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welcome issue 29
16 SERVICES + EQUIPMENT 06 Designing labs right first time Scitech-EKIUM MD Dave Grant reveals the lessons learned from a quarter century of live projects 10 Partnerships matter Unlocking safe AI innovation in science parks 12 Water: The forgotten sustainability challenge Why understanding how and where water is used in labs is the first step to addressing waste 14 Bridging discovery and delivery London Lab Live on the changing landscape of laboratory science
r&d + innovation
20 Keele: From proven success to future growth Joe Caine outlines the vision for Keele as an innovation district
LAB INNOVATIONS 24 10 things you can’t miss in 2026 The UK’s largest laboratory industry event is back this November - we present you with ten reasons why a visit is a must
growth + finance 28 An even bigger boost for innovation is on the Horizon The lowdown from three of the latest UK firms to benefit from Horizon Europe research funding
16 UNIP’s eyes on the future The ambitions of UKSPA Autumn conference hosts, University of Nottingham Innovation Park, as told by CEO Alice Cooper-Reeve
32 “It’s a real undiscovered gem the quality of the science and technology is extraordinary” Dr Lisa Smith, CEO of regional spinout investor Midland Mindforge, enthuses on what the UK’s central region has to offer
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www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Contents
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35 How to capitalise on UK science Insights from Pioneer Group on commercialisation of UK science and technology
38 UK risks losing next generation Bidwells’ new analysis finds just 8p in every £1 of growth funding comes from UK investors alone
regions + communities 42 Opening doors across the Golden Triangle Simon Penfold learns about Cambridge WOW (Wide Open Week)’s impressive growth 46 A next-generation campus An insightful look into the plans and principles of the ambitious MIX Manchester development
50 Pole position for growth How Silverstone Park is accelerating into its next chapter
infrastructure + planning 52 Egni: It’s Welsh for energy Dr Debbie Jones on the advancing energy ambitions of Anglesey’s M-SParc
SCAN TO read more issues
56 Decarbonising the commute The impact of Mobilityways on helping to reduce the impact of employee commuting
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Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 3
welcome issue 29
ROZ BIRD 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
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Interim Chair UK Science Park Association
UKSPA members deliver place-based growth
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he statement above has been the case since the inception of the first university research park, in Europe, at HeriotWatt University, Edinburgh, in 1971. Now with over 125 place-based members, developing and managing science parks, research parks, technology parks, areas of innovation, innovation districts and clusters, as well as our wider affiliate membership of supply-chain companies, it is true to say that we have already made an enormous contribution to UK plc over a fifty-year period. Members’ collective knowledge about what it really takes to achieve growth, in an area, must be harnessed to maximum effect across all four regions of the country. Work with government must continue to ensure we maximise our contribution to the challenge of improving economic growth. We are working nationally, as an Executive and Board, regionally, through our UKSPA Regional Groups and locally, through our individual members, to achieve this. We know that delivering economic growth, at a local level, means so much more than a strategy alone. There are key individuals, and teams, at every member location charged with responsibility for achieving planning consent, attracting new real estate investment, engaging with industry to help solve problems and improve productivity, and supporting spinouts and start-ups, including helping them to attract growth capital. Our members work includes supporting a specialist skills pool, providing flexible property options and access to specialist facilities, signposting
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to professional service organisations, arranging multiple networking events and managing relationships with local stakeholders. They run outreach sessions to engage with young people and deliver engagement programmes with the local community. At our UKSPA Conferences, as well as the formal programme, there is a lot of informal sharing and cross fertilisation of ideas. We always end up laughing and saying, “the job is so varied” - one minute we are hosting a VIP visit and the next minute fixing a broken dishwasher! It is a varied role, but the work is ‘what it takes’ to ensure our innovation-based companies, working in the knowledge economy, stay, grow and scale! The message, to government, is clear, our members create attractive, supportive and flexible environments to ensure high-tech companies have every chance of success, and this leads to economic growth in each place-based setting. We are practitioners delivering growth at a local level and we have much to contribute to our local areas and therefore to UK plc. The UKSPA team, headed by our excellent CEO Ruth Hall, and supported by the UKSPA Board, is here to support, connect and champion the places and the people (our members) who are driving Britain's innovation economy. With the government’s focus on innovation and place-based growth, these are exciting times to be Chair of the UK Science Park Association. We must work together to seize this opportunity. Please engage with the association to be part of its continued success and to leverage support for your own work and projects. n
Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 5
services and equipment
DESIGNING LABS RIGHT-FIRST-TIME
Simon Penfold hears from Dave Grant, Managing Director of Scitech-EKIUM (below) as he shares lessons learned from a quarter century of live projects.
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or nearly 25 years Scitech – now Scitech-EKIUM – has been designing laboratories for the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector. Now it is giving away some of its hard-earned experience in the form of a free white paper. Designing Laboratories Right-First-Time draws on lessons from live projects to help clients, operators and design teams deliver laboratory facilities that perform from day one. The guide covers ten practical steps across the design cycle, from establishing the brief and defining containment levels to spatial planning, safety, energy optimisation and ensuring the space can be maintained and managed now and in the future. The white paper condenses Scitech-EKIUM’s experience in the demanding life sciences and pharmaceuticals sectors – the historic focus for the Godalmingbased business since it launched in 2002. 6 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
“We have great strength in depth in sectors that are highly challenging and require innovative thinking,” explained Scitech-EKIUM managing director Dave Grant. “We've spent a long time in, for example, the radiopharmaceutical sector; we’ve done a lot in cell and gene therapy and ADCs (Antibody Drug Conjugates). We've done a lot in high containment or high-classification environments in the GMP, radiation, ACDP and SAPO sectors. “It’s not all about volume for us, it’s about really interesting technologies and solutions. If you want a new secondary school chemistry lab designed, we’re probably not your first choice. There are a lot of firms out there that do a great job with regular commercial laboratory delivery. What really motivates us is a diversity of interesting and progressive projects.”
Recent examples That approach is underlined by some of the projects the company has been handling just in the last few months. This includes a major design and build development for the High-Resolution Neutron Powder Diffraction (HRPD-X) facility for UK Research & Innovation at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Funded by UKRI, this state-ofthe-art facility is designed to house the replacement of the existing HRPD instrument and advance atomic-level materials research. The new building will include a removable mezzanine floor, integrated radiation shielding and a 6.3-tonne overhead crane.
services and equipment
Scitech-EKIUM has also just completed the design, construction and qualification of the new Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) at The Pirbright Institute in Surrey, which will accelerate the development and deployment of vaccines for neglected and emerging livestock and zoonotic diseases. Their skills and capabilities were recognised when ScitechEKIUM won Best Cleanroom Design at the 2026 Cleanroom Technology Awards for its expansion of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Facility for Cell and Gene Therapies. This involved transforming former consulting rooms on the 15th floor of a live hospital into advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing cleanrooms, a project, said Dave, with “almost every difficulty you could imagine”. He added: “We are seeing ever more projects where repurposing of existing infrastructure for laboratory or other scientific purposes is increasingly attractive, provided you can do it confidently and competently.”
Interesting dynamic At the end of last year, the Scitech team became part of the French engineering and automation group, Ekium, which employs over 3,600 professionals across 18 countries, and is part of Groupe SNEF, with 16,000+ employees over more than 30 countries. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Clockwise from above Scitech-EKIUM has recently completed the design, construction & qualification of the new Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) at The Pirbright Institute, Surrey
READ THE WHITE PAPER Scan the QR code below to read Designing Laboratories Right-First-Time
“It’s been an interesting dynamic,” said Dave. “We weren't looking for any partnership but within the business we were thinking about what the company would look like in 10-15 years’ time. “We have changed dramatically over the course of our first 24 years, first as an owner-operator, then moving to employee ownership. We were looking strategically at where we go next. The lack of investment in the life science sector in the UK was problematic and being a single sector business only increased uncertainty. “We were looking at what we can do to guarantee the sustainability of the business in the very long term. We had an approach from Ekium, who we had worked with previously, and we reached the conclusion that the right thing to do was to respond positively. “But we didn't do that quickly. There was perhaps 18 months of talking, working together and understanding each other to be confident that we had the right technical and cultural fit. “I am pleased to say that it has worked very well. We are now restructuring, as we discussed pre-acquisition, with our European subsidiaries becoming part of Ekium’s EU operations while Ekium’s UK operations are coming into Scitech. “And that opens doors for us in growing sectors such as nuclear, offshore wind, carbon capture, hydrogen technologies and a much broader process offering – areas that Ekium is heavily active in, both in terms of delivery and innovation.
“Start with the science before talking rooms or finishes - establish what the lab will actually do”
Designing Laboratories Right-First-Time: Ten Essentials for Operational Efficiency, Safety, Containment and Energy Optimisation
Future forecast “There is a good forecast for the UK in those sectors, and we are a great platform for Ekium to help develop and seize those opportunities. “The move has given us a really compelling and diverse future, enabling us to continue working on interesting projects but in a much wider range of sectors. “Although we are quite small, with around 130 people across the UK, we are a diverse business – a design and build engineering consultant and contractor, with a large regulatory qualification team for the pharmaceutical sector. “We support the transition of pharmaceutical and life sciences facilities from the construction and commissioning phase into readyfor-operation with their medicines, licensing and inspections. “It’s not dissimilar to other sectors such as nuclear, where there’s enormous emphasis on verification, validation, checking documentation; following that golden thread of compliance from start to finish. “And that discipline carries over into research facilities that don't need validating. Understanding the science, understanding how the space will really be used day to day and feeding that back into the design stage makes a big difference. “Having that end-to-end capability, I think, has really strengthened our ability to deliver these sorts of projects – when we come to build them, we understand every aspect of the project.” It is that wide-ranging, detailed experience that has been boiled down into the design advice white paper. It starts from the basics: “Start with the science. Before talking about rooms or finishes, establish what the laboratory will actually do.” This straightforward, commonsense approach to a highly technical topic reflects the team who produced it. Dave explained: “I've seen in the past some thought pieces like this that are pretty trite and poor use of time reading them, and we really didn't want to be in that category.” The balance was providing information that would be practically useful to those approaching a laboratory design project, “without giving away Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 7
services and equipment
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the Crown Jewels and teaching everyone how to do it”. “We wanted to be as helpful as commercially appropriate, so it does strike that balance. “We want it to be well received and well used and shared by people as well. So, while the thought piece in laboratory design is quite generic, it's got all of our experience boiled down in the key themes to think about, consolidated into a top ten that is, we hope, useful, digestible and value-added for the community. “A lot of the customers we work with are the scientists in the lab and I think this piece is drafted in a way that talks to those scientists in language they understand as well as being meaningful to developers, estates and capital works teams. “The scientists’ core need is to drive research, innovation or
Above Scitech-EKIUM won ‘Best Cleanroom Design’ at the 2026 Cleanroom Technology Awards for its expansion of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Facility for Cell and Gene Therapies
Left A key project undertaken by Scitech-EKIUM is a major design & build development for the HighResolution Neutron Powder Diffraction (HRPD-X) facility for UK Research & Innovation
manufacturing within a space that is suitable for their current requirements but also flexible for the future. “So having the scientific users on side with these sorts of issues can really help to champion solutions to the decision makers on the commercial, business, economic or financial side of capital projects. “We aim to provide facilities that deliver in a way that the users and scientists will understand and will get their engagement and their support to secure what, ultimately, they need. “With the right knowledge and skills, bringing these elements in early is little additional effort but a valuable investment.” Dave added: “I think this is something particularly of interest to members of the UK Science Park Association with the issues around laboratory planning and shell-andcore, ready for tenant fit-out and those sorts of considerations. “If the space isn't right, it could be detrimental to the scientific outcomes; committing to a tenancy agreement before you've proven the functionality of the space or the performance of it. So, the advice in the white paper is all things that can help to oil the wheels of scientific progress.” n
DISCOVER MORE ONLINE
Scitech-EKIUM is a specialist engineering consultancy for the life sciences and advanced technology sectors. Learn more at scitech.com
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Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 9
services and equipment
Partnerships matter Unlocking safe AI innovation in science parks Words Lloyd Parker Co-Founder, BloomAI E lloydparker@bloomai.co.uk
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cience parks sit at the heart of the UK's innovation economy. Their tenants are under pressure to improve productivity, speed up research and stay competitive. AI can help with all three. Yet many organisations still worry about data security, intellectual property, compliance and governance. The challenge is not whether AI will be used. It is how to create an environment where innovation can happen safely, with the right controls in place from the start. This is where science parks can play a valuable role. This article examines how science park operators and tenant organisations can adopt AI with confidence while protecting data, research and intellectual property. It explores the risks associated with uncontrolled AI use, why governance should be viewed as an enabler rather than a barrier, and the practical steps
Above Lloyd Parker has over 10 years of experience delivering transformational technology and AI adoption programmes, specialising in helping organisations implement AI securely and effectively through governance, change management, and business transformation
Below Four pillars of AI adoption for park operators
parks can take to create secure environments for experimentation and innovation. It also looks at the role of infrastructure, skills, partnerships and national support programmes in helping innovation communities unlock the benefits of AI safely and responsibly.
AI is already here Most organisations have already started using AI in some form. Research highlighted during a recent Modern Networks, UKSPA and BloomAI joint webinar reported that 71% of employees use unsanctioned AI tools and one in five organisations have experienced a data breach linked to shadow AI (the unsanctioned use of artificial intelligence tools). Attempts to block AI completely often push people towards unapproved tools, reducing visibility and increasing risk. Science park operators face this challenge themselves. Teams are already using AI to draft communications, create marketing content, summarise documents and support day-to-day activities. At the same time, many tenants are asking how they can adopt AI without exposing valuable research, commercial data or intellectual property.
Governance should enable innovation There is a common belief that governance slows innovation. The reality is often the opposite. Organisations that gain the most value from AI tend to have clear policies, well defined controls and a structured approach to experimentation. Effective governance helps organisations understand where AI is being used, manage risk, protect sensitive information and give people confidence to explore new ideas. For science parks, this creates an opportunity. A park that can help tenants navigate AI adoption becomes more than a landlord. It becomes a trusted innovation partner. Shared guidance, practical templates, peer learning groups and access to secure technology platforms can give smaller organisations the confidence to move forward without having to build everything themselves.
The risks that matter most Science Park communities often include research intensive businesses, university spin outs and high growth technology companies. Many handle commercially sensitive information. AI adoption can introduce risks around data privacy, information security, compliance, intellectual property (IP) protection and research integrity. New AI specific threats such as prompt injection, data poisoning and model inversion attacks are also becoming part of the conversation. Poor governance can create operational and reputational risks, particularly when AI generated outputs are accepted without sufficient oversight. The answer is not to stop experimenting. It is to create guardrails and use frameworks that help organisations innovate with confidence.
Building a secure foundation Many science parks and tenants already use Microsoft 365. Enterprise AI tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot provide a more controlled starting point than public AI platforms because tenant data remains within the organisation's environment and is not used to train foundation models under Microsoft's 10 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
enterprise data protection terms. Good permission management remains essential, but the foundation is far stronger than relying on unmanaged consumer tools. Secure infrastructure alone is not enough. Successful AI adoption also depends on people. Training, awareness, clear policies and practical guidance all play a part. The organisations seeing the greatest progress are combining technology, governance and workforce capability rather than focusing on one area in isolation.
Support is available Science parks do not need to navigate AI adoption alone. A growing ecosystem of government backed programmes, frameworks and industry resources is helping organisations adopt AI with greater confidence. The UK's AI Opportunities Action Plan is driving investment in AI skills, infrastructure and innovation, while the DSIT AI Growth Lab is developing regulatory sandbox environments where organisations can safely test and trial AI solutions. Innovate UK's BridgeAI programme has also left a valuable legacy of training resources, frameworks and practical guidance for businesses beginning their AI journey. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
For park tenants, these initiatives can provide access to skills development, expert guidance, funding opportunities, governance frameworks and research partnerships that might otherwise be difficult to access. Science parks can play an important role by helping tenants identify the most relevant programmes and translating national initiatives into practical, business focused support. Partnerships matter too. Recent UKSPA discussions on AI adoption brought together Modern Networks and BloomAI supported by Westcoast Cloud to explore how governance can support secure experimentation and responsible innovation across science park communities.
A catalyst for the next phase of innovation The most successful science parks have always helped organisations overcome barriers to growth. AI presents the next opportunity to do exactly that. By combining secure infrastructure, clear governance, practical guidance and shared learning, science parks can help tenants unlock the benefits of AI while reducing risk. The goal is not perfect control. The goal is confident adoption.
Modern Networks provides the essential digital infrastructure that science parks depend on, offering resilient connectivity, structured networks, cybersecurity, Microsoft 365 Copilot enablement, and 24/7 managed services. We support over 600 tenant organisations across 48 parks and campuses, helping them improve uptime, reduce risk, and deliver seamless digital experiences that enable scientific and technical teams to thrive. n
Watch the Webinar
To hear the discussion that inspired many of the themes explored in this article, scan the QR code to watch the Modern Networks, UKSPA and BloomAI webinar, Understanding AI Risk to Unlock AI Innovation.
CONTACT THE TEAM
As an active member of UKSPA, Modern Networks works closely with science parks and innovation campuses across the UK. If you would like to explore how your park or tenant community can adopt AI in a safe, secure and compliant environment, scan the QR code to contact Modern Networks and start the conversation. Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 11
services and equipment
Water
the forgot ten sustainabilit y challenge Planning authorities are increasingly asking questions about laboratory water use, and we can’t afford to ignore wasteful processes any longer. Understanding how and where water is used is the first step to addressing it, says Rob Templey at Ridge.
