Breakthrough Issue 11 by Open Box Media & Communications

The United Kingdom Science Park Association magazine | Issue 11 | Autumn 2020

SCIENCE

I N N O VAT I O N

RESEARCH

TECHNOLOGY

Out of this world T H E G R O W I N G I N F LU E N C E O F S PAC E A N D S AT E L L I T E T EC H N O LO G I E S

16 FROM MICRO TO MACRO

22 SHINING A LIGHT ON OPPORTUNITIES

28 THE SIGNS OF THINGS TO COME

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INTRODUCTION

A vital sector UKSPA Chairman Dr Glenn Crocker MBE on how science and innovation is central to future economic rebuilding…

y last contribution to UKSPA Breakthrough was at the end of March when the science and innovation sector – and the country – had just begun to enter lockdown. Earlier that month, UKSPA held a very well supported conference at the University of Leeds. The following week the Budget announcement was described by the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as putting science, innovation and technology at the heart of the UK’s investment strategy. However, within three weeks of the Budget UKSPA members and the innovation economy began to adapt to the reality of life under lockdown and many occupiers were soon working alongside the healthcare profession at the forefront of dealing with the coronavirus crisis. From providing PPE for medical professionals to joining in research for a vaccine, organisations at many of the science parks and the other innovation locations in membership of UKSPA were central to addressing the challenge of Covid-19.

LOOKING FORWARD

While life science businesses are in a strong position compared to many other sectors, there is inevitably nervousness about the future, which will feed into caution about expanding and taking on additional space unless absolutely

UKSPA

T: 01799 532050 E: info@ukspa.org.uk W: www.ukspa.org.uk l Executive Director Jim Duvall l Communications Manager Adrian Sell l Membership Administrator Louise Tilbrook

necessary. As a consequence, there may well be a short-term tail off in the growth in occupancy levels. Funding for the sector may well increase still further once normality returns. The government has already committed to more than doubling funding for research to £22bn annually, a significant proportion of which will be directed into life sciences - both academic and corporate. The Comprehensive Spending Review being undertaken by Government is widely believed to have science and research at its heart while the UKRI R&D Roadmap spoke of how embracing the power of science, research and innovation means that “we will leap forward and build a brighter future for all”. While the huge national debt burden resulting from the crisis might tempt government to cut back, there is strong sense that spending on the industries of the future is going to be even more important in the post-pandemic world.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

In the current climate, forecasting even what will happen next week is impossible and predicting what will happen in the science and innovation sector is no different. However, we can gain comfort from the fact that ours is a vital sector not only in the current battle against Covid-19, but also in the future rebuilding of the economy.

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CHANGING TIMES

UKSPA also had to adapt to these changing and demanding circumstances. This was initially by undertaking initial research with members on the impact of Covid-19 that supported UKSPA briefings to BEIS, Treasury and the devolved governments on the implications for the sector and the support needed. This was supported by a new series of webinars and over the course of lockdown we organised 13 online conferences for members which involved presentations from 52 speakers. Overall, 1028 registrations were made for these webinars from 424 individual members. These webinars will continue over the remainder of this year and early 2021 until there can be a safe return to physically attended conferences. The Leeds conference that I mentioned in my introduction, was a positive one and there was a great deal of support for UKSPA to develop over future years and engage with stakeholders and decision-makers to deliver further support for our members and the wider sector. The new series of webinars has – and will - involve discussions with key partners from UKRI through to other organisations (such as Nesta and AIRTO) that share our vision for a science and innovation that is central to economic recovery. ■

Breakthrough is published on behalf of UKSPA by Open Box Media & Communications, Premier House, 13 St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1RB. T: 0121 200 7820. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the consent of UKSPA.

Open Box Media & Communications are proud to be corporate sponsors of Heart Research UK (Midlands).

