‘AI maturity’.

“That tends to be a wake-up call for people. How do they move forward, what do they do next? I provide an understanding to what AI is all about and then we talk about good governance, because no one wants to pull a Zillow.

“We talk about how you understand the risks. How do you put good governance in place?

And fundamentally, what is responsible AI? What does that mean? What does it look like?

How can we get it right in our organisations from the start.”

Away from her AI work Sue is Chair of North Somerset Environment Company, the waste and recycling company for the region, wholly owned by North Somerset Council.

“My kids call me the bin lady.

It’s very practical and keeps me very grounded.

“And then I'm also two days a week Professor in Practise for AI and Digital Technologies at the University of Bristol. So that is really fascinating and a role I only started at the end of April. It's putting rocket fuel into that mission to inspire more people about using AI responsibly.”

When it comes to the ethical use of AI, the biggest issue often involves job losses. The new field of sophisticated generative AI is the result of LLM, or large language model technology. According to a 2023 report from Goldman Sachs, LLMs’ ability to increase productivity by writing and analysing text could result in the automation of 300 million full-time roles across the world’s major economies.

Sue Turner said: “If a young person says to me: ‘What sort of job should I avoid for the future?’, then my answer to them is anything where you are collating information manually. So pulling different bits of spreadsheets together and passing it onwards and upwards through the organisation. If you're the person who's organising the AI to do that, fantastic. If you're the person doing it manually, using Excel or writing reports, handcrafting them, don't go into those sorts of jobs because they're not going to be around for very long at all.”

While the Government has recognised the importance of AI to the UK economy, Sue sees major gaps in their strategy.

“The broad message to companies and public sector organisations is to use AI; it's wonderful, it'll save you money, it'll make you more productive.

“There's a lot of truth in that, but helping people and organisations understand how they do that is a massive missing piece of the jigsaw. And there are risks.

We can't just say all AI is wonderful.

“It can be useful, but we have to use it with wisdom and integrity, otherwise we are potentially making a lot of horrendous mistakes that we will come to regret.” n

AI with wisdom and integrity

Read more about the AI Governance mission at: aigovernance.co.uk

member profile

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cott Brownrigg is a leading UK and International architectural practice working in all major private and public sectors to help transform the industry and enrich lives through the built environment to create a better world. This year we celebrate our 115 year anniversary.

Specialists in Life Sciences design The Life Sciences sector is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the increasing demand for high-quality research facilities.

With a deep understanding of the life sciences sector and a track record of designing and delivering innovative, future-ready campuses and research-led buildings, Scott Brownrigg is helping shape the next generation of scientific and technological advancements.

Working with universities, science park operators and investment groups we help them create pioneering, environmentally sustainable life science campus environments across the UK. Our campus masterplans and building designs not only support cutting-edge research but also create vibrant, people-centric environments, with an approach that ensures that these highly specialised spaces remain adaptable, safe, and sustainable for the future.

Our experience spans major projects such as:

Cambridge Biomedical Campus At Discovery Drive our masterplanning and laboratory design work within this ecosystem ensures the seamless integration of research, healthcare, and commercial facilities. Supporting the next generation of medical breakthroughs within a landscapeled scheme of open spaces for relaxation and recreation, aimed at promoting wellness and enjoyment.

Cambridge Science Park Our work here has focused on evolving the park’s infrastructure to meet the growing demand for high-specification lab and office spaces. Whilst densifying and improving the utilisation of the park, sustainability, accessibility, and tenant flexibility remain at the heart of our design approach.

Oxford Science Park We secured planning approval for over 450,000 sq ft of new life science space at Oxford Science Park. Our designs prioritise ‘a walkable science community’ whilst creating dedicated service routes, ensuring that laboratories and workspaces can evolve alongside people centric public spaces.

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Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the innovation ecosystem

Tackling the life science skills gap With life sciences facing a 70,000 staffing shortfall by 2035, Kate Barclay for the BioIndustry Association explains the sector’s skills priorities to Simon Penfold.