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aboratories are resource-intensive buildings. Operators have made concerted efforts to reduce energy consumption and decarbonise power supplies – much less attention has been paid to water use. As a very high-level average, a lab uses around four times as much water as an office of the same size. But this hides wide variation between different labs, and between equipment and processes. At Ridge, we’re on a mission to redefine water intensity, and that starts with a 12 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
greater understanding of how and where water is consumed. Over the last ten years, the science sector has got to grips with its power consumption, capturing data through sub-metering and using that identify inefficiencies and smooth out the peaks and troughs. Now we need to do the same for water.
Why we need to address lab water use The science sector’s demand for water is growing rapidly, with new development throughout the Golden Triangle and further afield. The
government has put research at the heart of its future industrial strategy. But even before the UK’s hottest summer since records began, planning authorities were already demanding evidence that water demand had been minimised in new laboratories. This doesn’t just apply to the water-stressed Cambridge area where I am based; water has become a more prominent concern in planning decisions in many other jurisdictions. With drought declared across more than 70% of England and all of Wales, scrutiny of laboratory water use is only set to grow.
services and equipment
Water-intensive buildings have a direct impact on local communities because water is a finite, shared resource. It takes time for rainfall to recharge reservoirs and aquifers and every litre wasted is a litre that is not available for other uses. Unlike energy, water consumption also results in a direct by-product: wastewater. This amplifies the impacts, and means that twice as much infrastructure is required: to supply science buildings and the growing ecosystems around them, and to move and treat the effluent they produce. That means it is even more important that we design and operate laboratories to use water efficiently, to reduce the burden on distribution networks and treatment plant capacity.
Why do laboratories use so much water? To understand exactly how water is used in science buildings, Ridge has combined data from the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) with metering on our own projects and the insights of our team, which includes former lab managers. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Over the last two decades, standards such as BREEAM have driven down sanitary water use, by mandating more efficient taps, showers and toilets. But this has overlooked the much greater proportion used in the daily operations of a laboratory – accounting for 80% of total consumption according to our analysis. Water is essential to laboratory processes for ensuring quality, consistency and a sterile environment. But business as usual may not be the most effective or efficient way to do this. Some practices cannot be altered to meet research standards, but this shouldn’t prevent us from examining whether the same result could be achieved with less water, or the waste captured for reuse elsewhere in the building or for irrigation. It’s also worth highlighting the impact of water purification, which is necessary for certain lab processes. It takes four litres of untreated water to produce one litre of purified water by reverse osmosis. A leaking tap wastes 5,500 litres a year – but if that water has already been purified, 22,000 litres of domestic water has been wasted.
equipment within laboratories. An autoclave consumes around 300 litres of purified water per cycle, but it’s up to the laboratory technician how it is loaded and how many times to operate it. Rather than running it with just a few items, can they wait until it’s full? Or where appropriate, facilities could be shared within the building to maximise loading capacity.
better design, MANAGEMENT AND DATA-SHARING The remaining 12% of laboratory water use can be attributed to the equipment itself, which comes down to specification and facilities management. Specialist equipment manufacturers are producing more efficient devices. Building designers and managers are responsible for making sure laboratory staff have access to equipment that uses only the water that is needed. Laboratories are complex buildings, and we’re on a mission to understand how they are commissioned and operated in practice. As designers, all of our solutions start from data and evidence – but this needs to be a sector-wide collaboration. Sub-metering and water audits are starting to shed light on patterns of water use, but they need to become much more widespread, with the data shared with I2SL so that it can drive improvements in new buildings. It’s about designing smarter systems and practices, challenging historic assumptions and ensuring that every litre serves a purpose. n
“Water is essential to laboratory processes for ensuring quality, consistency and a sterile environment”
challenging established PRACTICES Fundamentally, laboratories are about people, processes and products. So we broke the operations data down further, examining the independencies between them, to better understand the factors influencing water use. This revealed that just over half of all water use can be attributed to laboratory staff. It’s not necessarily inherent in the process, but subject to individual behaviours – for example, methods of sterilising equipment can vary widely. A further 16% of water use is down to the way people use
GET IN TOUCH
Rob Templey is an Associate Partner in the science and research team at Ridge, and a specialist in building services engineering for laboratory buildings. You can contact him at robtempley@ridge.co.uk or visit the website at https://ridge.co.uk/ sector/science-and-research/ Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 13
services and equipment
THE Changing Landscape OF Laboratory Science
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s laboratories navigate advances in artificial intelligence and automation, alongside growing operational pressures, the return of London Lab Live and the launch of MedLab Live in May 2027 reflect the increasingly close relationship between scientific innovation and clinical delivery. Speakers from across research and clinical industries will bring their perspectives to the challenges shaping the future of laboratory science. Laboratories are undergoing significant change. Research and testing environments are becoming more automated, data-driven, and interconnected, with developments in AI, digital systems, and genomic technologies reshaping scientific work and diagnostic delivery. Yet progress brings practical challenges: integrating new tools into existing workflows, supporting them with reliable infrastructure, and evaluating them against standards for quality, safety, sustainability, and cost. This provides the context for London Lab Live’s return to Excel London on 5–6 May 2027 alongside the debut of MedLab Live.
Modernising the research laboratory London Lab Live addresses developments across the wider laboratory ecosystem, including, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agriculture, food & beverage and many more research sectors. Its 2027 programme will examine themes focused on innovation including: AI, automation, digital transformation, connected 14 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
instrumentation whilst also focusing on sectors specific challenges and opportunities in the operations, procurement strategies to create an efficient lab. These themes will be explored by leaders across the innovation landscape. Stuart Kitney, Chief Technology Officer at the Henry Royce Institute, brings a perspective on advanced research infrastructure. Chris Molloy, Chief Executive Officer of the BioIndustry Association, represents the life sciences sector, where cross-sector collaboration is vital to translating scientific progress. Strategic and commercial dimensions will be represented by Nicola Heron, Chief Strategy Officer at Medicines Discovery Catapult, and Finn Bauer, Vice President of Life Science R&D at Croda and Sara Babahami, Head of AI and Tech at the Government Office for Science. For research organisations, the goal is improving efficiency across the entire process from experiment to insight. Automated liquid handling and connected instruments support higherthroughput workflows, while digital platforms and machine learning assist in managing complex datasets and identifying patterns. However, realising these benefits requires robust data quality, interoperability, validation, and workforce upskilling. Environmental pressures also demand that lab design balances scientific ambition with net-zero commitments and responsible resource use.
“Research and testing environments are becoming more automated, data-driven and interconnected” GET YOUR FREE PASSES Scan the codes below for more info and to get your free pass for each event
LONDON LAB LIVE 2027
MED LAB LIVE 2027
Bringing clinical diagnostics into focus While research laboratories generate new knowledge, clinical laboratories operate under the direct demands of healthcare delivery. Their results inform diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient care, making turnaround times, precision, and clinical integration paramount. MedLab Live addresses these specific requirements, and is built specifically for frontline clinical delivery and the £14 billion UK clinical laboratory services market.
services and equipment
Responding to pressure on diagnostic services
It provides a single forum for NHS Pathology Network Directors, private lab executives, procurement leads, and regulatory bodies to navigate multi-trust consolidation, value-based procurement, and the transition of cutting-edge diagnostics into routine care. Its programme covers six themes: digital laboratories and AI; operations and procurement; diagnostics, point-of-care testing (POCT), and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs); genomics and precision medicine; automation, workforce, and sustainability; and quality, compliance, and regulation. Key speakers include Jacob George, Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at the MHRA; Dr Sohail Munshi, Chief Medical Officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Dr Cliff Bucknall, Chief Medical Officer at HCA Healthcare; Helen Dent, CEO of BIVDA; and Saheer Gharbia, Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales. Together, they represent the spectrum of healthcare, clinical science, diagnostic technology, and regulation needed to ensure innovations meet patient needs within rigorous quality frameworks. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
In the UK, the consolidation of pathology provision into 29 regional networks and the expansion of CDCs place renewed emphasis on service organisation. Decisions regarding digital pathology, LIMS integration, and equipment procurement now carry systemic implications across connected trusts. Decentralised diagnostic models like POCT bring testing closer to patients, but require strong governance, quality assurance, and electronic record integration. Meanwhile, procurement must prioritize whole-life costs over initial purchase prices, and regulatory compliance remains essential for introducing new IVDs and software. Automation offers relief for workforce pressures, but success ultimately depends on training and process redesign.
A connected laboratory ecosystem The co-location of London Lab Live and MedLab Live creates a unified platform spanning research and clinical settings. While their focuses differ, both share priorities around digital infrastructure, data quality, workforce development, and sustainability. Translating discoveries into clinical practice requires coordination among researchers, developers, operators, and regulators. Emerging start-ups play a crucial role here: building on the 80 start-ups hosted at London Lab Live 2026, MedLab Live will feature a dedicated Start-Up Zone for clinical and AI innovators seeking NHS partnerships. Taking place on 5–6 May 2027 at Excel London, both events address a fundamental objective: connecting scientific discovery with clinical reality to build reliable, sustainable, and laboratory of the future. n Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 15
R&D and innovation
UNIP haS itS eye oN the future University of Nottingham Innovation Park CEO Alice Cooper-Reeve reveals her ambitions for the site of UKSPA’s Autumn 2026 conference.
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here will be plenty for delegates to see when the University of Nottingham Innovation Park hosts this year’s UKSPA autumn conference. From its impressively futuristic buildings to the string of companies who have chosen to make the park their home, UNIP is the model of a regional science park: bringing together business and university research. Work is now going on exploring the potential to create follow-on space in Nottingham for successful spin-out companies from the university and innovation park.
The Innovation Park centres on the purpose-built Jubilee Campus, which now extends to 65 acres just a mile from Nottingham University’s Park Campus. The initial 30-acre phase was opened by the late Queen in 1999, growing to include a sports centre with outdoor pitches and GSK-Carbon Neutral – the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry – as well as aerospace and advanced manufacturing buildings. The Innovation Park itself centres on three buildings: the Enterprise Centre, Ingenuity Centre and the Sir Colin Campbell building
Below University of Nottingham Innovation Park centres on the purpose-built Jubilee Campus which now extends to 65 acres
– named after the late university vice-chancellor who played a key role in the commissioning of the Jubilee Campus expansion scheme. Alice Cooper-Reeve joined the park as CEO in January 2024 after a seven-year career with business incubation group Hethel Innovation, the last four years as its chief executive. She explained: “The main construction of this campus was during the early 2000s, which is when we were set up to offer co-location opportunities to businesses. Since then the campus has continued to grow and open new facilities. The innovation park is the obvious home for the spin-outs from the university, which is why we were formed. “But, while we currently host around 40 companies within our three buildings, only 20% of those are official spinouts of the university; businesses that have had support and investment from Nottingham Technology Ventures’ spin-out process.”
R&D and innovation
“We want to shout about all the really world-leading research that people can access and collaborate with”
Uniting with university Nottingham Technology Ventures is a wholly owned subsidiary of the university, set up in 2017 to role is to advise the University of Nottingham on the formation of spin-out companies and the management of its current portfolio of 44 spin-out companies. It also manages the £5 million Nottingham Invention Fund, which invests in university spin-out companies to support their development and growth. Alice continued: “We do have a few other ‘spin ins’; businesses that are built off the back of university research but don’t have the university as a shareholder. They include a very cool company called Ryme Technology, with their Project ICEBERG, which is being deployed in Greenland to detect early warning signs of climate tipping points. “Then of the rest of our tenant community are businesses that located themselves on the park to be close to the skills and the talent of the university. “A lot of them want the university’s talented people. Some of our biggest tenants have up to 80% of their workforce made up of university alumni in one way or another.
Campus photo credit Alex Wilkinson Media
Above Alice Cooper-Reeve joined UNIP as CEO in 2024
“Others want to use the research facilities to carry out projects. Our businesses have secured £14m in Innovate UK grant funding, much of which is through projects with the university. “So Jubilee is the university’s innovation campus. It’s the industry-facing front door where all the research centres are geared up to engage with industry, whether that’s small businesses or multinationals. “Our specialism on the Jubilee Campus – by ‘our’ I mean the university and the innovation park - is engineering and technology in its broadest meaning. “We have a power electronics research centre and we've just opened a hybrid propulsion centre – so that’s anything to do with alternative-fuel engines. We've got a zero carbon innovation centre, which is all around green technologies across aerospace, automotive, marine, and energy sectors. “Then we have the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory, which features a grassed roof to reduce its carbon footprint. They're looking into innovative materials, products, and processes to make the chemistry supply chain more sustainable for industry. “And down in the Advanced Manufacturing building we have a really cool product called the Omnifactory, which everyone will get to see in November.”
The whole package Opened three years ago, the Omnifactory is a state-of-the-art concept factory where different digital technologies are implemented to improve traditional manufacturing practices. It is home to a bespoke test bed floor, developed in Nottingham, that provides a unique reconfigurable environment. The floor autonomously adapts itself to the next product’s environment and specifications, reshaping itself through a combination of digital technologies, robotics, and artificial intelligence. “In addition to all this engineering and technology expertise, we have both computing science and the Nottingham University Business School on the campus. So we've got the whole package here.” Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 17
R&D and innovation The result has been a collection of high-profile companies commercialising cutting-edge research. BlueSkeye AI began life as a spin-out of the University of Nottingham in 2019. The company specialises in human behaviour analysis using face and voice sensing Artificial Intelligence working on mobile phones and tablets. It was set up to commercialise the academic work of Professor Michel Valstar and his team in affective computing and social signal processing. Together with co-founders Anthony “Tosh” Brown and Timur Almaev the company began life in the School of Computer Science, before moving to UNIP offices in the Geospatial Building on Triumph Road. Since then it has moved offices twice more within UNIP. Most recently it has been working on a medical study testing whether AI can help detect depression in pregnant women or those who have recently given birth. Researchers from the University of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have worked with Blueskeye to develop an app that tracks participants' mood and behaviour. Another UNIP resident is GMV, a Spanish-based space technology group. With over 3,000 employees, it the sixth largest European organisation operating in this sector and has offices at both UNIP and Harwell. GMV's links with Nottingham University go back 25 years ago when Nottingham Scientific Ltd (NSL) was formed by key individuals from a satellite navigation engineering institute. In July 2020 GMV acquired NSL, merging it with their pre-existing UK company based in Harwell. In December 2022, GMV moved into UNIP’s Enterprise Centre. GMV's focus from Nottingham is in the use satellite navigation and other terrestrial sensors to provide
solutions that support the UK's Critical National Infrastructure, along with government and vital mission services that have become critically dependent on position and time information.
Interesting quirks Hosting UKSPA’s winter conference, Alice is aiming to showcase the university activity and research strengths on the site. “We want to shout about all of that really world-leading cutting edge research that people can access and collaborate with. “But I also want to have that really candid conversation around the slightly interesting quirks that come with building a business community on a university campus and the kind of the challenges we've had, the opportunities that represents and the path that we're trying to take on the way through that. There's lots of great things within Nottingham and the University of Nottingham and this is how we're collating that all together to make a business community centred around it.
Building photos credit: Steve Edwards Photography
“We’ve been working closely with the city council to see whether Nottingham can create an innovation district or knowledge quarter”
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Pictured (from top to below) The three central Park buildings are the Ingenuity Centre, the Enterprise Building and the Sir Colin Campbell Building
“The opportunity to help create a well-formed innovation community in Nottingham is what drew me here from my previous role in Norfolk, to be able to bring life back into that community, build a really strong peer network for the businesses and be able to say we have helped them in some way. “So our primary objective at the moment is to see more grow-on space. As UNIP and the university we are pitching some
R&D and innovation
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Above BlueSkeye AI began as a University of Nottingham spin-out and is still resident on UNIP
Below UNIP is continuing to support and nurture companies like Neupulse, who have received widespread attention for their device to aid people with Tourettes
“The university is a great resource that we need to help businesses get the most out of, including access to finance.”
Supporting schemes Nottingham has been one of the founding universities backing the Midlands Mindforge funding project, aimed at supporting spinouts across the region. “It's one of those things that I think this region is good at, working together to solve challenges. Midlands Mindforge is a fantastic scheme and I can't wait to see them starting to fully deploy its funding. “We've also got Nottingham Technology Ventures, which is another subsidiary of the university, and they've just launched their first EIS (enterprise investment scheme) fund, particularly looking to help alumni of the university who want to give back to the spin-outs with a platform to invest through, , providing another funding route for businesses to explore.
A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT
UNIP is an inclusive environment where business and research can engage, interact and work together. See what it is all about at www.uniponline.co.uk
UKSPA AUTUMN CONFERENCE 2026
UKSPA’s Autumn Conference will be taking place at UNIP on 19th and 20th November 2026. For more information and to book your tickets, scan the QR code Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 19
Blueskeye photo credit: Alex Wilkinson Media
potential investment opportunities within our land ownership and then we're working with the city council and other partners as well to see if we can bring that on outside of the university campuses as well because the city needs it. “Otherwise we are going to develop all of these spin-out companies and great capabilities, but they're going to have to go elsewhere when they start scaling. “We've been working really closely with the city council on whether Nottingham can create an innovation district or a knowledge quarter. We’ve had some real useful workshops and agreed we need to designate a central spot for it. “There’s a lot of interesting history within the city. There’s a strong creative and digital community in the centre and around Nottingham Trent University. Then you've got a lot industrial space more towards the River Trent and football ground, on the southern side of the city, where we could host some of the scaling businesses. “And between those is BioCity; one of Pioneer’s spaces in the city, along with MediCity on the outskirts. So there’s lots of fantastic infrastructure that we can connect and capitalise on. “It’s now about that larger branding piece to say we are all in this together and we're representing Nottingham in one coordinated consistent voice. A major outside investor will want one body to speak to or at least a city with one consistent voice, rather than 10 or 20 different people and stories. So the work now is to co-ordinate things. “The other thing that we're working on is that wraparound support that we give the businesses that are in our community.