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CONTENTS

Advocacy

OPINION

A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW Margot James steps into the role of WMG founder, the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya

Impact

Innovation

09 HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Dr Sean Elvidge forecasts trends in the space weather sector

28 PURPOSE DRIVEN BY PASSION Loughborough University’s satellite cluster is home to radical innovators

34 THE CLOUD AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE Jisc’s Andy Powell believes data is starting to unite the world of research

INNOVATION POLICIES REQUIRE SENSE OF PLACE Nesta’s Harry Farmer discusses the UK economy’s need for innovation stimulus

49 POP-UP CAFE AND POLY-TUNNELS Rothamsted Enterprises’ Claire Flawn explains how it weathered the Covid storm 50 PUTTING THE D INTO DEVELOPMENT AIRTO suggests there should be more ‘D’ in the UK’s approach to R&D

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CONTENTS

18 COVID’S IMPACT ON R&D CBRE’s Paul Watts and Paul Janssenswillen assess scientific research in a post-Covid world

SPACE STRATEGY STIMULATES INNOVATION Evince Technology and NORSS are NETPark’s latest success stories

20 INVENTIVE SOLUTIONS IN A CRISIS How Chesterford Research Park prospered during the pandemic

Growth

36 NEW CHALLENGERS TO THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE JLL’s Chris Walters highlights developer and investor interest in life sciences

SCOTLAND’S NEWEST INNOVATION DISTRICT Edinburgh BioQuarter’s Anna Stamp explains the project’s ambitious targets

VC APPETITE FOR LIFE SCIENCES Savills’ Steven Lang considers how the UK’s science parks community might evolve

G E T Y O U R D I G I TA L C O P Y AT: W W W. B R E A K T H R O U G H D I G I TA L . C O . U K

56 BLOWING HOT AND COLD Buro Happold’s Richard Walder makes the case for ME-focused design

Trends

Support

16 UPWARD TO NEW FRONTIERS Professor Colin McInnes probes new space technologies

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CHEMBRIDGE

27 Years Providing Chemistry for Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Chemical Biology Research

NEW Coronavirus Library for Discovery Research Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), has spread rapidly across the globe, creating an unparalleled global health burden and spurring a deepening economic crisis. As of July 2020, more than 7 months into the outbreak, there were no approved vaccines or small-molecule drugs available which were specifically developed for COVID-19. Developing drugs that target multiple points in the viral life cycle could serve as a strategy to tackle the current as well as future coronavirus pandemics. In association with the Wagner Lab at Harvard University, ChemBridge has launched a collection of more than 15,000 small molecules that have been shown, using the Virtual Flow methodology created and developed by the university group, to bind to a number of targets identified within the viral structure and the host. Virtual Flow is an open-source drug discovery paltform that enables ultra large virtual screens. Details on the Virtual Flow methodology are published in Gorgulla, C., Boeszoermenyi, A., Wang, Z. et al. “An open-source drug discovery platform enables ultra-large virtual screens” Nature 580, 663–668 (2020). A total of 40 sites within 17 target proteins have been identified as being key in the viral lifecycle and it is these sites that have been used in this Virtual Flow program. Compounds may be cherry-picked from the database which is annotated with the target protein(s) that the compounds have been shown to interact with.

Protein

Site(s) Docked

Spike

Spike RBD–ACE2 interface, HR1 domain

TMPRSS2

Active site

ORF7a

Blind docking

Phosphatase Closed active site, open active site PLpro Mpro nsp7 nsp8 nsp9 nsp10 nsp12 nsp13 nsp14 nsp15 nsp16 Nucleoprotein ACE2

Active site, accessory pocket, DUB binding site Active site, dimerization site, alpha-helix 5 attachment site Blind docking of nsp8 and nsp12 binding interfaces nsp7 binding interface, nsp12 binding interface Dimerization interface nsp14 binding interface, nsp16 binding interface RNA binding interface, nucleotide binding site, nsp8 binding interface, nsp7 binding interface RNA binding interface, active site nsp10 binding interface, ExoN active site, N7-MT active site Active site 2’-O MT active site, nsp10 binding interface NTD RNA binding site, NTD oligomerization site, CTD dimerization interface, CTD oligomerization site Spike RBD binding region, dynamic pocket 1 near spike RBD, dynamic pocket 2 near spike RBD

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OPINION

Sunny, with a mild chance of catastrophe Dr. Sean Elvidge LECTURER IN SPACE ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (UOB)

air passengers, signals from satellite navigation systems and mobile telecommunications. Whilst extreme space weather events are low-probability, with around a 1% chance of occurrence every year, they are high-impact and have been identified as a risk to the world economy and modern society. We can use rigorous statistical techniques to refine estimates of the long-term probability of extreme space weather, however the elusive Holy Grail of current space weather research is accurate and actionable weather forecasting.