A

ccording to a key industry report published this year, “The UK Life Sciences sector is on the brink of a transformative era”.

But it will need to recruit 70,000 people to fill new jobs in order to keep pace with expected growth over the next decade, while a further 75,000 will be needed to replace those leaving the industry.

In the months following that report the Government published its Industrial Strategy, identifying life sciences as one of eight sectors with the greatest growth potential over the next decade.

And a Life Sciences Sector Plan published in July set out a 10-year plan to harness British science and innovation. The Government’s ambition is to make the UK the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030 and the third most important globally by 2035.

Against that background, it is clear UK life sciences faces a period of almost unprecedented opportunity, but also of substantial challenges.

Life Sciences 2035: Developing the Skills for Future Growth – published in March - recognised that the sector’s ability to advance will depend on how it addresses emerging challenges around workforce readiness.

It calls for increased investments in education and training, the promotion of lifelong learning, and the creation of more inclusive workplaces to attract and retain a diverse talent pool.

60 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

The report was produced by Life Sciences Futures Group, a collaboration between the Science Industry Partnership (SIP), the Office for Life Sciences (OLS), the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), the BioIndustry Association (BIA), and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

Time for action

The BIA is the voice of more than 600 member companies across the sector. Their Skills Strategy Consultant, Dr Kate Barclay MBE, said: “The Government’s Sector Plan has highlighted the areas we need to address. I think it's now a case of putting that into action.

“Funding from Government and industry will be needed to be able to put those actions in place.

Support from Government seems to be there and the industry is

stepping forward and addressing the skills challenge.

“Life Sciences is a key sector within the industrial strategy, with more detail laid out in the Life Sciences Sector Plan. And we have our own Life Sciences Futures 2035 report. We've got a number of reports now that say this is where our gaps are. They're all based on the evidence that's out there.

It's now time for action.

“I think the Life Sciences Sector Plan is the starting point for that action. We provided a lot of the analysis for it, whether it was job ad scraping, looking at the apprenticeship levy and take-up, looking at challenges with international visas or surveying the industry.

“Now the BIA is working with member companies to address the skills needs across the range of opportunities. This includes growing a highly skilled domestic

trends

“Two years ago BIA launched its #BigImpact campaign to attract computational talent into life sciences”

talent pipeline for the sector, increasing the diversity and inclusion of our workforce, and reducing the barrier to access highly skilled global talent. There are actions that are being driven forward to address those.

“So for me, we’ve got the evidence and it is really very clear.

It's now about ‘how do we start addressing that?’ Now we need action.”

The Government has underlined its commitment to working with the sector on skills.

In his foreword to the Future Growth report, Lord Vallance, Minister for State for Science, Research and Innovation, said: “Developing the necessary skills requires time, resources, and dedication. The government is committed to working with the sector to meet these needs.

“We are targeting key Life Sciences skills gaps through initiatives like the UK Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence - RESILIENCE and the Industry Skills Accelerator.” w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Above The BIA's Women In Biotech event attracted over 250 attendees to Cambridge in March

The next steps will require closely co-ordinated work between the industry, training organisations, the education sector and Government agencies such as the newly created Skills England – launched this summer to bring together the UK’s fractured skills landscape.

“Then it will be a case of looking at where those interventions have been effective and what skills gaps are left to address,” said Kate.

“There is definitely a coordination aspect needed for skills across the sector and there's also a bit of a gap analysis to do.

We have to examine the return on investment of what is there to see what's being effective and then see what else is missing,”

Key focus areas

In terms of the skills challenges facing the life sciences sector there are, said Kate, three key areas to focus on.

“The first one is that skills shortage we face between now and 2035. 145,000 seems like an overwhelming number, but in terms of newly created jobs it breaks down to 7,000 a year over the next 10 years, which I think is an achievable number.

“We've talked about bespoke interventions to boost priority skills for the sector and we need to upskill our existing workforce in terms of digital skills and AI with the growth of fields such as data-driven drug discovery, the use of machine learning and the use of big data within clinical trials.