“The particular gap we've got at the moment is in angel investment. So we are looking to work with other partners across the wider Midlands to get that going a bit more in Nottingham. For instance, we've got an event coming up with the Minerva Business Angels network later in the year.” In the meantime, UNIP is continuing to support and nurture its innovative technology companies, including spin-outs like Neupulse. It was founded in 2021 to commercialise the research of a trio of university academics in developing non-drug treatment to help manage the symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome. Alice explained: “They've developed a small device you wear, similar in size and shape to a Fitbit, that you wear on the inside of your wrist. It stimulates a nerve that comes through your wrist and it reduces tics for people with Tourette’s, instead of taking medication which pauses them. They are also exploring how they could expand the technology to help people with other conditions.” Neupulse’s wearable neurotechnology has received widespread attention after featuring in last year’s acclaimed movie I Swear, about John Davidson’s journey from a misunderstood teenager in a small Scottish town to an outspoken advocate for people living with Tourette Syndrome. The Neupulse C, a wellness device built with the same underlying technology, is due on the market later this year while the company continues with the medical device regulatory approval process in parallel. n
R&D and innovation
Keele
From proven success TO future growth
Joe Caine outlines the vision for Keele as an innovation district to Simon Penfold.
W
hat started in 1986 as one of the UK's earliest university science parks is now evolving into an ambitious vision for one of the UK's leading university-linked innovation districts. Over the past four decades, Keele University has developed a thriving innovation ecosystem that today supports more than 60 businesses and over 1,200 jobs. Through sustained investment in facilities, business support and research collaboration, the University's Science & Innovation Park has evolved into a location where businesses, researchers and students work alongside one another, creating opportunities for innovation, knowledge exchange and growth. The Park's increasingly international business community reflects that success. Companies including Biocomposites, Rose BioSolutions, Panthera Biopartners, Thea Pharmaceuticals, Michelin, Siemens Gamesa and WITRON have chosen Keele as a location from which to innovate, manufacture and grow, supported by investment from across the UK, Europe and North America. Now operating at approximately 98% occupancy, the Science & Innovation Park's success is creating demand for the next phase of development,
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Keele Innovation District builds on the success of Keele University Science and Innovation Park, bringing together a community of innovators, researchers, learners and educators. Scan the code below to learn more
explained Joe Caine, Head of Business Development and Head of Keele University Science & Innovation Park. That opportunity is driving plans for the Keele Innovation District, an ambitious long-term vision that could deliver more than one million square feet of additional innovation and employment space over the coming decades. At full maturity, the University estimates the development could contribute around £1 billion annually to the economy, support approximately 4,000 jobs on site and enable around 13,000 jobs across the wider economy. While those impacts would be transformational for North Staffordshire, the ambition extends far beyond regional growth.
Nationally significant Located adjacent to the M6 and connected to innovation assets such as Alderley Park and Sci-Tech Daresbury, Keele occupies a strategic position within the UK's wider innovation landscape. The University's vision is to create a nationally significant innovation district capable of attracting investment, talent and businesses from across the UK and internationally, says Joe Caine. That vision is not being pursued by the University alone. Keele University, Newcastle-underLyme Borough Council, Stoke-onTrent City Council and Staffordshire County Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding supporting the development of the Innovation District. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to harness innovation-led growth, strengthen the area's competitiveness and ensure the benefits of investment
are felt across North Staffordshire and beyond. The Innovation District is also being informed by a wider innovation agenda developed collaboratively across Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire. Working alongside local authorities, businesses, universities and other partners, Keele has helped identify life sciences, materials innovation, digital technologies and energy systems as areas of genuine competitive strength. The ambition is to provide the space, infrastructure and connections needed for those strengths to grow and attract further investment. Joe Caine said: “This reflects a wider recognition that successful innovation ecosystems are rooted in place. The emerging innovation framework highlights the importance of collaboration between businesses, universities, local authorities and investors, while aligning research strengths, skills provision, infrastructure and economic development around shared priorities. The Keele Innovation District is intended to provide a physical focus for that ambition, creating a destination where innovation-led businesses can grow while contributing to wider economic and social outcomes. “The proposition therefore builds on more than the success of the Science & Innovation Park alone. It aligns with the Local Plan, significant housing growth planned around the campus, emerging devolution arrangements and a collective ambition to strengthen Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire's position within the UK's innovation economy. In doing so, it seeks to create not only a major innovation destination, but also a place-based investment opportunity capable of supporting long-term prosperity.”
R&D and innovation The proposition builds on foundations that already exist, said Joe. Health and life sciences have emerged as one of the campus's defining strengths, alongside a growing capability in advanced materials and manufacturing. Businesses based at Keele span clinical trials, pharmaceutical services, advanced healthcare products, specialist manufacturing and materials innovation, while the University's research and teaching expertise provide access to talent, knowledge and collaboration opportunities. Together, these strengths are creating a distinctive innovation ecosystem with opportunities across healthcare, advanced manufacturing, energy systems and digital technologies. Crucially, the proposed Innovation District is not about creating a new innovation ecosystem. It is about creating the capacity needed to support one that has already proven successful. The first phase focuses on approximately 25 acres of development-ready land immediately adjacent to the existing Science & Innovation Park. With enabling infrastructure already largely in place, the site is capable of coming forward in the near term and provides a significant opportunity for new research, development, innovation and advanced manufacturing investment. Alongside this sits a further 40 acres of land allocated for future growth through the Local Plan process. While the initial development site will support the next phase of expansion, the additional land provides the capacity required to accommodate larger occupiers and support the longer-term ambition of the Keele Innovation District. The longer-term ambition is to move beyond incremental expansion towards a connected innovation district that brings together research facilities, advanced manufacturing, commercial space, supporting amenities and other complementary uses in a coherent campus environment.
Ecosystem evolution Joe Caine believes the proposed Innovation District is the natural next step in the evolution of an innovation ecosystem that has been developing over many years. “The Science & Innovation Park has been a success story for many years, but over the last decade we've accelerated that success. We've invested in new innovation infrastructure, strengthened links to the University's teaching and research strengths, and created an environment where businesses can access talent, collaborate with academics and innovate alongside one another. “In the last five years alone we've doubled the size of the Park. Today we're home to more than 60 businesses employing around 1,200 people, and we're operating at approximately 98% occupancy. That demonstrates both the strength of demand and the value of the ecosystem we've built. “As the Park matured, we began looking strategically at how the ecosystem could continue to evolve. We engaged extensively with investors, developers, consultants and occupiers to understand how business requirements were changing, where growth opportunities existed and what role Keele could play in supporting the next generation of innovation-led investment. “At the same time, we were working closely with local authority partners, universities and businesses on a broader innovation agenda for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Through that work,
Left Joe Caine believes the proposed Innovation District is the natural next step in evolution for Keele’s innovation ecosystem
Below Alongside the existing Science and Innovation Park sits over 60 acres of land allocated for future development and growth
it became clear that the area's strongest opportunities lay in building on existing strengths in life sciences, materials innovation, digital technologies and energy systems, rather than trying to create entirely new sectors. “We could also see a number of other factors aligning. The Science & Innovation Park was approaching capacity, we had development-ready land available, additional land was being allocated through the Local Plan process, significant housing growth was planned around Keele, and there was an increasing recognition of the role innovation can play in shaping the long-term prosperity of North Staffordshire. “When we looked at those opportunities collectively, it became clear that this was about more than simply expanding a science park. It was an opportunity to create a nationally significant innovation district that builds on our existing strengths while acting as a catalyst for wider investment, job creation and economic growth.
“in the last five years we’ve doubled the size of the park that demonstrates both the strength of demand and value of the ecosystem We’ve built”
R&D and innovation “One of the things that makes Keele distinctive is the strength of our civic relationships. We've worked hand-in-hand with our local authority partners for many years. They have supported the development of the Park, invested directly in innovation infrastructure and, in some cases, have their own assets located on the Science & Innovation Park. The Innovation District builds on those longstanding relationships and a shared ambition for the future of the area. “The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council sends a strong signal that this is not simply a university project. It represents a shared commitment to supporting innovation, investment and economic growth, and to creating a place that benefits both the local community and the wider UK economy. “We're seeing a genuinely exciting cluster develop in health and life sciences, spanning advanced healthcare products, clinical research, pharmaceutical services and manufacturing. Alongside that, we've developed strengths in advanced materials, energy systems, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing. Through collaborations with partners, and alongside assets such as Europe's largest smart energy network, we're building capabilities that align closely with national priorities around innovation, resilience and industrial growth. “The immediate opportunity centres on approximately 25 acres of development-ready land adjacent to the existing Science & Innovation Park. Much of the enabling infrastructure is already in place, allowing us to bring forward new research, development, innovation and manufacturing facilities in the near term. “Alongside that sits a further 40 acres of land identified for future expansion. Together, those sites provide both an immediate opportunity for investment and the long-term capacity needed to support larger occupiers, inward investment and future phases of growth.” 22 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
“The Innovation District has potential to support innovation-led growth across the region while also contributing to the UK's wider ambitions”
Proven points Joe is also realistic about the challenges associated with delivering innovation infrastructure at scale outside the UK's traditional hotspots. “We've demonstrated that the model works. The Science & Innovation Park provides the proof point. The challenge now is creating the conditions that allow successful innovation locations like Keele to continue growing and attract further investment at scale. “We're already seeing strong demand from businesses and growing interest from investors. The opportunity is real and the foundations are in place. But, like many innovation locations outside the UK's traditional hotspots, there remain market factors that can make the delivery of innovation and employment space more challenging, even where occupier demand is strong. “If the UK is serious about supporting innovation-led growth across all parts of the country, there is a role for long-term policy and investment mechanisms that help unlock private investment, build confidence and accelerate the
Top & above Keele has built a successful ecosystem containing several innovation centres within buildings like Harper & Keele Veterinary School and the Denise Coates Foundation Building
Below Keele’s IC7 facility focuses on harnessing and developing digital tech
delivery of strategically important innovation infrastructure. “The economic benefits for North Staffordshire would be substantial, and that's important. But what makes the opportunity particularly compelling is the alignment between local and national priorities. By building on established strengths in life sciences, advanced materials, energy systems and digital technologies, the Innovation District has the potential to support innovation-led growth across the region while also contributing to the UK's wider industrial and economic ambitions. “We believe places like Keele have an important role to play in supporting the delivery of the Modern Industrial Strategy. Innovation doesn't happen in a handful of locations alone. It depends on strong regional ecosystems capable of attracting investment, supporting business growth, nurturing talent and translating research into economic impact. “If we get it right, it won't just strengthen North Staffordshire's economy. It will help deliver national priorities in life sciences, advanced materials, energy systems and innovation-led growth, while attracting new international investment, strengthening supply chains and enhancing the UK's competitiveness in strategically important sectors.” n
Powering Innovation, Place and Growth
Go online to find out more about Keele’s innovation ecosystem, ambitions for the Innovation District and more at www.keele.ac.uk/ business/spaceandfacilities/ and www.keele.ac.uk/keeleinnovation-district/
LAB INNOVATIONS 2026
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Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 23
LAB INNOVATIONS 2026
Words Greg Coppack, Stone Junction Ltd
THE U K ’ s l a r g e s t l a b o r a t o r y i n d u s t r y e v e n t i s b a c k !
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On November 4 and 5, the NEC, Birmingham, will once more welcome scientists, technicians, process engineers and clinical professionals from across the UK and Ireland. The laboratory sectors’ brightest minds will gather to share solutions for industry-wide problems, get up to date with the latest technology and shape the path forward for British and Irish science. Here are ten things that you can’t miss at Lab Innovations 2026.
KeyNote speakers worth building your day around Two big names anchor this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry Stage. On day one, broadcaster and author Timandra Harkness asks ‘What can a scientist do, that AI cannot?’, a timely provocation for both labs grappling with automation and machine learning and scientists considering their place in the laboratory of the future. Day two brings consultant virologist and Cambridge University lecturer Chris Smith, creator of the long-running The Naked Scientists podcast, whose talk ‘Cruising for a biological bruising: what makes pandemics happen?’ draws on lessons from COVID-19 to explore how outbreaks take hold. Both sessions run at 1pm and are free to all visitors. For readers whose diaries won't stretch to two full days, these keynotes are attractive pivots around which to plan a visit, offering big-picture thinking to bookend the more technical sessions elsewhere on the programme.
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THREE SHOWS IN ONE In the 14th year of Lab Innovations, the show and its long-standing partner Advanced Engineering will be joined by a third event. UK Metals Expo joins the line-up to complete a trifecta of technical expertise and manufacturing insights to provide visitors with access to the full value chain of British and Irish innovation. The UK Innovation Report 2026 by Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy found that the UK excels in research and early innovation, but underperforms on technology scale-up and commercialisation. In this context, three major technical industries sharing a stage represents an opportunity to forge greater business and technological links.
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“As free-to-attend events, registrants can move seamlessly between the three exhibitions” As free-to-attend events, registrants can move seamlessly between the three exhibitions, learning about AI use in drug discovery, digital twin deployment in automotive manufacturing and the future of the British steel industry under one roof. Some exhibitors will also have stands in multiple shows, making their dedicated specialists available to talk about visitors’ needs and questions.
“The five pillars bring together practical insight across the challenges and opportunities facing laboratories today” The 2026 Col-LAB-orate theme comprises five pillars that span key areas of interest for scientists, engineers and materials professionals alike. The show’s content is designed around AI & Automation, Sustainability, Applied Innovation, Quality & Compliance and Skills & Development. “With the pace of change and innovation across the laboratory sector showing no signs of slowing, we wanted this year’s programme to reflect that breadth,” said Adam Gough, portfolio director at Lab Innovations. “The five pillars bring together practical insight across the challenges and opportunities facing laboratories today, giving visitors the freedom to build a schedule around the topics that matter most to them.”
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Scale, scope and major exhibitors 4,700+ visitors. 600+ exhibitors. 1 ticket. These were 2025’s co-location numbers, and 2026 has even more to offer laboratory professionals. This means a rare chance to compare suppliers side by side, examine equipment directly and speak with the specialists behind the innovations, rather than relying on brochures and webinars. “There’s so many people that I’ve been able to touch base with over the last couple of days that I didn’t even know existed,” said Lauren Schembri, senior materials scientist at GSK.
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More than 160 scientific organisations, suppliers and manufacturers spanning life sciences, pharmaceuticals, academia, healthcare, chemical, food & drink and cleanroom sectors will gather at the NEC, including UKRI, Sartorius, Merck, Guardtech Group and Ohaus. “There are so many people from so many organisations here, from universities, industry, healthcare,” said Tyler Harvey Cowlishaw, founder and chair of the Science Apprenticeship Forum.
Applied INNoVatioN widens its reach A clear reflection of laboratory science evolution is the expansion of the Applied Innovation pillar. Having previously centred on life sciences, this topic now stretches to include food and drink, nutraceuticals, chemicals and industrial manufacturing to recognise that lab-based R&D underpins product development far beyond pharma and biotech. “Applied Innovation reflects just how broad laboratory science reaches,” said Nicole Hawkins, marketing manager at Lab Innovations. “Whether you’re developing a new drug, a new food product or a new industrial material, the challenges around testing, validation and scale-up are strikingly similar. This year’s programme is built to reflect that.”
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For visitors working in adjacent regulated industries, this broadened scope means content and exhibitors relevant to their world, even if they’ve never thought of themselves as a typical “lab” audience before.
Lab AWards 2026 celebrates sector’s best The prestige and glamour of the UK’s premier laboratory industry event is embodied by the Lab Awards, held on the show floor at 3pm on November 4. This year, 13 categories recognise achievement across individuals, laboratories and suppliers, including a brand-new addition: the Innovator Award, celebrating those who have consistently pushed the boundaries of the sector. A full list of categories is available on the Lab Innovations website and via the QR code below. Previous winners speak highly of the impact. “I think [the Lab Awards] helps us benchmark what different labs are doing across the industry. It also helps us to be more competitive to go the extra mile,” said a representative of the AstraZeneca Mount Vernon Quality Control Laboratory, winner of 2025's Laboratory of the Year award.
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Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 25
LAB INNOVATIONS 2026
The Future of Laboratories Stage offers some of the most applicable content for working scientists and technicians. Dr Esther Lewis of the University of Leeds will present her research into stabilised virus-like particles as a new vaccine strategy, while Eliot Barson of Appleton Woods will explore reasons for and a pathway towards replacing animal products in the laboratory. On day two, Dr David Ellis of Heriot-Watt University and Robin Blagg of Oxford Instruments examine benchtop NMR as an accessible alternative to high-field infrastructure, a session likely to appeal to smaller labs and scale-ups without the budget for major capital investment. Elsewhere, Azo Network’s Will Soutter addresses AI adoption in the lab, while Elliot Atkins and Sharon Williams explore digital strategy for integrated, compliant laboratories.
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Since 2019, Lab Innovations has partnered with the Science Council to deliver CPD-accredited content across the show’s key themes, from quality and compliance to biotechnology, AI and sustainability. For registrants working towards or maintaining designations such as RSciTech, RSci or CSci, attending expert talks offers a straightforward way to log recognised professional development. As Science Council CEO Della Freeth notes, CPD is “not a tick-box exercise but a meaningful investment in quality, safety and integrity”, making a day at the show as valuable for your career as it is for your lab. Visitors need only to scan their badges with attendants stationed at each stage to register their presence at the talk for CPD purposes.
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“The Future of Laboratories Stage offers some of the most applicable content for working scientists and technicians”
SustaiNability remains crucial to the agenda Sustainability continues to
10 sit among Lab Innovations’
With Quality & Compliance formally recognised among 2026’s five priority pillars, Lab Innovations continues to address one of the laboratory sector’s most persistent pressures: keeping pace with tightening regulatory standards and increasingly complex, fastmoving supply chains. The theme builds on previous years’ content from the Quality Infrastructure Forum, delivered in partnership with bodies including UKAS and the National Physical Laboratory, and promises practical, applicable guidance rather than abstract theory. “The QI Forum is important for the UK science community because it’s an opportunity to showcase the different elements of that infrastructure,” explained Lorraine Turner, former accreditation director at UKAS, in 2024. “It’s a good opportunity, in a community of laboratory professionals, to come along and find out more about the strands of the framework that provide assurance as to the outcome of the work that laboratories do.” For lab managers, quality leads and anyone responsible for accreditation within their organisation, this strand of the show offers a rare chance to benchmark internal processes against sector best practice and to hear directly from the bodies that set the standards labs are measured against day to day.