Underpinning this research is our data modelling technology, which is capable of predicting space weather with unprecedented speed and accuracy, monitoring the density, winds and temperatures of chemical species in the Earth’s atmosphere and triggering warnings when there are likely to be impacts on services and infrastructure. Space weather forecasting is a major challenge for a number of reasons, not least because we do not completely understand the underlying physics which describe the system. The number and global spread of observations is also sparse and geophysical timescales vary hugely, from the 11-year solar cycle (changes in the sun’s activity levels) to solar flare impacts which are felt minutes after release from the sun. Whilst space weather forecasting is a young science, it is developing rapidly and is of critical importance. However, the wide range of technology which would be impacted by an extreme event - and the knock-on effects on the world economy - means we must improve our capability to forecast it. ■

lobal navigation satellite technology (like the Global Positioning System) is the world’s invisible utility. Used in more than six billion devices world-wide, it directly supports sectors generating more than £200bn pa, but has various vulnerabilities including the impacts of space weather. D ATA - M O D E L L I N G T E C H N O LO G Y Space weather is produced by our At the UoB, we’re leading research within sun; an interesting, complex, powerful a £20M national programme funded by and rapidly evolving object which can UK Research and Innovation to help have a major impact on our improve the accuracy of the round-thetechnological-reliant modern society. It clock monitoring of space weather emits an almost constant source of nearcurrently provided by the Met Office for For further information, please visit: infrared and optical radiation but there Government, critical national www.birmingham.ac.uk/spaceweather is considerable variability at X-ray and infrastructure providers and the public. radio wavelengths. During these periods of variability highly CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS charged particles are emitted through its solar COSMIC RAYS SOLAR CELL DEGRADATION wind and through ASTRONAUT RADIATION gigantic, energetic SINGLE EVENT UPSET SOLAR ENERGETIC PROTONS eruptions called coronal SOLAR FLARE RADIATION mass ejections (CMEs). We refer to this broad ENERGETIC RADIATION RADIATION DAMAGE range of phenomena as BELT PARTICLES ENHANCED IONOSPHERIC ‘space weather’. If the CURRENTS AND DISTURBANCES event is Earth-impacting NAVIGATION ERRORS then it interacts with our HF RADIO WAVE DISTURBANCE magnetic field which gives rise to the ever CREW AND PASSENGERS RADIATION photogenic northern and GEOMAGNETICALLY southern lights (aurora SIGNAL SCINTILLATION AURORA AND OTHER INDUCED CURRENTS ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS IN POWER SYSTEMS borealis/australis). DISTURBED RECEPTION

CONSEQUENCES

However the consequences can also be much more severe including detrimental effects to the electricity grid, satellites, avionics,

DECREASED DIRECTIONAL DRILLING ACCURACY

INDUCED GEOELECTRIC FIELD AND CURRENT

The European Space Agency’s graphic shows how space weather impacts a broad range of technological systems - in space and on Earth

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Advocacy

The world according to UKSPA and its members

A Woman of Substance As lockdown loomed, Margot James was appointed executive chair of the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). Ian Halstead caught up with her to discuss her ambitions for the renowned institution, the sustainability agenda and much more.

Margot James EXECUTIVE CHAIR, WMG, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

Margot James took up her new role as the Executive Chair of Warwick Manufacturing Group in April 2020. She previously served as Minister of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with responsibility for Digital, Telecoms and the Creative Industries, piloting the Data Protection Bill through Parliament, incorporating GDPR into UK law