“At present we have some significant gaps around the use of digital skills in our workforce. That will require upskilling, as well as bringing in new people with a combination of the computational and scientific skills needed to advance innovations.”

Two years ago BIA launched its #BigImpact campaign to attract computational talent into the life sciences sector. Kate said: “Traditionally we have a talent pipeline of scientists coming into the sector and we're working on attracting computational skills to work alongside them, applying their skills to a sector that is rewarding and motivating for our next generation of talent.

“We are encouraging young people to apply those computational skills to delivery of new healthcare solutions, perhaps with some of our data-driven drug discovery companies. It’s about keeping up to date with the latest digital trends.

“The second area that we're looking at is building a more diverse workforce. Across life sciences, we've traditionally got a lack of women in leadership roles as well as a lack of scientists and industry leaders from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and issues with social mobility – Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 61

trends

read the reports Use the codes below to access the reports referenced in this article

uk's modern industrial strategy

life sciences sector plan

Life Sciences 2035: developing the skills for future growth

Women in Biotech Leadership

we identified this in the BIA Diversity and Inclusion report last year.”

The report included four recommendations, including the collection of collection and benchmarking of data and the pursuit of inclusive recruiting and hiring practices This year BIA published its Women in Biotech Leadership report, a sector specific first in comprehensively collecting and examining C-suite gender leadership data for UK biotech. It identified clear successes of female leadership at the same time as highlighting sustained challenges.

The report warned: “If we do not address the challenges that face females as companies mature to different stages, combined with life and career over time, we are in danger of losing an incredible swathe of female talent to conscious or unconscious bias and lack of

support/backing – ultimately to the detriment of the sector and UK plc.”

Kate Barclay underlined the benefits to the sector of a more diverse workforce, not least in developing innovative healthcare solutions for all.

“There's a much deeper and broader understanding of unmet medical needs within diverse communities and innovation will come from those who understand those challenges, design incredible solutions and can access the investment to deliver for patients,” she said.

“Diversity for me is not just about reaching the talent, it's also about making sure that we've got those innovations in our healthcare system that are addressing unmet medical need.”

A huge global market

The third skills focus for the sector is around attracting top international talent, which takes in the political hot potato of immigration.

“We have some challenges within our immigration system around attracting top international talent. We have some of the best universities in the world and some great

“We've got a number of reports now that say this is where our gaps are - It's now time for action” 62 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

international students but we also face a challenge in retaining them.

And we need founders to come and start/spin out their companies in the UK - the visa system should support this.

“We are operating in a hugely global market for life sciences, which relies on that porosity of international talent. And there are challenges in our visa system right now that we need to address if we're going to attract that top talent.

“The biggest is around our Global Talent visa, which has a heavy academic focus. Of course we want that top academic talent but we also need to attract top international business talent to build new companies and help develop our existing pharma sector.

“We require the knowledge and the skills of our global community so that for me is a concern. I wouldn't say it's at crisis point, but it certainly needs significant intervention right now. But I think we can address this, as we are addressing a number of these challenges.”

The Government has clearly stated its ambitions for the UK life sciences sector. The BIA and its partners in the industry will be intent on ensuring the Government follows through in terms of the recruitment and training that are vital in turning those ambitions into a reality. n

FURTHER READING

For more information on the topics discussed in this feature, please visit: • bigimpact.org.uk/p/1 • diversityinbiotech.org • resilience-skills.com/what-we-do/

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Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 63

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the Crucial role of

UK universities Simon Penfold talks to Greg Wade, Head of Innovation Policy at Universities UK about the opportunities – and challenges – facing the HE sector.

across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“The UK university sector has been one of our most successful export industries over the last 30 years,” said Greg.

“It is a huge asset to the nation in terms of the international competitiveness of the research and development universities carry out.

“At the same time there is the local economic impact of universities - the many and varied the roles universities play in underpinning

K

ey Government announcements this year have made clear the key role of universities in the UK economy and in the Labour administration’s plans for the future.