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five core pillars for 2026, reflecting how central environmental performance has become to laboratory operations across every sector. Expect content addressing green chemistry, carbon-neutral research practices and the practicalities of reducing energy use and waste without compromising scientific rigour. “Sustainability is a really hot topic and lots of labs are looking at how they can implement that,” said Allison Hunter, head of sustainability at Metinor and head of technical operations at Imperial College London. “I always come away [from Lab Innovations] with something that I didn’t know before[…], that I can take back to my lab.” One talk on the Future of Laboratories stage will take a critical look at the growing administrative burden of overlapping sustainability accreditation. ‘Sustainability accreditation — cost vs value’ will be blunt, evidence-based and directly relevant to anyone involved in laboratory procurement, supplier management or institutional sustainability strategy.
LAB INNOVATIONS 2026
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growth and finance
Simon Penfold gets the lowdown from three of the latest UK firms to benefit from Horizon Europe research funding.
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n a major boost for innovation and research across Europe, MEPs are calling for more ‘ambitious’ funding for the next round of the Horizon Europe programme – more than doubling the size of its budget. In April the European Parliament formally agreed to seek a €200 billion budget for the 2028‑34 programme, rather than the €175bn the European Commission had proposed for the 10th Framework Programme for Research & Innovation. Horizon Europe is the EU’s main programme funding research and innovation. It operates on a sevenyear cycle. The current programme (the ninth Framework Programme) started in 2021 and runs until 2027 with a budget of €95.5 billion approximately £82 billion. Since the UK rejoined the Horizon Europe programme as an associated state in January 2024, more than 1,400 organisations – from major research universities to small businesses – have taken part, benefitting from around €1.4 billion in funding. This opened into new areas such as quantum, AI and robotics last year. Among the UK research and innovation businesses to benefit from the current funding round are Notpla, which is developing seaweed and plant -based alternatives to singleuse plastic coffee cups to reduce waste; The Floow, using telematics and data analytics to improve road safety and help prevent road traffic collisions across Europe as part of the PHOEBE project; and NatureMetrics, which is helping develop smarter biodiversity monitoring tools for European farmland as part of BioMonitor4CAP. n 28 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
FP10 A
s it draws up the next round of Horizon Europe, or FP10, the European Commission has emphasised it will be “tightly connected” to the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), a €234 billion initiative unveiled last year to invest in technologies which the EU views as “critical” to its global competitiveness, including AI and ‘clean tech’ (technologies that help reduce emissions and resource consumption). Horizon Europe 2028-2034 will be structured around four ‘pillars’. These include €44 billion for ‘excellent science’, to “strengthen the EU’s scientific base”. Pillar two, focused on competitiveness and society, aims to support “collaborative research and innovation in areas of high societal impact” with around €68 billion of funding for four “competitive” research themes: clean transition and industrial decarbonisation; health, biotech,
“hopes are high that the UK will take part in the next Horizon Europe programme as an associate”
agriculture and bioeconomy; digital leadership and resilience; and security, defence industry and space. Innovation is the third pillar, with nearly €39 billion to promote the development of new products, services, and business models. The fourth, the European Research Area. aims to support the EU’s ambition to create a “single, borderless market for research, innovation and technology across the EU” with €16 billion of funding. It includes funding for research and technology infrastructure, such as state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories. A final agreement on FP10 is expected late in 2027. Meanwhile, hopes are high across the UK’s research and innovation community that the UK will take part in the next Horizon Europe programme as an associate, as it did with the current programme in 2024 So far, the official response has been a position paper from the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), published in September 2024, which said the UK was “interested in potentially associating to FP10 assuming it is open, relevant and provides good value for our research community and the UK taxpayer”. The 2025 Spending Review allocated funding for association to “Horizon Europe and its successor”. Former Science Minister, Lord Vallance, later confirmed that funds to associate are available for the first two years of FP10, with the subsequent years of the programme falling under the timeframe of the next Spending Review. n
growth and finance
“What’s so exciting is you can only do this kind OF testing through this kind of collaboration”
Notpla www.notpla.com
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otpla is a London-based seaweed packaging innovator and secured €4 million in Horizon Europe funding to find a replacement for the ubiquitous disposable coffee cup. This is a three-year research and innovation project aiming to redesign the coffee cup at its source, focusing on materials, performance, and end-of-life impact. Every year, up to 500 billion single-use cups are used worldwide but fewer than 1% are recycled. Most are lined with plastic or bioplastics, making them extremely difficult to recycle, with the vast majority ending up in landfill, incineration, or the natural environment. Working alongside 13 partners across Europe and Africa, Notpla aims to develop a market-ready coffee cup featuring a fully natural, home-compostable coating – capable of performing in realworld foodservice environments without relying on plastic. The scope of the project spans materials research, coating development, manufacturing processes, performance testing, and end-of-life assessment, with the goal of delivering a solution designed to function at scale. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
The research builds on Notpla’s previous work and pilot projects and reflects a broader effort to eliminate plastic waste at its origin and rethink product design for a more sustainable future. Karlijn Sibbel, chief innovation officer at Notpla (pictured below), said the project, which started in October last year, built on years of experience: “We are already selling packaging, made from seaweed and plants, into food service industry to clients such as Just Eat. “Our expertise is in the formulation and process development of the materials. What is important is how can we get to a cup as quickly as possible.
“To have a cup that has a coating that is made from natural polymers, it needs to meet a strict directive that defines what is and is not a plastic. But natural materials love water, and you need something that is very water repellent to hold a hot liquid that is also acidic. “There's quite a lot of technical challenges and that's why we thought the best way to do that is through a really strong consortium, because it's also about making sure that from end to end - from the raw materials all the way to the final application and the end of life - that we're developing something that is a true solution. “That's why we applied through Horizon. We started in October and we're ahead of the timeline at the moment. We're going very fast. That's really exciting because the partners are working very strongly together. “We also need to see what happens if the cup ends up in nature. So we’re sending samples to very extreme environments: the Arctic, the desert, to Ghana and to temperate climates like the UK, to see what happens in these extreme conditions if it breaks down. “What is so exciting about something like a Horizon project is that you can only do this kind of testing through this kind of collaboration and having the funding to include all of these different elements. “It’s been a really positive experience, so we are already considering working on further projects as part of the next round of Horizon Europe.” n Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 29
growth and finance
THE FLOOW www.thefloow.com
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ccording to European Commission statistics, almost 19,000 people were killed in road accidents in the EU in 2020. To help halve the toll of road deaths and injuries by 2030, the PHOEBE Predictive Approaches for Safer Urban Environments – project uses AI and traffic simulation to predict and improve urban road safety. The Floow, a Sheffield-based telematics technology firm, received nearly £3 million in Horizon Europe funding as part of the PHOEBE project. The Floow uses its advanced data-gathering and mapping skills to analyse driving journeys, map road attributes, and understand risks that drivers are exposed to. It is working alongside an international consortium including the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Aimsun, POLIS, and European academic institutions like TU Delft and TU Munich.
“Our participation IN HORIZON EUROPE has played an important role in helping us expand our capabilities”
Dr Sam Chapman, innovation director and co-founder of The Floow, said: “We leverage our unique supply of data to create powerful insights across many of the most urgent challenges facing society. These challenges include the push towards vision zero, tackling congestion, preparing for the transition to autonomous vehicles, improving the quality of the air we all breathe, and achieving the green energy transition.” The business was formed in 2012 to provide traffic and road user data to insurance companies. “The data we gather is used to understand risk, but by reusing that data anonymously, we can start to inform road safety projects and programmes to help improve safety elsewhere. “We initially started with a mobile app to capture information from vehicles as they move, for the insurance industry. We have grown that to become a world leader in telematics, involved in research programmes to investigate new ways to do things with data.
Above Co-founder Dr Sam Chapman showcases the impacts of PHOEBE Below Sam presents work from the PHOEBE project at the 2026 RTR conference in Brussels
“Ultimately we get a picture of behaviour on the roads from over 150 data sources. It means we can see every road down to a 10-metre resolution, telling us exactly how everyone behaves on all those roads. Then we use that information to feed into road safety projects and programmes.” The Floow’s work fed into the UK’s Safer Roads Fund, which uses iRAP ratings and real-world behavioural data to target England’s highest-risk local A-roads. Over the next 20 years it is estimated to prevent 2,700 deaths and serious injuries, delivering £1.25 billion in value of prevention. The company also received global AiRAP accreditation for the value of its work, enabling The Floow to supply aggregated traffic and behavioural data in more than 140 countries. “This will mean new income, new business in terms of providing data to city authorities for road safety and to government agencies,” said Dr Chapman. “But importantly for us, it gives us a better understanding of risk. Our whole business is built around understanding risk on the roads: where it is, how to prevent it, how to understand it, how to rate people against it, how to influence and change their behaviour to minimize that risk. “So with a better understanding of that, using new data sources allows us to also change and improve our products aimed at the insurance sector. “Our participation in Horizon Europe has played an important role in helping us expand our capabilities beyond insurance telematics, working alongside leading organisations across Europe to develop new approaches to mobility and road safety analytics.” n
growth and finance
naturemetrics.com
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atureMetrics is a Surrey-based company working on nature intelligence and biodiversity monitoring taking part in BioMonitor4CAP. This is a Horizon Europe-funded project testing whether new biodiversity monitoring tools, including eDNA, bioacoustics, camera traps, satellite imagery and drones, can produce reliable, scalable indicators for outcome-based farm payments under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Marketing manager Helena Sherman explained: “NatureMetrics is one of only a few commercial partners in the consortium and our job has been to deliver soil eDNA analysis at a scale most academic labs can't match. We processed 767 soil samples from 79 farm sites across seven countries - the UK, Germany, Portugal, Finland, Austria, Belgium and Bulgaria - covering bacteria, fungi and invertebrates. “This scale has been key to the project. By covering such a wide range of farm types and locations, the consortium can test which biodiversity indicators are both ecologically meaningful and consistent across different European farming contexts. This is essential if these metrics are ever going to inform EU policy.” The company was founded in 2014 by Dr Kat Bruce, a tropical ecologist and pioneer in DNA metabarcoding. NatureMetrics www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
“WE were given access to networks, sites and collaborators across Europe that would have taken months to build commercially” opened its first laboratories in April 2016, monitoring UK protected species like the great crested newt survey season. It is now a global nature intelligence company employing 140 people with over 500 customers across the UK, Canada, Europe, Middle East and South Africa, and with labs in the UK, Canada and Indonesia. Helena said: “It combines eDNA analysis with bioacoustics, Earth Observation and AI to deliver biodiversity data at a scale and resolution that conventional methods cannot match. What began as an academic method is now a commercial service used by conservation organisations, governments, financial institutions and major corporations across the globe.” “NatureMetrics first engaged with Horizon Europe through its relationship with Innovate UK
Inside the eDNA lab Scan the QR code to watch a guided tour of NatureMetrics’ eDNA lab with Dr Kat Bruce
Business Growth, which helped the company build an international funding strategy from 2021. The Horizon Europe framework was identified as a route to do two things simultaneously: advance the scientific validation of eDNA as a biodiversity monitoring tool, and scale the company's footprint across European markets. “BioMonitor4CAP was a natural fit. The EU's push to reform CAP payments — shifting from areabased subsidies toward measurable ecological outcomes — represented exactly the policy context in which eDNA could prove its value. Being part of the consortium gave NatureMetrics access to field networks, farm sites and collaborators across Europe that would have taken months to build commercially, while contributing to research with direct policy implications at the EU level. “Within the programme, the grant enabled NatureMetrics to collect data at scale. The consortium structure meant that field teams across Europe collected samples using NatureMetrics' kits and returned them to our UK laboratories for analysis, making the logistics both efficient and consistent. “The wider business benefit has been significant. The project generated one of the largest pan-European soil eDNA databases ever assembled, covering a diverse range of agricultural systems, land uses, and geographic contexts. That database is now underpinning NatureMetrics' development of agricultural benchmarks and biodiversity indicators for farming. It has accelerated our ability to offer meaningful, evidence-based metrics to clients operating in the agriculture and land management sectors.” NatureMetrics is now actively pursuing further Horizon Europelinked funding through the EIC Accelerator programme — the EU's flagship instrument for high-impact innovation. n Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 31
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“The Midlands is a real undiScoVered geM oF THE UK - the QUALITY OF Science and technology is EXTRAORDinARY” Simon Penfold talks to Dr Lisa Smith, chief executive of regional spinout investor Midlands Mindforge.
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idlands Mindforge, the new regional venture capital investor backed by a string of leading universities, has already announced investments in four Midlands spinouts and is continuing to build its portfolio from a strong pipeline of breakthrough science and technology emerging from the region. Established as an investment company dedicated to supporting university spinouts and other science and technology businesses in the Midlands, it revealed in June it had entered its active investment stage thanks to the support of the Mayors of the East and West Midlands, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Rigby Group and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This has enabled Mindforge to begin deploying capital into outstanding Midlands spinout companies. These include K-Vector, which is developing advanced antenna technology for nextgeneration communications systems; IMS Solutions, which is developing breakthrough ‘steroid fingerprint’ diagnostics to enable earlier, clearer and more accurate 32 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
diagnosis of complex hormone-related conditions; Healome, which is pioneering a novel ocular drug-delivery platform; and TextureJet, whose intelligent surface mapping and processing platform provides ultra-precise advanced manufacturing solutions. Dr Lisa Smith, chief executive of Midlands Mindforge said: “Alongside the investments we have already announced, we are very excited by the quality of the pipeline we are building for future capital deployment. “The completion of our Advanced Subscription Agreement earlier in the summer is allowing
us to showcase the truly world-class science in the Midlands region, and at the same time demonstrate our operational and deal execution capabilities as a new team. This is clearly helpful in our investor meetings as we target our £100m First Close by year-end.”
An extraordinary story Explaining the background and rationale behind Midlands Mindforge, she said: “It's quite an extraordinary story. We are a partnership of eight research-rich universities across the Midlands, East and West (Aston University, University of Birmingham, Cranfield University, Keele University, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham, University of Warwick and Cranfield University) coming together to address a significant financial market failure. “The numbers are quite stark: if you're a spin-out and you've got to seven years-old, if you happen to have been in the postcode of Oxford, Cambridge or London, you will have raised 6.3 times more capital than if you're a spin out from the Midlands. “Not 20% more, 50% more; 630% more. It's a really stark number. “What people don't realise is you
growth and finance
“our investments are ones that we really believe will be able to make venture returns”
can have the best science in the world but if you don't invest sufficient amount in that science, it means you can't hire or retain the best talent. You can't buy the best kit. You can't scale up quickly. So it's a real handbrake on growth.” It leads to the recognised problem of UK science relocating out of the regions. “We lose 40% of our best and brightest to relocating overseas and to other parts of the UK. That is the highest attrition rate of spin-out loss in the country. “That's one of the things that we really aim to address with Mindforge. “We are following in the footsteps of Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) who have www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Clockwise from above Addressing the audience at the UK Global R&D and Science Investment Summit; Speaking at The Midlands Venture Spinout Showcase; Alongside Midlands Mindforge chair Mike Rees
transformed the commercialisation of innovations from Oxford University over the past ten years, resulting in their portfolio companies raising more funding than any other university in Europe in H1 this year, and more than all German spinouts combined. More recently we have also seen the early success of Northern Gritstone in the North of the UK which partnered with the universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Liverpool. “Both of these dedicated university funding vehicles are playing a vital role in providing the much-needed capital and company building skills to capitalise on the extraordinary breadth and dept of science innovations from their respective university partners. “Right from the start, Mindforge was founded by eight universities. Bringing that many institutions together requires real confidence in your ability to collaborate. That confidence comes from our sister organisation, Midlands Innovation, led by the indomitable Helen Turner. Over the past decade, Helen has built a working partnership with an outstanding track record of collaboration across these same eight universities, consistently delivering joint programmes, shared infrastructure and sector‑leading initiatives that show what can be achieved when the Midlands works together. “That decade of trust, shared capability and collective ambition is the foundation Mindforge is
built on. It has allowed us to slot straight into an ecosystem that is already accustomed to deep and effective collaboration, which is genuinely unique in the UK research landscape. “Unique often means hard and difficult, but in this case it comes with a decade‑long track record. I see Midlands Mindforge almost as a regional infrastructure layer. It is the next step in the process.” “You fund great R&D, so you fund great Research, then you fund great Development, then you've got to fund great commercialisation, because R&D is not automatically commercialisation.”