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CV featuring entrepreneurial success and political achievement, a track record of passionate commitment to her chosen causes, and a lifelong interest in skills and business, suggests Margot James might well have topped the list of potential successors to WMG’s late founder, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya. So it’s something of a surprise to discover she only heard about the role when headhunters rang in December 2019 … to ask for the names of suitable candidates. Having stood down as Stourbridge’s MP only weeks earlier - when the distance between her Leave-dominated constituency association and herself as a staunch Remainer finally became an unbridgeable gulf - James admits she’d been taking time to consider which course her postpolitical future might take. “I didn’t have a plan, everything was all very lastminute in personal terms, and of course, we weren’t expecting Covid to come round the corner, but then the headhunter rang asking for recommendations,” she recalls. “I came up with one, but as I discovered more about the vacancy, it sounded very appealing, so I mentioned myself. A few weeks later, I was invited to meet the ViceChancellor, Stuart Croft, and those discussions made me even more enthusiastic. “It was more like what I’d been doing in government than anything I could see on the horizon, but what I also liked was that it was an executive position and in manufacturing. “This role is about bringing together the best in academic research, about the challenges facing management, about skills and education, and it had a lot of meaning. It instinctively mattered to me in the way that what I did in government mattered.”

A T O U G H A C T T O F O L LO W

Conversations lengthened, details were debated, and strategic roles discussed until with both parties aligned, Professor Croft formally announced that James would take up the position in April. From the outside, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya seems a mighty tough act to follow, having been synonymous with WMG for almost 40 years. After establishing a reputation as an insightful observer of the global motor industry, he became WMG’s ambassador at home and overseas, the UK’s first professor of manufacturing, and helped broker Tata’s acquisition of JLR from Ford - as well as being made a life peer in 2004. However, though accepting that some parallels are evident, James sees her role through a different prism. “Lord B was the number one opinion leader on the automotive industry, but his skills went way beyond that sector. He was a professor in his own right, a mentor, an entrepreneur and many other things,” she says. “Early in his time too, he caught the ear of Margaret Thatcher. He formed WMG in 1980, just a year after she came to power. Whenever she had an industrial issue, she would seek his mind - other than about the trade unions - and that relationship propelled him into the world of politics and power at the highest level. “However, there was a gap of more than a year after his sad death before I took the position. Perhaps if it been offered earlier, I wouldn’t have considered it appropriate. “I feel I was appointed to build on his legacy, and steward WMG into the future, with my knowledge of industrial policy and strategy, of the way government works, and my wider political work.” James and Prof Croft have also tweaked their respective roles to suit the changing times, the remarkable growth of WMG, and the impressive parallel expansion of its ‘parent’, the University of Warwick.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) is housed in The Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Building

HOW WE E X TEND THE LIFE OF A B AT T E R Y, M A K E I T L I G H T E R , M O R E S U S TA I N A B L E A N D F I T T O MEE T THE REQUIREMENTS OF T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N O F ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS CRUCIAL “Prof B was very hands-on. We now have a more split leadership where I am external-facing, and the research and education directors also have more influence than they did previously,” she says. “WMG was so successful and autonomous that it tended to be a kingdom unto itself, whereas we’re now keen to build links right across the university. Warwick is one of the UK’s top ten, and well within the world’s top 100. I think we’re in 77th place at the moment, which is hugely impressive. “At the same time, of course, we will naturally look to build on WMG’s undoubted strengths. It has some 800 staff, and income of more than £100m in 2019, and holds a unique position perhaps with Sheffield - of active and collaborative academic and industrial research partnerships.

G E T Y O U R D I G I TA L C O P Y AT: W W W. B R E A K T H R O U G H D I G I TA L . C O . U K

“We’re not chasing unicorns though, all our research has immediate industrial relevance, and has been conducted with either SMEs, huge global corporations, such as Tata, JLR, Rolls Royce and Airbus, or other plcs. Our research is always relevant, and so has tremendous impact on skills, employment and innovation.”