In particular, the Modern Industrial Strategy recognised “the crucial role of universities as engines for innovation and skills.”

It went on to state: “Universities are crucial to regional and local economic impacts and are anchor institutions in their local communities, with research showing they are in the top three exporters in 102 constituencies in the UK.” Headline-grabbing research wins international investment, while many universities work closely with their local and regional authorities on projects to boost local economies. Most science parks are the offspring of their local university, providing a platform for spin-out businesses to grow and fostering continued research and development as they move from academia to the commercial sector.

Despite a string of challenges facing the nation’s universities sector, from funding and immigration policy to greater competition from the HE sector overseas, it remains “a huge asset”, says Greg Wade, Head of Innovation Policy at Universities UK - the collective voice of 141 universities 64 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

Left Greg Wade, Head of Innovation Policy, Universities UK

Below Vivienne Stern, Chief Executive, Universities UK

and supporting key sectors, for example life sciences, and the opportunities they bring to students.

“I think the current Government has recognised that it is one of our strongest assets in terms of international competition and international reputation.

Greg believes the Local Innovation Partnership Fund unveiled by the Government this summer is a vote of confidence for research and innovation in higher education.

As part an £86 billion boost to R&D funding in the Spending Review 2025, the Local Innovation Partnership Fund is a new UKRIled programme that will invest up to £500 million in the development and scaling of high potential innovation clusters across the UK. The LIPF is built on the premise that the conditions for innovation-led growth, and the ability to capitalise on opportunities in places, are dependent on strong local leadership and effective collaboration between civic institutions, business and universities - a model of collaboration described as the ‘Triple Helix’.

trends

Collaboration at the core

Backing the new fund when it was launched this summer, Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said: “Collaboration is at the core of this fund, which will enable local partners, businesses, key growth sectors and universities to work closely together to achieve the common goal of transformative change in their region for local people.”

But challenges remain. This year the financial difficulties facing some universities have continued to hit the headlines, with job cuts at Keele, Bangor and Cardiff, while the principal of Dundee University and two senior members of its governing body quit in July after a damning report into a financial collapse that led to a £22m government bailout.

In May a UUK survey found the major of universities responding were making operational cutbacks to deal with growing financial pressures, including reducing investment in repairs and maintenance. Some institutions have closed courses and even departments, some have cut research investment and a quarter have made compulsory redundancies w w w.breakthroughdigital.co.uk

But, as Greg Wade points out: “Universities aren't alone in facing a wide range of global economic disruption as well as economic challenges within the UK, such as affording the public sector with an ageing population.

“Universities aren't part of the public sector, but they do get a lot of public support; they're accountable for that and they can't be immune to the budgetary pressures that are affecting everyone at the moment. For example local authorities have faced considerable challenges; the NHS is facing considerable challenges.

“It’s part of a broader context, although there are specific issues for the university sector.

Greg continued: “One of the important things going forward is making sure universities and research parks are as embedded as they can be in local skills networks providing local opportunities.

“Overall the Government’s commitment to an allocation of money to R&D is extremely positive.

The Industrial Strategy was a vote of confidence in the role research, development and innovation can play in supporting both national and local growth.

“While we are still waiting to see the details of these initiatives, I think the overall context is still positive.”

to evolve in order to respond to the challenges.

“But overall we are absolutely seeing a positive background for innovation in the UK at the moment.

We've got the local Innovation Partnership fund, we've got the commitment to the Higher Education Innovation Fund in England - which underpins a huge amount of both the innovation work of universities, but also the wider business engagement, community engagement and research commercialization activities.

“We've had the Proof of Concept Fund and we know that there is a lot of government interest in the role of universities in startups and spin outs, many of whom will be tenants of research parks and they play an important part of the ecosystem.

“So I think there there are a lot of positives.

“One of the challenges, and one of our concerns, is how all those funding programmes intersect with devolution in England. There’s an awful lot of messaging about the role and value of mayoral strategic authorities, and we're pleased to see universities are heavily engaging with them and collaborating with them, developing local growth plans that have a strong emphasis on innovation.