Speculate to accumulate In terms of how Midlands Mindforge operates, Lisa explains: “We make our decisions as a whether to invest or not very much as a pure venture capitalist. Our investment decision process is totally independent from our university partners. “The investments are ones that we really believe will be able to make venture returns. “But once the company's in our portfolio, then we will be a hands-on investor in terms of supporting that portfolio company. “There's ways that we can do so in a way that makes enormous sense for any of them. To hire a brand manager or to hire specialised expertise is really expensive. But what we can do is we can encourage fractional support across our network and provide in-residence experts that stay with Mindforge that our portfolio companies can tap into. “That ability to provide expertise and best practice sharing and support is really critical. “These companies start and then suddenly you have an academic founder needing to be an expert on R&D tax credits? We can help them through that learning curve really quickly and make sure that they do it right and really benefit from that scheme. “Some technologies lend themselves directly to licensing and to a direct monetization We've got to support academics in terms of Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 33
growth and finance what they want to achieve. It's their life’s work, so being hugely respectful about the important role they play in terms of what they have invented and spent their life doing. But at the same time if they are open to being a spin-out or just up for the journey of spinning out their technology, we can help that happen through working with the tech transfer offices of our universities. “If that technology has the opportunity for great venture returns, then we lean in and help the TTOs. “What's wonderful across our region is the collaboration across the eight universities and their Technology Transfer Offices. Midlands Innovation, led by Helen Turner, actively facilitates this collaboration, recently helping secure a £10m grant to support 16 universities across the Midlands improve the quality of their spinouts and provide support for scientific founders. “At the end of the day, it's about giving the spinout the best chance of success and enabling amazing technologies to go out to make the world a better place. “That's the common platform that we as investors have with the academics. They want the best solution out there. We want their solution out there, preferably with people paying good money to pay for that solution. But we really do want that solution out there solving real-world problems.”
finance in a way that supports spinout company formation and university-investor relationships. Lisa is an award-winning investor, consultant for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership and a Harvard MBA graduate. Over the course of her career, she has led teams at BTV, McKinsey and Unilever enabling effective business building and supporting inspiring entrepreneurs to fulfil the potential of their ideas. “I have to say I'm loving working in the Midlands, it's a real undiscovered gem of the UK. The culture and the attitude here is the closest I've seen to the West Coast of America and the quality of the
“It’s about giving the spinout the best chance of success and enabling amazing technologies to go out to make the world a better place”
UK’s undiscovered gem Lisa was brought in as chief executive of Midland Mindforge in 2023, along with Chairman Mike Rees. Mike is the Deputy Chair of the Supervisory Board at ING Bank and Chair of the Board Risk Committee at ING Bank, He has also chaired the board of Travelex and was the deputy group CEO of Standard Chartered Bank. In 2019, Mike authored the UKRI report investigating how to strengthen university access to 34 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Above The official opening of TextureJet's new headquarters, attended by the Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, following a £2m investment from Midlands Mindforge Below Lisa Smith (second right) marks the first West Midlands investment in Healome Therapeutics with (from left) David Coleman, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise; Richard Williams, CEO, Healome Therapeutics; Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands; Claudia Whyte, representing Sjögren’s UK
science and the technology is extraordinary. If you have a look at our eight partner universities collectively, they're the number one producer of world leading science in the UK. In the REF, a report carried out by the UK government every seven years, the Midlands ranks number one in five of the 12 science and technology areas. “With such a concentration of research strength, innovation assets and collaborative infrastructure, including around 35 science and innovation parks, the region is one of the most dynamic science and technology ecosystems in the UK. Midlands Mindforge is designed to be the missing piece in that landscape, providing the dedicated commercialisation engine that helps the region’s breakthroughs grow into companies, jobs and technologies that deliver impact across the Midlands and beyond.” n
INVESTING WITH IMPACT
Midlands Mindforge invest in ground-breaking science and technology to build the businesses that bring it to market. Discover more at www.midlandsmindforge.com and midlandsinnovation.org.uk
growth and finance
Simon Penfold speaks to executive director Toby Reid and corporate development director Miranda Knaggs from Pioneer Group about the commercialisation of UK science and technology.
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ioneer Group has been adding fresh impetus to the urgent debate on how to encourage investment nationwide into science and innovation. One of the largest operators of science parks across the UK, with its own venture capital arm, Pioneer has published two major reports on the lack of funding and infrastructure that continues to hamper the commercialisation of science and technology nationwide. The biggest single issue is the disparity between the Golden Triangle of Cambridge, Oxford and London and the rest of the country in terms of raising investment. Toby laid it out in stark terms: “The first phase of the report found that on average companies outside of the Golden Triangle will raise four to five times less than those inside. It will take them a year longer to raise investment, which means they're already disadvantaged; their trajectory is already much slower. “By the time they've raised £1 million, the company in Oxford's raised £5 million a year quicker. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
That means they can recruit smarter people, they can buy in additional IP, they've got a longer timeline.”
The second Henham report: avoiding a system misfire While capital funding – or the lack of it – was the focus of the first phase of the report, the second shifted the conversation to the broader commercialisation infrastructure that must accompany it. Commissioned by Pioneer in partnership with The Crown Estate, and authored by Henham Strategy, Beyond the Capital Gap: How do we develop an operational blueprint to capitalise on UK science? argues that
Above Pioneer Group executive director Toby Reid
while fresh investment is critical, capital alone will not solve the UK’s commercialisation challenge. Phase one of the research, published last year, demonstrated the economic potential of addressing the UK’s early-stage capital constraints; increased investment could unlock more than 1,700 additional spinouts, create 56,000 high-quality jobs, and generate up to £27 billion in co investment. But phase two, published in March, warned that, without strengthening the infrastructure surrounding this investment, the UK risks “unlocking capital into a system ill-equipped to absorb it”. To break this framework down, Toby explained: “We think of commercialisation infrastructure as a four-legged stool. “The first leg is venture capital, which was the focus of the first report. We posed the question that if we were to commercialise science evenly across the UK in the way that has been done in Oxford over the last 10 years, what would we need and what would the potential outcomes be? “The second phase of the report says, ‘well, if that venture capital was to flow and was to become available as it has in Oxford and to a similar degree Cambridge and London, what are the impacts on the next three legs of the stool and what would need to be in place to make sure that we maximise the impact of that money flowing?’”
Venture capital & venture building (the OSE flywheel) Below Pioneer Group corporate development director Miranda Knaggs
The key component, it found, was venture building: the systematic process of building, funding and launching new startup companies from scratch. Toby said: “Opportunities rarely emerge perfectly formed from their research institute in an instantly venture capital backable form. They need some form of intervention to get them to a stage where they are a scalable, repeatable business that is robust and financially investable. “But that intervention of venture building is delivered inconsistently in terms of format, geography and time. “There's been no extensive research done on which form of venture building - accelerated Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 35
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“Opportunities rarely emerge perfectly formed in an instantly venture capital backable form They need some form of intervention” programmes, entrepreneurs in residence, challenge-led programmes or founder-first type programmes - is the most effective. “The report is a call for a discussion around what's the most effective form of intervening and bridging that gap in terms of making something investable, backable, and giving it the right start. And how do we make sure it's financed consistently over time?” Miranda adds key context on the hidden operational toll of this step: “What traditional investors often fail to understand is that venture building isn't just about writing cheques; it is an incredibly intensive, hands-on operational overhead. “In regional ecosystems, you cannot simply invest and walk away. You must physically step onto university campuses, guide researchers as they translate science into business milestones, navigate complex IP negotiations, and hand-hold early founders through their first executive hires. It requires a radically different skillset than managing a standard investment portfolio, and that localised support mechanism simply does not exist consistently outside the Golden Triangle.” Toby continues: “In the report we used Oxford as a case study, because it highlights a Catch-22 for anywhere outside of the Golden
READ THE REPORTS
36 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Top Among Pioneer’s life science campuses is BioCity Nottingham
Below Visual of Oxford Ozone - a development project between the Pioneer and Firoka Groups to deliver approximately 500,000 sq ft of specialist lab and office space
Triangle but also gives us a clue to the solution.” Over the last ten years, early-stage venture capital firm Oxford Sciences Enterprises (OSE) has had a dramatic impact on the commercialisation of technologies coming out of the University of Oxford. “What we have seen is that an oversupply of funding leads to a venture building approach. 10 years ago, Oxford hadn't really been doing very much in the way of spinouts but suddenly there was a big supply of capital, £250 million, dumped down on the doorstep and no apparent deal flow. “So OSE became venture builders. They started helping to co-create opportunities, write business plans, recruit teams, test market viability, test market attraction, roll their sleeves up and get stuck in.
“Now that flywheel is spinning, the whole thing becomes far more sustainable. “My belief is that outside of the Golden Triangle, the only way you create a long-term sustainable innovation ecosystem is with a dramatic increase in the supply of venture capital with a geographical focus. “But the Catch 22 is there's not enough decent deal flow to justify new funds investing exclusively within a strong regional focus. “Our argument is that without the funds, you’re not going to get the deal flow. It's a chicken and egg scenario.”
Real estate & infrastructure (the five-year bottleneck) “The next challenge - and this is what happened in Oxford and Cambridge - is innovative companies raise finance and nobody has thought about what space they might need,” Toby said. “When the evidence and demand for space arises, the real estate world wakes up but it then it takes five years to buy a site, get planning, do design, do construction, get the keys back. By which time you’re potentially delivering space that was required five years ago, not today.” Miranda expands on this structural property gap, noting that traditional real estate approaches fail to accommodate the fast-evolving lifecycle of life science occupiers. “It is a common misconception that you can simply build a laboratory facility, sign a ten-year lease, and walk away. The reality of science park management is that these high-growth companies require extreme spatial flexibility. “A spin-out might start with a single incubator bench, but within 18 months, successful funding
growth and finance requires them to transition into a dedicated containment lab or a pilot production line. If the infrastructure isn't designed from day one with modular scalability to let companies grow in situ, they are forced to break their momentum, stop their research, and relocate elsewhere.” Toby continues: “The challenge is that people don't like developing speculatively with no identified tenants or pre-let agreements. “So how do you give capital partners and private sector developers the confidence to build something new without the demand? “You have to use the insight of your venture capital activity to help predict future demand. That's what we do with OSE in Oxford.” Outside of the Golden Triangle, however, there is no compound effect to the pattern of investments, said Toby. “There's no anticipating future real estate demand as a collective, there's no shared learning. “But if you want to build the next building that then allows these companies to graduate, you need to cost them and you need to look at your collective footprint. Within a geography you can anticipate in advance of demand and build it just in time. “The next challenge, especially if you're at the life sciences end of facilities, is you are not just building sheds. You need to provide facilities to enable the scale up of processes from labs. “The build cost, even for fit-out of an existing building, exceeds the achievable rents in most geographies around the country. “There’s no economic return on building laboratories anywhere outside of London. “So there is state intervention required. But I don't believe it should be a subsidy because you just perpetuate the problem. You need to get to the stage where companies can afford rents for
which private sector developers are willing to develop, which is what's happening in Oxford where rents have gone from £40psf to £90psf as a direct result of OSE’s investment activity in the city. “The answer probably is a blend of de-risking so can you put anchor occupiers into buildings and facilities and subsidisede fit-out to allow you to bring initial rents down but still expand and grow them over time. “And that takes us right back to where we started, more venture capital flowing so wellfunded companies can afford higher rents.”
“In regional ecosystems, you can’t simply invest and walk away - it requires a radically different skillset”
www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
People & ecosystem: Lessons from over two decades Pioneer is in an almost unique position to both identify the issues and suggest solutions. Possessing the exact empirical blueprint the rest of the UK lacks, the group is
Top and above Developed by Pioneer Group, Victoria House London was officially launched as London's premier life sciences hub in September 2025
one of the UK’s biggest operators of science and research parks – with 14 nationwide – but also operates its own venture capital arm. Miranda said: “From a lab point of view, we're the largest provider by far in what we call mission critical real estate. We saw during the pandemic all our sites had the lights on, everybody working whilst in office space, the lights were off and everybody was at home. “We're also unique in the UK and Europe in that we're the only ones to provide venture building, VC funding and the infrastructure to go with it. “Nobody else brings the three parts of the model together and integrates them like we do.” Toby added: “We’ve tried all sorts of approaches since we launched at our first site in Nottingham in 2003. For 23 years we have honed our approach to driving innovation ecosystems and we’ve arrived at the conclusion that you need all these component parts delivered in an integrated fashion, informing one another. “It's not just a theory, it's empirical evidence gathered through day-to-day practice for 23 years.”
A unified operational strategy Miranda concluded: “Clearly, we think this needs coordination, because it's difficult to fund regionally. You need the insight, you need to integrate venture capital, you need to integrate venture building with venture capital, with the provision of real estate, and then ultimately the provision of people and the talent and skills agenda to support the sector in that region. Otherwise, there are too many opportunities for the engine to misfire.” n Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 37
growth and finance
UK risks losing next generation of science champions Bidwells analysis and report finds just 8p in every £1 of growth funding for university spinouts comes from UK investors alone.
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ew analysis from real estate adviser Bidwells has found that just 8p in every £1 of growth capital raised by UK university spinouts came from rounds funded exclusively by UK investors, raising concerns that Britain’s worldleading research base is creating companies whose futures will increasingly be decided overseas. The report, ‘Capital, clusters and the scale-up gap’ uses Beauhurst data on private company funding rounds above £15m between January 2022 and May 2026. Of 112 UK university spinouts that raised £6.3bn across 156 private growth-stage rounds, 82p in every £1 came from rounds involving at least one overseas investor, while only 8p came from rounds where every named investor was UK-based. A further 10p came from rounds where the investor domicile could not be established. International investment is often a sign of strength, and for life sciences companies in particular, US investors bring specialist 38 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
expertise and access to the world’s largest healthcare market. The risk is therefore not foreign capital itself, but that rounds priced and led from overseas tend to pull the eventual listing, headquarters and R&D decisions with them, while UK investors currently lack the scale to hold a position alongside them. When that happens, the UK misses out on future jobs and tax revenues. The findings raise questions over whether the UK has enough domestic investment capacity to deliver the government’s own technology ambitions. The Digital and Technologies Sector Plan says that by 2035 the UK should be “one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a fast-growing technology business” and should secure “the UK’s first trillion-dollar technology business”. With the government allocating a record £20.4bn to R&D in 2025/26, including £8.8bn through UK Research and Innovation, Bidwells warns that taxpayers risk funding the research that creates successful science and tech businesses, without enough of
READ THE REPORT
Scan the QR code below to read Capital, clusters and the scale-up gap
the long-term commercial value being retained in the UK. The clearest evidence of the funding gap is at larger rounds. The report finds that no UK university spinout funding round above £75m since 2022 was funded by UK investors alone. None of the 19 rounds above £75m, and none of the nine rounds above £100m, were UK-only. Life sciences and medical technology companies are most exposed to this funding gap. The sector accounted for £3.1bn of the £6.3bn raised by UK university spinouts in the period, almost half of all growth capital in the dataset. Yet in this strategically important sector, only 6% of growth capital came from rounds where every investor was UK-based. The research also finds that 43 UK university spinouts have listed on London markets, but 41 of them, or 95%, did so without ever raising a private growth round above £15m. Bidwells says this suggests many UK university spinouts listed early because they could not raise further capital from private investors.
growth and finance
“The UK has spent decades building one of the best university research bases in the world, but too often we do not have the domestic capital needed to turn ideas into serious scale-up companies” The report argues that the gap, while serious, is concentrated and therefore addressable. Twenty companies took half of the £6.3bn raised in the period, with the ten most heavily funded accounting for a third. Bidwells says this means well-directed UK capital, focused on the growth-stage rounds of a small and changing cohort of frontier companies rather than spread across the whole market, could make a material difference to whether the next generation of science champions scales from the UK. The research comes after Business Secretary Peter Kyle said in a BBC interview on 11 June that he would have intervened to block the sale of UK microchip company Arm Holdings had he been in government at the time. Arm was bought by SoftBank in 2016 and later listed in New York. Kyle told the BBC that Arm could have been the biggest firm on the London Stock Exchange, and that it “would be 40% of the way there to the trillion-dollar company I think our country needs”. He also said he wanted to create the conditions where companies “do not want to leave in the first place”. Sue Foxley, Research Director at Bidwells (left), said: “The UK has spent decades building one of the best university research bases in the world, but too often we do not have the domestic capital needed to turn these ideas into serious scale-up companies. “Arm Holdings’ US listing shows what is at stake. It remains one of the finest examples of UK innovation, headquartered in Cambridge – but the fact ministers now say they shouldn’t have allowed its sale should be a wake-up call. The answer is not to shut out international capital, which is vital to UK science, but to www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
3
CALLS FOR POLICY CHANGE
Bidwells is calling for three simple policy changes:
1
Mansion House capital should be channelled through the British Growth Partnership into later-stage UK spinouts. The government should give the British Business Bank’s British Growth Partnership a clear mandate to scale up UK university spinouts, so pension capital raised under the Mansion House Accord backs Series B, Series C and later growth rounds, particularly above £75m.
2
UK pension savers should be offered an opt-in fund that targets British growth companies. The fund should give diversified exposure to UK private growth companies and UK-listed growth businesses, using regulated structures.
3
Expand the Life Sciences Sector Plan’s scale-up service to frontier spinouts. The government already plans a dedicated service to help 10 to 20 high-potential UK life sciences companies scale, attract investment and remain domiciled in the UK. That model should be widened to priority university spinouts in AI, quantum, engineering biology, semiconductors and other frontier technologies.
make sure British capital can sit alongside other investors. “The Mansion House reforms, now on the statute book, can help close that gap, but only if the money reaches the larger investment rounds where globally competitive businesses are made. Otherwise, the UK will keep doing the hard work of creating companies whose value is ultimately captured elsewhere.” Henry Whorwood, Managing Director, Beauhurst Insights (below right), said: “What this data shows is that the UK’s spinout problem is not one of supply, nor of early-stage funding. Universities are producing companies that can attract serious capital. “The bottleneck comes later, when the most successful companies need much larger investment rounds to compete globally. “That should give policymakers and investors some confidence. But for everyone to share in the success of the UK’s IP-generating capacity we need to help domestic capital compete at the later stages.” n
INNOVATIVE PROPERTY ADVICE
Bidwells is a leading real estate adviser, specialising in the UK’s most pioneering sectors: science & technology, sustainability, and modern living solutions. Find out more at bidwells.co.uk Sources referenced in this article • Bidwells and Beauhurst, Capital, clusters and the scale-up gap, June 2026. • Mansion House Accord, 13 May 2025. • Pension Schemes Act 2026 (Royal Assent, 29 April 2026). • House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, Bleeding to death: The science and technology growth emergency. • Beauhurst and Royal Academy of Engineering, Spotlight on Spinouts 2025. • Department for Business and Trade, The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, 2025. • Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, 2025. Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 39
sponsored content
MagNitude BioscieNces enters its next phase at
W
ith £4.2m raised to date, a new high-throughput screening platform moving towards commercialisation, and a five-year growth plan in place, Durham University spin-out Magnitude Biosciences is preparing for its next phase of expansion from its base at the North East Technology Park (NETPark). The company has just closed its latest funding round, bringing the total investment secured to £4.2m. The new funding will enable VivoScan™, its latest technology, to reach the market. The ambition is to screen one million compounds using a whole-organism model, providing drug researchers with meaningful biological insight much earlier in the development process. For pharmaceutical companies, the challenge is identifying early which compounds are worth progressing and which should be dropped. Magnitude’s CEO, Dr Fozia Saleem, explains: “Drug development can take 10 to 15 years and cost an average of around $2.3bn for a successful drug to reach the market. With so many compounds failing along the way, there is a real need for better biological information earlier in the process. That is the problem we are helping our customers address.” Magnitude helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies understand how potential treatments behave in a living organism. Its model uses C. elegans, microscopic roundworms that have been used in scientific research for decades, together with automated imaging, data analysis, robotics and machine learning. The worm’s short lifecycle and small size allow experiments to be run quickly and at scale, making it particularly useful for 40 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
research into ageing, longevity, neurodegeneration and muscle health. “Our model allows researchers to look at the effect of a compound in an entire living system, rather than looking at one cell or one biological process in isolation,” says Dr Saleem. “It’s complementary to cell-based and mammalian research, providing another layer of evidence that can help researchers decide which compounds are worth taking further.”
From detailed analysis to high-throughput screening Magnitude’s original WormGazer™ technology is designed to provide detailed characterisation of how compounds affect worms, generating extensive data on movement, health and behaviour. VivoScan™ addresses a different customer requirement: screening much larger numbers of compounds at the earliest stages of drug
NETPark’s £100m expansion has added 285,650 sq. ft. of space, ready for occupier fit-out
discovery. It uses liquid-cultured C. elegans in micro-well plates with automated imaging and data analysis. It requires significantly less compound than conventional approaches, which matters when researchers are working with valuable early-stage compounds. “VivoScan is about bringing wholeorganism screening to a scale that was previously unachievable,” says Dr Saleem. “Our customers were asking us to move from thousands of compounds to millions. That challenge drove the development of VivoScan and is now shaping the next stage of the business.” The technology is already being used in commercial drug discovery. In February 2026, Magnitude announced a collaboration with BioAscent Discovery to use VivoScan™ to profile a 1,600-compound Chemogenomics Library, generating whole-organism data on longevity, mobility, activity and toxicity.
“We Are a global company, with customers from Australia to California, but we can operate that business from NETPark” Building a scalable technology business Scaling whole-organism screening requires more than additional laboratory capacity. Through a series of Innovate UK-backed projects, Magnitude has invested heavily in automation, imaging and machine learning, steadily reducing the manual handling of worms about 1mm long. “Scalability is fundamental to what we are building,” says Dr Saleem. “You cannot screen millions of compounds simply by adding more scientists. We have had to automate the process to increase throughput, improve consistency and reproducibility, and reduce the variation that comes with manual handling.” The composition of the business has changed, too. When Dr Saleem joined Magnitude four years ago, there were seven employees, six of whom had academic backgrounds. The company now has 17 people across commercial, scientific, laboratory and technology roles. “For us, it is about bringing the right combination of science and commercial expertise into the business,” she says. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Dr Fozia Saleem, CEO, Magnitude Biosciences
“The science has to be exceptional, but you also need the commercial capability to turn that science into something customers need and a business that can scale.”
space to develop and scale Magnitude has been based at NETPark since 2020, and as VivoScan™ moves towards commercialisation, its expansion plans are firmly centred on the park. “From a growth point of view, NETPark is brilliant because there is flexibility as your requirements change,” explains Dr Saleem. “You can start with a laboratory or office space and, as the business grows, move into larger facilities and adapt them to what you need. There are options to retrofit existing space, and when you reach the point where you need something more bespoke, there is scope to develop that too.” “We are a global company, with customers from Australia to California, but we can operate that global business from NETPark,” she adds. “Having specialist facilities around us, the ability to expand and a concentration of other science and technology businesses creates an environment where we can continue to develop the business without having to relocate every time our requirements change.”
The people in the park matter as much as the buildings. “I can pick up the phone to other CEOs on the park and share best practice,” she says. “People are genuinely very collegiate, and there is a willingness to help each other, whether that is around recruitment, finance, equipment, or simply sharing experience.” Kerry Walker, Managing Director of Business Durham, which manages NETPark on behalf of Durham County Council, said: “As the company enters this exciting next phase, we are proud to have supported its journey through NETPark’s specialist facilities, introductions to key partners and networks, and access to investment through Finance Durham. We look forward to supporting the team as they continue to expand their global reach and create high-value jobs and opportunities in the region.” n
SCAN ME
Discover the opportunities available at NETPark by scanning the QR code or visit northeasttechnologypark.com/life-sciences
Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 41
Opening doors across the Golden Triangle Simon Penfold learns from Ajit Singh and Francois Meullenet about Cambridge Wide Open Week’s impressive growth.
I
n just its fourth year Cambridge Wide Open Week has expanded beyond Silicon Fen across the whole of the Golden Triangle, bringing its open-door celebration of life sciences to London and Oxford. Now plans are afoot to take the week-long interactive festival even further afield, with both Norwich
and Manchester being eyed as possible new destinations. It follows on from CWOW’s remarkable success this summer, when it welcomed more than 5,000 attendees across 37 venues, delivering over 280 sessions and bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, operators, local communities and the wider biotech and techbio community from across the UK and beyond.
REGISTER NOW FOR CWOW
Cambridge Wide Open Week is set to return for Season 3 in June 2027. Register now via the QR code below
2026 EDITION HIGHLIGHTS
VENTURES TOUR OXFORD Thursday 12 June
VENTURES TOUR LONDON
42 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Friday 13 June
VENTURES TOUR CAMBRIDGE
Day 1 - Monday 15 June
The event has come a long way since it was set up by o2h, the life sciences and technology seed group, as Cambridge Wide Open Day in 2023 to provide the local community with a chance to visit and experience the city’s life sciences cluster first-hand. Last year it expanded into a week-long series of events and this summer it lifted the veil on one of the world’s most productive life sciences corridors. With 250+ participating companies and 24 venture capital, accelerator and venture builders, CWOW offered a rare lens into the ecosystems driving global innovation across Oxford, London and Cambridge. The ethos is that of a dialogue and not a lecture between all the stakeholders that make up the life science community including the residents in and around keg clusters. A four-day Ventures Tour formed the backbone of the programme, showcasing more than 110 biotech and techbio companies through investor showcases and venture presentations spanning therapeutics, AI-enabled drug discovery, diagnostics and platform technologies. From seed-stage startups to Series A/B scale-ups, the programme created opportunities for founders to engage directly with investors, industry leaders and ecosystem partners across the OxfordCambridge-London corridor. The week also attracted interest from international delegations, investors and ecosystem leaders representing more than 10 countries, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, China, Singapore, South Korea, Belgium, Asia, and several European markets, reinforcing the growing global profile of the Oxford-Cambridge-London life sciences corridor.
VENTURES TOUR CAMBRIDGE
Day 2 - Tuesday 16 June
WIDE OPEN DAY CAMBRIDGE Wednesday 17 June
regions and communities Opening up the ecosystem Ajit Singh, Director of CWOW (inset right), explained: “Cambridge Wide Open Week is a communitydriven celebration of life sciences across the UK's leading innovation ecosystems. “The vision really came from Prashant Shah, co-founder of o2h group, who recognised that while Cambridge is one of the world's leading life sciences clusters and a very welcoming city, very few people ever get to experience how it actually works. “We wanted to open up the ecosystem, for operatives, founders, scientists, entrepreneurs, academia, public policy, techies and investors, but also for local residents and the wider community, giving everyone the opportunity to see the innovation happening on their doorstep and engage with the people behind it. “You hear about the success stories, but you don't necessarily see the collaboration happening between startups, investors, universities, science parks, researchers and policymakers. “Cambridge Wide Open Day started as an experiment to wide-open those doors and allow people to experience the ecosystem as it really is. What we've seen over the past few years is that the appetite for that is enormous. “As the community embraced the idea, it naturally evolved into Cambridge Wide Open Week, expanding beyond Cambridge into Oxford and London and reflecting the increasingly connected nature of the UK's innovation corridor. “One of the things we're most proud of is that CWOW doesn't belong to one organisation. “It's built by the ecosystem, for the ecosystem. “We're not trying to create another conference. The format is deliberately much more interactive, collaborative and community-led. “Every science park, every
investor, every startup, every university and every partner brings their own perspective, their own network and their own energy. “Our role is really to create the platform that allows those connections to happen. “When you have thousands of people exploring venues, attending talks, joining networking events and meeting organisations they may never otherwise have encountered, that's when interesting collaborations begin. “I lead the strategy, growth and delivery of Cambridge Wide Open Week alongside Prashant Shah, who founded the initiative. “That covers everything from developing the long-term vision and building partnerships to sponsorship, programming, communications and stakeholder engagement.
“We’re not creating another conference the format is much more interactive, collaborative and community-led”
www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Clockwise from above Prominent speakers at CWOW’s four venture tour days held in Oxford, London and Cambridge, included Mike King, George Freeman MP, Deborah Prentice and Dr Olga Kozlova
“A huge part of my role is working with organisations across Oxford, London and Cambridge to understand how they want to contribute to the week and how we can collectively tell a stronger story about UK innovation. “The UK has got great scientific capabilities, entrepreneurs and institutions. Our job is to help tell that story in a way that feels open, collaborative and authentic. “CWOW exists to celebrate and highlight the buzzing life sciences ecosystems that we have.” Francois Meullenet, operations manager at o2h Co-Work Labs in Cambridge, is another member of the team working on the event. “We are now calling it Combined Ways of Working; still CWOW but going above and beyond Cambridge. “I think the event has a vibe which maybe was already there in Cambridge and the nature of how collaborative Cambridge is just combined with the whole event like a natural thing. And now we’ve taken that to London and Oxford. “It's really highlighting the best of the innovators, investors, the ecosystems, creativity to in the UK In the life science ecosystem. It's all about giving back, sharing expertise, sharing experience. “The vision is really that of the owner and co-founder of o2h Group, Prashant Shah. He had the idea of Cambridge Wide Open Day four years ago, then becoming Cambridge Wide Open Week and now Combined Ways of Working. “Within the ecosystem there has always been a willingness to network and learn more from the experience from others. Everybody wants to work hand in hand to get the UK life sciences community in front of a global audience. “We even work with local parishes and things like that to promote the Cambridge open day so people are just walking in to hear and listen to the life science ecosystem.”
Successful showcase This year’s event, in June, saw two days of venture tours, in Oxford and London. Among those speaking in Oxford were Sarah Haywood, Managing Director of Advanced Oxford, and Dr Olga Kozlova, Director of Innovation and Engagement at the University of Oxford. Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 43
regions and communities
“Everybody wants to work hand in hand to get the UK life sciences community in front of a global audience” Investor showcases were hosted by Oxford Science Enterprises, Oxford Venture Angels, Longwall Ventures, Oxford University Innovation and Oxford Technology Management featured some of the region’s most promising ventures. In London it brought together venture capitalists, angel investors, founders, people from the public policy side including the Department for Business & Trade, the Office for Investment and industry leaders from across the capital’s life sciences ecosystem. Keynote speaker Mike King, Head of Investment for South East England, reflected on the growing importance of collaboration across the Oxford-Cambridge-London corridor, while Angela Kukula, CEO of MedCity, set the scene for a series of investor showcases hosted by KQ Labs at The Francis Crick Institute, Mercia Ventures, Foresight Group, LifeArc Ventures and Pioneer Group. Companies spanning AI-enabled drug discovery, therapeutics, diagnostics and platform technologies presented to investors and strategic partners, highlighting the breadth of innovation emerging across the UK. A two-day venture tour of Cambridge opened with keynote contributions from George Freeman FRSA FRGS MP, Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and Shaun Grady, Chair of AstraZeneca UK. Across the two days, investor showcases hosted by Amadeus Capital Partners, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Start Codon, Cambridge Angels, Cambridge Enterprise, Parkwalk Advisors, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Accelerate Cambridge, o2h Ventures, Meltwind, Cancer Research Horizons, BioSpark, Innovate UK Business Growth and Accelerate@Babraham highlighted some of the region’s most exciting biotech and techbio ventures. 44 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
The fourth Cambridge Wide Open Day welcomed more than 900 attendees across over 15 venues, with more than 120 participating companies delivering over 150 sessions through a diverse programme of talks, tours, demonstrations, workshops, networking events and panel discussions, opening doors to provide rare, behind-the-scenes access to the people and organisations shaping one of the world’s leading life sciences ecosystems. A notable milestone during the Day was the launch of the Cambridge Stock Exchange Project (CSEP). Through its newly announced partnership with JP Jenkins — an FCA-authorised operator of the Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System (PISCES) — CSEP harnesses this financial infrastructure to support a route to regulated secondary market liquidity for growth-stage UK private companies, designed to keep value within the innovation ecosystems where these companies were built.
Above Co-founder of CWOW and Co-CEO of o2h group, Prashant Shah, speaks to guests at Wide Open Day’s garden party event, watched on by Pippa Heylings MP
Below More than 110 biotech and techbio companies engaged audiences with investor showcases and venture presentations
The week also featured a TechBio, Biotech & Pharma Day, with leaders from across the sectors taking part in discussion, collaboration and knowledge exchange, including an AstraZeneca Exchange event offering insights in the pharma giant’s innovation priorities and opportunities for collaboration across the wider life sciences ecosystem. The Friday Community Day, hosted at Cambridge Research Park, welcomed local students for a day of career talks, workshops, lab tours and speed networking sessions with professionals from across the life sciences ecosystem. The activities aimed to ignite curiosity and showcase the breadth of opportunities available within science, technology and innovation.
Inspired by what comes next Reflecting on the week, Prashant Shah, co- CEO of the o2h Group – and an UKSPA director - said: “What started as a single day to tell the story of the real lived experience of working in the life science sector has now evolved into a week of life sciences at the home of life sciences and, this year, beyond Cambridge into Oxford and London. We have revised the working title of CWOW to Combined Ways of Working reflecting the imperative to work together more closely across our high-density innovation ecosystems. “CWOW remains a bottom-up, grassroots, community-driven endeavour. We created it to celebrate what is already here, provide a rare lens into these innovation clusters and be inspired by what comes next. We are grateful to all the venues, speakers, sponsors, partners and participants who helped bring this shared story to life.” Building on the momentum of this year’s event, planning is already underway for Cambridge Wide Open Week 2027, which is expected to take place from 10–18 June 2027, continuing its mission to celebrate the people, places and companies shaping the future of the UK’s life sciences ecosystem. n
COMBINED WAYS OF WORKING
Cambridge Wide Open Week is a week of life science festivities at the home of life sciences. Discover more at cambridgewideopenweek.com
company profileS
Laing O’Rourke are part of the team delivering the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford
L
aing O’Rourke is the UK’s largest privately owned engineering and construction company and delivers state-of-the-art infrastructure and buildings projects for clients in the UK, Middle East and Australia. In the UK, we have a unique operating model based on digital design and advanced manufacturing technologies and we deliver our projects via our integrated
T
he most expensive delays in life science infrastructure projects often occur after construction is complete. A facility can be delivered “on schedule” but not fully prepared to support intended operations. Without early consideration of commissioning, validation, workforce onboarding, regulatory requirements, move management, and technology transfer, organisations can encounter functional deficiencies or late-stage design changes that delay occupancy, startup, and scientific output. These challenges extend the time between project delivery and investment realisation while increasing overall project costs and risk. As pressure grows to protect investments and accelerate innovation and commercialisation, reducing this gap is vital. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience and involvement in £1.5bn of life science infrastructure projects, Merrick & Company (Merrick) believes www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
supply chain of specialist in-house businesses. This increases alignment and reduces risk during the construction programme – providing the certainty clients and investors want. We have a proven track record in the science and research sector, delivering pioneering, award-winning facilities for globally renowned institutions. Enabled by our offsite manufacturing capabilities and ongoing research and development – and
the fastest path to scientific innovation begins long before a facility opens its doors. Unlike traditional architecture, engineering, and construction firms, Merrick leverages an in-house science and technology (S&T) team to expedite operational readiness. By integrating S&T professionals with architects and engineers from design inception, Merrick identifies and mitigates commissioning, workflow, facility transition, and compliance challenges before a facility is constructed, reducing the likelihood of costly downstream deficiencies, redesign efforts, and startup delays. Our goal is to protect client investments through reliable and future-proof design and operational solutions that accelerate the transition between construction and scientific productivity. The scientific discoveries of today become the new technology of tomorrow. As laboratories become increasingly automated, digitally connected, and data driven, technologies such as advanced robotics and AI-enabled workflows will require stronger alignment between infrastructure, operations, workforce
delivered through our integrated delivery model – we realise world-class, highly complex science and research facilities, such as the Francis Crick Institute. Our teams have the expertise in delivering to the precise tolerances required by the sector, along with design and engineering solutions that provide creative spaces and workplaces for some of the greatest minds to solve today's challenges. We are proud to be deploying that expertise as part of the team delivering the Ellison Institute of Technology. We are moving at pace through the construction of the project – using Modern Methods of Construction and Digital Engineering to create a new paradigm for quality in the sector. Our unique operating model and commitment to innovation and excellence enable us to stay true to our purpose: to push the boundaries of what’s possible in service of humanity. n
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about the work of Laing O’Rourke at www.laingorourke.com
Merrick & Company are part of the joint-venture team for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
capabilities, and compliance requirements. Organisations that prepare for this evolution will be better positioned to bring facilities online and realise value faster. n
GO ONLINE FOR MORE
Whether you are developing a new research facility, modernising aging infrastructure, or planning for the next generation of laboratory technology, success will be defined by how quickly these facilities become productive environments for discovery and innovation. Learn more at www.merrick.com/ who-we-serve/life-sciences
Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 45
regions and communities
ith a projected gross development value of £1 billion, MIX Manchester is set to become one of the UK's largest and most strategically connected science, innovation and advanced manufacturing campuses, reinforcing Greater Manchester's position as a leading centre for research, technology and industrial growth. Located on a 60-acre site adjacent to Manchester Airport, the development is entering a pivotal phase. Subject to planning approval which will go to committee at the city council later this year, construction of the first buildings will begin in Spring 2027, with the first occupiers expected to take space before the end of the year. Designed to support businesses throughout the innovation lifecycle, MIX Manchester is designed to provide a unique environment where research, development, advanced manufacturing and commercial operations can coexist within a single integrated campus. The scheme is expected to attract international occupiers across sectors including life sciences, advanced manufacturing, technology and radiopharmaceuticals, while also providing crucial expansion space for the next generation of high-growth businesses emerging from Greater Manchester's universities, innovation districts and the Oxford Road corridor knowledge quarter.