“We’re also positive about the co-creation element and having universities more engaged with their communities, for instance helping with the capacity of mayoral strategic authorities to deliver on local economic growth.

“The universities from northeast England are a good example of that.”

Universities in Lancashire have collaborated with local leaders to develop a Lancashire Growth Plan, while in Greater Manchester, local leaders and universities have published a Civic University Agreement, which commits partners to reducing inequality, meeting local skills needs, ensuring R&D supports key sectors such as digital technology and cyber

“The UK university sector has been one of our most successful export industries over the last 30 years”

A need to evolve

At the same time, said Greg, “I think the sector recognises that the world is changing and they need to change with it. We've developed a major initiative on transformation and efficiency, producing a blueprint on the higher education sector just before the end of last year. Whilst it emphasises the strength and value of the sector, there is also the recognition that the sector needs

Issue 26 | ukspa breakthrough | 65

trends security and developing the UK’s first city-region wide innovation agency, Innovation Greater Manchester.

Supporting emerging clusters

Meanwhile, the North East Combined Authority has published an interim local growth plan which includes investment in a new North East Investment Fund to help boost university spin-outs, working with universities on key clusters such as space, technology, data and defence and meeting critical skills needs.

Greg Wade continued: “We mustn't just focus on where clusters are strong, we must also identify and support emerging clusters if the ambition of the Industrial Strategy to ensure that growth and opportunity reaches the whole of the UK is to be achieved. Universities can play an important role in relation to that.

“The Government is committed to significant economic investment in R&D, which is positive. But we need to look at how we can be more internationally competitive in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, for example, to boost that investment.

“We have a good track record but we need to look at mobilising the value of universities, not just their research but also skills and talent and their contribution and impact on the wider community, creating locations that people want to relocate to and invest in.

“It's about making sure that research has local and national economic impact and that its impact includes creating opportunities for high-skilled high-reward jobs.

“This is where you can see the benefits of local and regional collaboration, where universities of all types have particular strengths and the combination of those strengths can enhance the impact of those universities, supporting

their future sustainability.

“Another big issue is the skills debate. For me, the single most important thing is the collaboration between universities and employers. And that means employers of all sizes, including SME's, because there's no point having a separate debate about what skills are needed.

“The better the conversations can be between employers and universities about what those skills needs are and how they can effectively meet them, the better for everyone.”

The skills debate inevitably leads to the difficulties universities and research organisations face in accessing global talent.

“This includes increasing restrictions on overseas students,” said Greg. “But universities can't act in isolation to wider public concerns about immigration, even if our belief is that the international students are not the biggest issue in relation to that.

“Once you get down to the local level and the local economic impact, a lot of local communities recognise the benefits of having international students. And initiatives to attract talent from the United States and elsewhere are a positive sign.”

In another of the Government’s summer announcements, a new Global Talent Taskforce – backed by a £54 million fund – is intended

“An important thing going forward is making sure universities and research parks are embedded in local skills networks”

66 | ukspa breakthrough | Issue 26

to attract world-class researchers and their teams to the UK. The taskforce will support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, top tier managerial and engineering talent and high-calibre creatives to relocate was well as building a pipeline of talent who want to come to Britain.

It followed the launch of Turing AI ‘Global’ Fellowships, which will provide £25 million of funding for world-leading academics to build a team and conduct groundbreaking AI research at UK organisations.

Greg Wade said: “Despite all the troubles, all the challenges that we see in the headlines about universities and all the people involved, we mustn't forget that there's a huge level of commitment in universities to doing interesting and positive research and ensuring that the research has real world impact as well as developing the students and ensuring that they have future success enough and creating opportunities.

“As soon as you dig below the surface of some of the negative headlines you do still see an awful lot of collaboration, partnership and commitment to creating an lot of value and people in research parks are living in those relationships on a day-to-day basis.

“I see a lot of positives, but that is not to belittle any of the challenges that we face and the need to be innovative and creative in addressing them.” n

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