Growth platform The hybrid planning application for the first phase of the 2 million sq ft masterplan includes 70,000 sq ft of flexible mid-tech accommodation across three buildings, a dedicated amenity hub, and a 1,493-space mobility hub incorporating cycle facilities and commercial uses. Beyond the initial phase, the masterplan outlines a further 500,000 sq ft of advanced 46 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
manufacturing space alongside approximately 600,000 sq ft dedicated to research and development facilities, laboratories, offices and hotel accommodation. The vision reflects growing demand for innovation ecosystems that bring together production, research and corporate functions in highly connected locations. MIX Manchester is being delivered through a partnership between Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Pension Fund, Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG), to create a long-term platform for economic growth and inward investment.
Innovation ecosystem Rather than competing with existing innovation clusters, MIX Manchester has been conceived as a complementary component of Greater Manchester's wider innovation ecosystem.
regions and communities manufacturers seeking facilities of up to 500,000 sq ft, creating a pathway for long-term growth without companies needing to leave the region.
Connectivity significance
MIX Manchester's Helen Ratcliffe and Emily Fleet gave an insightful look into its ambitious development to Simon Penfold.
“Our location creates a genuine competitive advantage - thE level of connectivity is incredibly attractive”
Positioned within the Northern Growth Corridor, a key focus of the Government's economic growth ambitions, the development occupies a strategic location between the established Oxford Road Corridor innovation district and the emerging Atom Valley advanced manufacturing cluster. Helen Ratcliffe, Head of Agency and Development at MIX Manchester, believes the www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Above Helen Ratcliffe (left) and Emily Fleet are heading up the MIX Manchester development
development fills a critical gap in the regional growth journey for science and technology businesses. “MIX Manchester provides the next stage in the lifecycle of innovative companies,” she says. “Businesses emerging from the Oxford Road Corridor can scale into flexible mid-tech accommodation before progressing into larger advanced manufacturing facilities. We see ourselves as a vital link within Greater Manchester's innovation infrastructure.” The campus will accommodate businesses ranging from start-ups requiring 5,000 sq ft of specialist space through to advanced
A defining characteristic of MIX Manchester is its location alongside one of the UK's most significant transport hubs. Situated directly adjacent to Manchester Airport and connected to rail, tram, bus and motorway networks, the development offers a level of accessibility unmatched by any other science and innovation campus in the country. Emily Fleet, Head of Delivery, highlights the significance of this connectivity for international occupiers: “Our location creates a genuine competitive advantage,” she explains. “Decision-makers can fly directly into Manchester Airport, walk to meetings on campus within minutes and return the same day. For global businesses, that level of connectivity is incredibly attractive.” The development also benefits from an established hotel quarter, offering accommodation ranging from budget options through to the recently opened Dakota Hotel, further supporting international business activity and collaboration. This accessibility is already resonating with prospective occupiers, with strong levels of pre-planning interest from both UK and international organisations. MIX Manchester is currently engaged with major global occupiers and European businesses exploring opportunities to establish UK headquarters within the campus. “We're delighted with how the marketing's going at this early stage with it still being preplanning,” said Helen. “It demonstrates the pent-up demand for this sort of project and the uniqueness of our site, given its multimodal transport aspects and also the campus feel we are creating; an ecosystem for like-minded businesses. It clearly benefits from being next to a globally connected airport with a train station, with a tram station and a bus station, as well as car parking and access to the fantastic road network.” Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 47
regions and communities Building a destination Central to the MIX Manchester vision is the creation of a cohesive, high-quality campus environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation and a strong sense of place. Drawing inspiration from internationally recognised science and innovation campuses such as Harwell, the development places significant emphasis on landscape design, public realm and long-term stewardship. “The quality of the environment will be a major differentiator,” says Helen Ratcliffe. “We are creating a place where businesses want to be, not simply because of the buildings, but because of the wider campus experience.” Unlike many science parks that have evolved incrementally over decades, MIX Manchester is being planned and delivered through a comprehensive framework to ensure architectural consistency, integrated public spaces and a unified identity across the entire development. Emily Fleet adds: “We're establishing design principles from the outset to ensure a cohesive campus experience throughout the life of the project. That consistency will be fundamental to creating a world-class destination for innovation.”
Ready for growth
As Emily Fleet notes, “The heavy lifting has already been done. With the infrastructure in place, we are able to respond quickly to occupier demand and accelerate delivery once agreements are secured.” She added: “Our ambition is to see the innovation quarter delivered as soon as possible. This will give us the start of a campus that we will be able to showcase; everything else will come forward after that. “It’s a bare piece of land at the moment but the site will look very different at the end of next year when we are delivering the first plots, infrastructure and public realm on Phase 1.”
“We ’ re establishing design principles from the outset to ensure a cohesive campus experience throughout”
One of MIX Manchester's strongest advantages is the significant infrastructure investment already delivered. More than £30 million has been invested in enabling works, including highway improvements, utility connections, the Enterprise Way road network, a bridge over the M56 and major power infrastructure upgrades. A new primary substation will provide access to up to 15 MVA of power capacity, with the ability to secure more, ensuring future occupiers have the energy infrastructure required for research-intensive and advanced manufacturing operations. 48 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Impact Alongside its commercial ambitions, MIX Manchester has a clear social and economic mission. The development is expected to generate significant employment opportunities across a range of sectors while supporting wider economic growth throughout Greater Manchester. Particular
focus is being placed on creating opportunities for surrounding communities, including nearby Wythenshawe. A dedicated Social Value Strategy has been developed to ensure local people benefit from the investment through employment, skills and training opportunities. Early evidence of this approach can already be seen through the Dakota Hotel, where a quarter of the workforce has been recruited from the local area. As the UK's innovation economy continues to evolve, MIX Manchester is positioning itself not simply as another business park, but as a nationally significant destination where research, manufacturing and global connectivity converge to create the next generation of economic growth. Helen added: “We are laying the foundations for a truly transformative development that will support innovative start-ups, growing entreprises and global operators – creating significant employment opportunities within the local economy.” n
MAKING. CHANGE. REAL.
MIX Manchester is one of the UK's best connected science, innovation and manufacturing campuses. Go online and find out why at www.mix-manchester.com
company profile
Using building data to improve UK science campuses with Spacewell
S
pacewell is part of the Nemetschek Group, a global leader in building lifecycle technology, and focuses on one critical phase of that lifecycle: operations. Across UK science and innovation campuses, Spacewell helps operators turn building data into better everyday decisions for people, energy and compliance. On the workplace side, Spacewell Workplace provides real‑time insight into how spaces are actually used across offices, labs and shared areas. By combining sensor data, bookings and occupancy information in one platform, it becomes clear which spaces genuinely support collaboration and wellbeing, and which are under‑used. These campus‑level insights are backed by Spacewell’s Workplace Benchmark Report 2026, available for download to UKSPA members who want to compare their own data against global patterns. The report shows that many offices feel
Further reading crowded and empty at the same time because decisions are still based on perception instead of evidence. In practice, the data highlights median occupancy in the mid 30 percent range, one in five desks permanently unnecessary, and a surprising share of “meetings” that involve just one person. With this combination of product insight and benchmark evidence, science parks can design
“Across UK science and innovation campuses, Spacewell helps operators turn building data into better everyday decisions”
Scan the QR codes below
Workplace Benchmark Report 2026
A Practical Guide to UK Workplace Compliance and Asset‑Based Maintenance Planning
environments around how people actually work, not how it is assumed they work. Energy is the second angle. Through energy bureau partners, UK campuses use the Spacewell Energy to monitor energy performance continuously. AI‑supported anomaly detection flags small issues early, such as plant running out of hours, drifting setpoints or unexpected consumption spikes. Instead of waiting for a big bill or an audit to reveal waste, operators can make many marginal corrections that collectively reduce carbon, cut avoidable cost and free up budget for innovation and tenant services. The third piece is asset management and compliance. Spacewell Asset helps UK science parks operate confidently in a dense regulatory landscape by keeping inspections, certificates and documentation linked to the right assets, schedules and responsibilities. To support estates and facilities teams, Spacewell has published A Practical Guide to UK Workplace Compliance and Asset‑Based Maintenance Planning, which brings together key regulations, inspection requirements and typical audit risks, then shows how organisations can move from reactive firefighting to a single digital source of truth. The aim is straightforward. Make complex estates easier to keep compliant and audit‑ready. In short, Spacewell helps UK science and innovation campuses use data intelligently. To make workplaces genuinely work for people, to cut energy waste through continuous monitoring, and to stay compliant and inspection‑ready across complex estates. n
SPACEWELL SOFTWARE
Visit the links below for more info: n WORKPLACE
https://spacewell.com/workplacemanagement-software n ENERGY
https://spacewell.com/energymanagement-software n ASSET
https://spacewell.com/assetfacility-management-software www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 49
regions and communities
Pole Position for Growth From new hybrid workspaces and global occupier expansion to enhanced amenities, future talent and one million sq. ft of future development, Silverstone Park is accelerating into its next chapter as one of the UK's most compelling destinations for ambitious high-growth businesses.
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ention Silverstone and most people think of Formula 1 and one of the world's most famous racing circuits. But alongside the track, another remarkable success story is gathering pace, one that has firmly established Silverstone Park as a premier UK business destination in its own right. In little more than a decade, Silverstone Park has become one of the UK's leading engineering and innovation campuses, now a well-established, thriving hub bringing together outstanding specialist property, world-class businesses and a flourishing community of innovators. Today, the Park is home to more than 90 businesses and around 2,700 people working across advanced engineering, motorsport, clean technology and high-performance manufacturing, a thriving, established community at the forefront of UK innovation. Silverstone Park is asset managed by Federated Hermes, whose long-term investment strategy is driving its latest chapter of ambitious new development, expanding occupiers and significant investment in both people and place.
A new generation of workspace At the heart of that growth is Evolve East, Silverstone Park's newest commercial development. Located close to the Innovation Centre and the entrance to Silverstone Circuit, the scheme 50 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Businesses choosing to grow
comprises nine outstanding hybrid industrial and research and development units totalling approximately 100,000 sq. ft of best-in-class space. Each combines contemporary office accommodation with flexible workshop, production and storage space, reflecting the growing demand for buildings where design, engineering and manufacturing can work side by side. Demand has been exceptional, with five of the nine units already let or under offer, a clear signal of the strength of occupier appetite for Silverstone Park.
Above and below Almost 500 students attended the inaugural Silverstone Park Futures event at The Wing earlier this year
The occupiers moving into Evolve East illustrate the outstanding calibre and diversity of businesses choosing to make Silverstone Park their home. Alitech Precision Parts became the first occupier, relocating into a new 15,000 sq. ft headquarters, a clear vote of confidence in Silverstone Park, to support continued growth manufacturing precision components for Formula 1, aerospace, advanced automotive and the supercar sector. Wagner Spraytech has also expanded within the Park, moving from the Innovation Centre into larger premises to support the next
regions and communities
stage of its growth. It is exactly the journey Silverstone Park is designed to enable, allowing businesses to evolve and scale without ever leaving the thriving ecosystem that has helped them succeed. Another standout name to choose Silverstone Park is Lola Cars. The iconic British motorsport marque is entering a new era focused on advanced engineering, electrification and sustainable materials. From its new home at Silverstone Park, Lola has reimagined its legendary T70 using archive designs, contemporary engineering and innovative natural composite materials, a compelling example of British motorsport heritage driving future innovation. The latest high-profile arrival is the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, yet another clear endorsement of Silverstone Park's status as the beating heart of Motorsport Valley. Choosing Silverstone Park for its UK headquarters places Cadillac at the heart of Motorsport Valley, within one of the world's deepest concentrations of motorsport engineering expertise. Its rapidly expanding operation has brought hundreds of highly skilled jobs to the Park while strengthening the surrounding network of suppliers, engineers and specialist manufacturers. Together, these businesses demonstrate what Silverstone Park now offers: not simply commercial space, but an environment where ambitious companies can innovate, recruit and grow within one of the UK's strongest and most soughtafter engineering clusters.
A campus comes of age As Silverstone Park continues to expand, investment is now extending beyond buildings to the amenities that help create a thriving campus community. Dove's Day Nursery is now open, providing childcare for employees and local families. In September, Park Kitchen, the Park's new café, opens its doors, serving breakfast, lunch and grab-and-go options while supporting meetings and events. Completing the offer is a new gym operated by Dynamix Fitness. www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Alongside this, the Women's Innovation Network (WIN) continues to grow. Launched in 2025 to increase the visibility of women across engineering and technology, attendance has risen from around 60 people at its first event to more than 150 today. Partnerships with F1 Academy, Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone Technology Cluster and Ahead Partnership continue to extend its reach across industry and education. Together, these initiatives are helping to build a broader, more diverse and ultimately more sustainable talent pipeline.
The next phase
For a campus soon to be approaching 3,000 people, with further growth on the horizon, these facilities represent a significant step forward in making Silverstone Park one of the most attractive places to work in the UK. Together they signal the Park's evolution, not simply as a destination for innovative businesses, but as a connected, convenient and vibrant place to work.
Investing in future talent Growth also brings a responsibility to invest in the people who will sustain it. Earlier this year, almost 500 students attended the inaugural Silverstone Park Futures event at The Wing, meeting representatives from 33 businesses supported by 57 industry volunteers. Through live garage workshops, engineering challenges and design sprints, students explored careers across engineering, technology and innovation. The event forms part of the wider Silverstone Park Schools Programme, which now works with six local schools throughout the year.
Above The newest commercial development on the site, Evolve East, is at the heart of Silverstone Park’s ambitious growth
Evolve East is the latest milestone, but Silverstone Park's growth story is far from complete. Evolve West, on the western side of the estate, is next. Beyond that, the Park has around 1.2m sq. ft of consented development potential, creating capacity for future headquarters, advanced manufacturing, research and development facilities and technology businesses. The ambition is not simply to build more space, but to create an environment where businesses can establish, expand and continue to grow. That philosophy has already transformed a naturally occurring engineering cluster into one of the UK's leading innovation campuses. Long-term investment has unlocked the potential that was already here, creating the confidence, infrastructure and flexibility for businesses to scale. Beyond the circuit, Silverstone Park has emerged as a destination in its own right, one where innovation, investment and business growth continue to strengthen Silverstone's reputation as one of the UK's leading centres for advanced engineering and enterprise, and a place where the next generation of ambitious businesses can find their own pole position for growth. n
TOGETHER WE CHANGE THE WORLD
Silverstone Park is the technology and advanced engineering campus that’s defining our futures. Find out more at silverstone-park.com Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 51
infrastructure and planning
Simon Penfold hears from Dr Debbie Jones about the accelerating energy ambitions of Anglesey’s M-SParc science park.
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commitment to developing alternative sources of energy has helped put M-SParc – the Menai Science Park on Anglesey – at the heart of a series of major developments across North Wales. Work is currently under way on the second building on the M-SParc site – dubbed ‘Egni’, Welsh for ‘energy’ - which will become a dedicated home to organisations and businesses across the environmental, renewable energy and low carbon sectors when it opens next summer. It comes in the wake of last year’s £2.5 billion partnership deal between the UK Government and Rolls-Royce SMR that will pave the way for the UK’s first three small modular nuclear reactors to be built at the Wylfa site on Anglesey and the start of operations of the Anglesey Freeport.
Officially opened on the isle of Anglesey by Bangor University in 2018 as Wales’ first dedicated science park, M-SParc laid out its sustainability targets in 2021, when Dr Debbie Jones (right), M-SParc’s Low Carbon Innovation Manager, and the science park’s Egni team declared a goal of achieving net zero by 2030.
But its ambitions don’t end there. It aims to become the hub for a region-wide alternative energy sector driving the sustainability agenda not just in Wales, but internationally. The current expansion of M-SParc with the construction of the Egni building comes at an auspicious time. Alongside the positive news around the Freeport and the nuclear power station there has been further positive developments around wind farm projects around North Wales while work started late last year at Parc Cybi, Holyhead, to strengthen the grid infrastructure for Morlais, a flagship tidal energy project. Dr Debbie Jones said: “We're seeing a lot of interest from the developers with quite a few of the renewable energy projects awarded their contracts for difference, which gives them a set price for the electricity they will produce and allows them to move forward.
Due to open in Summer 2027, the new Egni Building at M-SParc has been designed for businesses that want more than just office space
52 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
infrastructure and planning
“It feels we have been building towards this point over the last two or three years. I’ve said before that once one project lands it will create a domino effect and they will all start to coalesce. I think we've seen that starting to happen now. “The Egni team has been here for nearly five years now building those relationships, building the strategic element that is helping to attracting more investment and activity. And now I think we're in a really good position to be able to maximize on those benefits and be part of that story, which is great. “Projects on this scale don't happen in isolation, they need an ecosystem around them. The sector needs businesses, research, skills and collaboration, and that's exactly what we've been building through over the last five years. I think having that established innovation community helped demonstrate that North Wales is ready to support these kinds of investments. “Obviously the time scale for the nuclear development is very long. The final investment decision is due around 2030, after all the planning and regulatory hurdles, with construction hoped to start by 2032. That would see the station open in the mid-2030s and electricity generation starting by the end of the 2030s. “Great British Energy Nuclear and Rolls Royce SMR are delivering it and they're in the early stages; they still need to get their development consent order, they need to get their license, they need to get a lot of the consenting environmental permits, all of that has to be done.
www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Above Construction on the new Egni Building at Anglesey’s M-SParc got underway earlier this year in June
“This expansion signals an exciting new chapter that will strengthen our ecosystem and create even more opportunities” “So, it’s a good 10 years plus until we see any electricity. “Before then, there's a lot of site work and groundwork that needs to be done before they can start construction. There'll have to be a lot of site upgrades and things like the road infrastructure will need to be improved and they'll need to start thinking about workers' accommodation too.” The Small Modular Reactor project alone is predicted to created up to 3,000 jobs during the peak of the construction phase, with hopes for another 3,400 across the North Wales AI Growth Zone. “That's the real hyper-local stuff we can focus in on. And you've got the supply chain opportunities with a new technology and being able to manufacture different parts and being involved in the technical supply chain as well.
An exciting new chapter In the meantime, the focus is on the new Egni building. Construction began in June and the steel frame is going up at the moment, with the building due to open in Summer 2027. The new Egni building will be just over 18,000 sq ft, over three floors, while the existing M-SParc building is just under 54,0000 sq ft. On the ground floor there will be a STEM training room area focused on working with industry to develop some interactive exhibits to inspire the next generation, but it will also be flexible enough to host events and workshops.
On the ground floor will be a double-height workshop with a pit and an overhead crane so the university and the Nuclear Futures Institute will be engaged in collaborative work with a lot of different industry partners. They also have a small laboratory, MALIBU, which is the Material Analysis Lab in Bangor University, and that will be for testing and characterisation work so that industry can come in and use it. The remaining two floors will be a mixture of 18 small, medium and large offices and two additional meeting room. The building is being delivered by Wynne Construction following the official start of work in June. At the time, Wynne’s commercial director, Simon Moreton, said: “We are delighted to be working with Bangor University and M-SParc team to deliver a high-quality, sustainable facility that reflects the aspirations of the university and wider science and technology community. As with all our projects, social value will be at the heart of our approach. “We will be investing in the local North Wales supply chain, creating opportunities for local businesses and employment, and fostering community engagement throughout the project.” Pryderi ap Rhisiart, managing director of M-SParc, added: “Over the past few years, we’ve built an incredible foundation here, creating high-quality jobs, supporting businesses to grow, nurturing skills and helping people build exciting careers in North Wales. This expansion signals an exciting new chapter that will strengthen our ecosystem and create even more opportunities across the region.” Now that construction has begun, the team at M-SParc are working to attract new businesses to the area.
Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 53
infrastructure and planning Debbie said “Some of our existing tenants from the current building are keen to expand into the new facility and we’re having some really good conversations with other potential tenants. We might even find we’re almost full by the time we are ready to open next summer! “I think the Freeport side of things has helped in terms of interest, as well as the Gwyndod project. The Rolls-Royce SMR project will see a minimum of three nuclear power stations on the north side of Anglesey, which is very exciting for us. “It fits perfectly with our existing energy programmes here at M-SParc, as well as some recently commissioned offshore wind projects, such as Awel y Môr, which is an extension of the existing Gwynt y Môr installation. They’re moving forwards now and procuring people to build that. “There’s also the Morlais Tidal Energy project and the major upgrade the National Grid. All of a sudden it feels like there’s a lot of activity, so the timing has been perfect with the second building.”
Above The Rolls-Royce SMR Project will see the UK’s first three small modular nuclear reactors built at the Wylfa site on Anglesey, as well as the start of operations of the Anglesey Freeport
Encouragement to build Anglesey has secured freeport designation so within that there are certain sites that have been allocated freeport status, such as the North Anglesey zone around the port. There are central Anglesey sites which includes the science park and some of the development units in and around Llangefni, which is right in the centre of the island. “The designation gives us the ability to attract new investment, making us a more appealing site with benefits around National Insurance, business rate exceptions and capital allowances to encourage people to build,” explained Debbie. “The idea is to provide incentives for companies to locate themselves within the Freeport. In particular we’ll be trying to attract businesses in science and technology, hi-growth and innovation organisations. It provides that little extra bit of financial support to help them grow. “It comes amid a general feeling of greater positivity around investment in science and 54 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Below Work started late last year at Parc Cybi, Holyhead, to strengthen the grid infrastructure for Morlais a flagship tidal energy project
technology. People are thinking about spending money again, and that gives us a bit more certainty and reduces the risk for us to be able to accelerate things here on M-SParc. “And then in November last year the Government announced an AI Growth Zone for North Wales.” North Wales AI Growth Zone straddles the Menai Strait with bases at Prosperity Parc on Anglesey and Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd. Backed by a regional consortium including Stena Line and local authorities, the project aims to unlock thousands of jobs and leverage future lowcarbon energy from the nearby nuclear and modular reactor developments. “So again, we are involved in that and having discussions with various data centres around the opportunities for that and seeing what we can draw. “There are loads of loads of potential opportunities and they feel a lot more concrete and tangible than they have done so far. “It would be really exciting to see a data centre linked to the SMR
development on Anglesey; we've had direct wires before from the nuclear power station to Anglesey Aluminium, so it’s not beyond th art of the possible.” This was a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Kaiser Aluminium on the outskirts of Holyhead, which ran from 1971 until 2013. It produced up to 142,000 tonnes of aluminium every year and was the biggest single user of electricity in the United Kingdom, most of its energy directly from Wylfa nuclear power station 15 miles away. “At M-SParc the work is currently focused on the construction and talking to firms about moving in next summer. We're doing a lot of work now, advertising the opportunity and the broader site as well. “We're working on the second building but we've got a lot of space for maybe three or four other buildings on site as well. “We're really focused on that sort of growth, attracting science and technology occupiers. We’ve had some initial conversations with organisations who might be interested. We have outline planning permission for around 245,000 sq ft across the entire site, so it’s all open for opportunities.” n
“Freeport designation gives us the ability to attract new investment and make us a more appealing site”
BECOME A FOUNDING egni TENANT
Be among the first organisations to move into Egni and help shape North Wales’ newest innovation community. Register your interest at https://m-sparc.com/egni-building/
company profile
Credit: Wilson Architects + Donovan Hill (Now BVN & Partners Hill)
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ounded in Australia 100 years ago, BVN is a global architecture and design practice and strategic consultancy with projects across the world. Their London studio brings their philosophy of optimism to the health, research, higher education and commercial sectors across the UK and Ireland, combining local knowledge with international expertise. BVN is a RIBA Chartered Practice, joining UKSPA as an Affiliate Member as their UK and Ireland work grows.
How THEY work They approach their work through a strategic lens, seeking to know the why before delivering the what. They design from the inside to the outside, rather than from the architecture down, putting people and planet at the centre of everything they do. In the science sector, that translates into labs and research campuses that are technically resolved but also enjoyable to work in – buildings www.breakthroughdigital.co.uk
Above One of BVN’s projects is the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane
that researchers, students and staff want to spend time in. Rebecca Wharry, the company's Science and Education Director, is BVN's UK lead for the science sector bringing over 15 years’ experience working with universities, science campuses and developers across the UK and Ireland. A key project in their portfolio is the Central Teaching Laboratories at the University of Sheffield, a 9,000 sqm facility currently on site, delivered in collaboration with Twelve Architects. It consolidates all undergraduate science teaching into one building, including two 300-person
“UK science is being reshaped by the pace of research, funding realities, and a generation of universities and operators willing to rethink what a lab actually is - BVN is joining UKSPA to be a useful voice in that” Rebecca Wharry
Science and Education Director, BVN
superlabs among the largest single-floor open lab spaces in the UK, and specialist facilities for digital anatomy, tissue culture and a 90-station fume cupboard lab. The project is a live case study in consolidating undergraduate science across faculties into a single building, a challenge many UK universities are facing. The wider portfolio spans purpose-built university, science campuses and translational health environments, including CSIRO Synergy at Black Mountain, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney and the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane.
Joining UKSPA Collective creativity to design a better future guides everything BVN do. They are joining UKSPA to work alongside the people shaping UK science - operators, developers, investors and policymakers learning from the network and bringing our international experience of designing research environments to the conversation. n
GO ONLINE FOR MORE
You can find out more about the work of BVN’s London studio at bvn.com.au/studio/london Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 55
infrastructure and planning
Simon Penfold discovers the impact Mobilityways is having, helping organisations improve workforce access, strengthen recruitment and retention, and reduce the impact of employee commuting.
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ne of the keynote sessions during this summer’s UKSPA conference at Norwich Research Park focused on the partnership between park managers Anglia Innovation Partnership and Mobilityways to promote sustainable travel. Dr Nick Goodwin, Chief Operating Officer at Anglia Innovation Partnership, said: “As science park managers, travel to work is always high on our priority list. The real test of our transport infrastructure is whether our community has practical choices that are reliable, affordable and sustainable. “We chose to work with Mobilityways because we needed to go beyond a traditional travel survey and gain deeper insight into how our community really travels. What is working? Where are the gaps? Where are the opportunities? Evidence enables informed decisions, provides focus and helps us target our investment where it can have the greatest impact.” Sustainability remains a hot topic across the science park community, and tackling commuting is increasingly recognised not only as a way to reduce environmental impact, but also to improve workforce access, support recruitment and reduce pressure on parking and local transport infrastructure. Research shows transport generates roughly 26% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, with car commutes alone producing over 17 million tonnes of CO₂e annually.
56 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Norwich-based Mobilityways is leading the charge with its mission to make zero carbon commuting a reality. Its ground-breaking suite of employer climate tech solutions have empowered a string of large organisations to measure, reduce and report commuter emissions. The company says this has so far resulted in the analysis of two million individual commutes, resulting in saving one billion miles of commuting and identifying one million tonnes of CO₂e savings. Founded by Ali Clabburn in 1998 as Liftshare, it became the UK and Ireland’s leading car share provider with 750,000 joining the free public carpooling service at Liftshare.com. The company relaunched as Mobilityways in 2021, as it pivoted towards a wide range of services for clients alongside its liftsharing arm. Working with bus companies and focusing on walking and cycling as well as car sharing, it has gone on to work with around 200 major employers across the UK, including 40 NHS trusts.
Compelling story for change Speaking at the Norwich conference was Mobilityways sector director Sam Hunt (right), who leads strategic initiative within the group’s new business team. He works with clients to develop tailored solutions for decarbonising their commute
WATCH THE MISSION VIDEO Mobilityways is on a mission to make zero carbon commuting a reality - see how they are doing this via the QR code below
that align with their operational and strategic objectives. “Many people still know us for Liftshare, but today that's just one part of what we do. What really differentiates us is the combination of data, business engagement and practical solutions across every mode of sustainable travel. “The key to our success is the detailed data we collect on workforce commuting and travel patterns, and our ability to interpret that data to advise clients on the most effective way forward. “Our approach starts by understanding the workforce. That includes a travel survey, but also postcode analysis so we can understand the real-world travel options available to employees. “The data allows us to tell a compelling story, showing clients and their workforce what can realistically change. Demonstrating the impact, and providing the evidence, is vital to employee engagement. People want to know that something tangible will happen as a result.
infrastructure and planning “Part of our approach is also helping organisations build a stronger evidence base for planning and future growth. “The science park sector is really vibrant, with significant investment and development taking place. But if you're adding new buildings or planning additional parking, local authorities and planning teams don't want to see car journeys increasing. “They want to see them at least staying the same despite that growth, or ideally reducing. “That allows organisations to say: ‘We're bringing investment and jobs into the local economy, while also improving access to employment, reducing pressure on the road network and supporting sustainable growth. Here's the evidence, and here's how we're going to achieve it.’” The company works with clients across a broad range of sectors, from government departments and property companies to life sciences, finance and manufacturing. “The NHS is one of our strongest sectors, largely because of its Green Plans, but our approach works across all sectors. “I focus on commercial real estate, finance and life sciences, particularly organisations operating across large, multitenanted environments.
“attending the UKSPA conference helped us to better understand both the opportunities and the challenges for science parks” Covering the commute “Equally, we work across defence, local authorities and anywhere there's a critical mass of employees travelling to a single location or a group of closely related locations. That's where we can have the greatest impact. “We work with clients over multiple years. We collect data annually so we can measure progress over time. Travel surveys usually take place over a couple of months, while postcode analysis can be carried out almost immediately once we're able to access the relevant data. “We've carried out what we call CommuteIQ with hundreds of employers and analysed more than 1.2 million postcodes across the UK. “That gives us an enormous amount of insight into the travel options people actually have. It's about understanding the art of the possible: how could people realistically travel if they chose not to drive alone?
“What makes us unique is that we've specialised exclusively in employee commuting for many years. It's quite a niche area, but within that we cover every aspect of the commute. We don't just focus on car sharing; we help organisations understand how their people travel to work and identify the most effective ways to improve it across all modes of sustainable transport. That's what really sets us apart. “The key thing is behaviour change. It's about understanding the data, but then asking: what do you actually do with it? We don't want this to be an academic exercise; we want to see real outcomes. “That's important for lots of reasons. We're mission-driven and want to reduce emissions, but people are also much more likely to engage if they can see tangible results. It's important that there are measurable outcomes from the work we do. “That means we can genuinely say to people: if you engage with this work, something will happen. “What we're seeing across all organisations is that employees are constantly being asked to complete surveys and provide information. “If there aren't any noticeable changes as a result, participation rates naturally begin to fall, which is completely understandable.” At the same time, said Sam: “There needs to be a real commitment from the organisations we work with. “Different organisations are motivated by different priorities. Some are driven primarily by sustainability, while others are focused on operational challenges such as parking, recruitment, access to labour or employee wellbeing. That's one of the reasons our approach works across so many sectors. Issue 29 | UKSPA Breakthrough | 57
infrastructure and planning “The operational benefits whether that's reducing parking demand or helping employers access the labour and talent they need - are benefits that almost every organisation can recognise. That's why we place such emphasis on them alongside the environmental outcomes.” “We work with a number of science parks and, if anything, attending the UKSPA conference helped us better understand both the opportunities and the challenges. “When you're working in a multi-tenanted environment, success depends on collaboration. Bringing together the park, occupiers, local authorities and transport providers isn't always straightforward, which is why we place such an emphasis on data. Good evidence creates a common understanding of the challenges and helps organisations work together towards practical solutions. “One of the biggest challenges is simply that occupiers have many competing priorities. For larger organisations it may be operational pressures, while for smaller businesses and incubators it's often growth, research or securing the next stage of funding. Finding time to engage in initiatives outside their core business can therefore be difficult. “That's why we're working with UKSPA to better understand those barriers and develop approaches that make participation easier for both science parks and their occupiers.”
organisations internationally as more employers recognise the importance of workforce access and commuter emissions.” “It still surprises me that we're a company of around 40 people, based largely in Norwich, yet we're privileged to work with many of the UK's largest employers and property companies. “We've specialised exclusively in workforce commuting for many years, and while there are organisations that offer elements of what we do, we're unusual in bringing together data, technology, behaviour change and consultancy into one joined-up approach. “One of our longest-standing partnerships is with Prologis, one of the world's leading logistics property companies. “Prologis recognised that helping occupiers improve workforce access could become a genuine differentiator. They've enabled us to work directly with many of their customers, using data to help improve access to sites that are often located outside major urban centres. “That partnership has shown how workforce access can become part of the overall value proposition for a business park, helping occupiers recruit and retain the people they need while supporting wider sustainability ambitions.” The Mobilityways approach breaks down into three main strategies: measure, reduce and report. The team measures commuter emissions through employee travel surveys, commuter emissions calculations and CommuteIQ, identifying realistic opportunities for more sustainable travel.
“Ultimately it all comes back to collaboration, engagement and helping employees understand the benefits”
Measure, reduce, report Meanwhile, the company has continued to attract major clients and is now expanding internationally. “We're already working with major companies like Sage across a number of international territories. More recently, we've also started working with CIÉ - Córas Iompair Éireann - Ireland's public transport provider. “Looking ahead, we see significant opportunities to support 58 | UKSPA Breakthrough | Issue 29
Above The work of Mobilityways has been recognised with the King's Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development
The next step is reducing commuter emissions by setting improvement targets and using survey and CommuteIQ data to deliver personalised travel plans and other targeted interventions. The final stage is reporting. Through the Mobilityways Dashboard, organisations can monitor commuter emissions, track progress against targets and identify further opportunities for improvement. Sam added: “GDPR can sometimes be seen as a hurdle when using employee postcode data, but we're consistently able to overcome that by working closely with our clients. We've done this with banks, government agencies, and other highly securityconscious organisations. “Ultimately, it all comes back to collaboration, engagement and helping employees understand the benefits. “Research by Ipsos found that a majority of people in Britain believe businesses that fail to act on climate change are failing their employees and customers. That's important to many of our clients, particularly those with strong internal sustainability programmes. It shows that people increasingly expect employers to play a positive role, and that's one of the reasons we believe improving the commute can make such a difference.” n
SOLVING COMMUTING CHALLENGES Mobilityways combine 30 years of experience with enterprise-proven technology to deliver impact. Find out more at mobilityways.com
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