S I G N I F I C A N T E X P E RT I S E

If the original strategic vision hasn’t changed though, there has been a change of emphasis, not least to make the wider world appreciate that WMG has acquired significant expertise in many sectors, and its academics and researchers aren’t always focused on global horizons. “I’d like to see the external image and perception reflect what it now does. People often just think we’re all

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ADVOCACY

about automotive, but we have evolved to become experts in all manners of transportation,” says James. “Of course, we work nationally and internationally, but we also work regionally, often with local authorities who understand that our key strategic pillars are sustainability, electrification and intelligent mobility. ”Our customer base and business partners are changing too. For instance, we do a lot of work with local hospitals to devise digital solutions capable of detecting various life-threatening illnesses in their early stages. “The challenge there is to have the ability to research and then introduce developments across the NHS, as it’s so time-consuming and repetitive having to work with individual trusts.” Even as a former PPS to a Minister for trade and investment, a Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the ex-Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, James marvels at the calibre and relevance of the work she’s already witnessed. “I chaired a healthcare meeting, and what people are doing here simply on Covid was quite remarkable, the research, the economic modelling, the advisory work, and lots more. “We also have a very exciting digital capability. Our cyber-security department is very active and we’re one of the UK’s top four universities for that sector, which you wouldn’t have thought even 10 years ago.”

B AT T E RY T E C H N O LO G Y

It’s pleasingly evident that James shares her predecessor’s passion, as well as his notable sense of purpose. Asked to identify other activities which have caught her eye, she heads off on a whirlwind ‘virtual tour’ of the campus.

Of all the projects though, her particular fascination is for the scale and potential of the research into battery technology. “Two elements really stand out which I hope will result in even more groundbreaking discoveries in the short-term,” says James. “How we extend the life of a battery, make it lighter, more sustainable and fit to meet the requirements of the next generation of electric vehicles is crucial. It’s now possible to charge a large saloon car in less than 20 minutes, and as the process of miniaturisation evolves, we can then look at getting batteries into aircraft. ”At the same time, the government also needs to get across the desperate need for a country-wide charging infrastructure, and for advances in charging technology.” There’s a flicker of frustration as she contemplates Whitehall’s lacklustre commitment to such a critical element of the sustainability agenda, but it’s only fleeting, as James turns to the concept of Net Zero. “It underpins so much of what we do, looking at issues around clean technology, reducing emissions and energy in its widest possible sense. “We have an excellent department which focuses on materials and polymer, and our Perrier Group has established an international reputation for its research. “The core problem isn’t simply plastic, it’s the way in which molecules are knitted together that means much plastic can’t be recycled. Our teams are working on that, and if they could resolve that challenge it would be transformational.”

EXTINCTION REBELLION Warwick’s Energy Innovation Centre is a national facility for battery research across the R&D process

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As the topic of all things sustainability widens, it’s impossible to resist the urge

to ask her views on the movement’s footsoldiers, the vocal, active and controversial Extinction Rebellion. She identified her political course early in life, joining the Conservative Party at the age of 17, but what decisions would the teenage James make in 2020? “David Attenborough is my idol with regard to the environment and the urgent need to tackle climate change, and I share his belief that policies have to be brave. I also have a lot of sympathy with ER’s aims and understand that you sometimes need direct action to bring about change,” she admits. “I always liken ER to the movement for gay equality. For decades, everything was very polite and the Campaign for Homosexual Equality was perfectly laudable, but nothing changed. “Then Peter Tatchell and others came along with the Gay Rights movement. They were campaigners and activists, and they achieved radical change. “Ballot-box voting underpins our democracy and I obviously favour it, but when you’re trying to achieve major social change in which you passionately believe, you do sometimes need more. “Sometimes ER take it too far, but then some people always will. However, I certainly could have done both - joined the Conservative Party and also joined the activists on the streets. “The Conservatives actually have a decent record on environmental policy. Yes, we need to go further, but we’re ahead of most countries in terms of our policies, our actions and our commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.” Only one puzzle remains after an enjoyable and wide-ranging conversation, the identity of the candidate whom James recommended for the role she now occupies, but on reflection, that’s perhaps best left for another occasion. ■

To find out more, please visit: www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/

Looking back and looking forwards

n 1984, along with six other science parks managers, I founded UKSPA. Back then, we had no idea how the future would unfold. Today, we are part of a seventy strong, world-wide movement that attracts the interest of universities, the private property sector, industry research facilities and many governments. As a young academic at the University of Surrey I witnessed democratisation of access to personal computing and used my first research grant to buy an Apple EuroII. When asked to leave my department and work on the creation of a science park, I soon realised that entrepreneurs were taking advantage of new markets coming out of personal computing. They needed office accommodation and in those days that meant the property industry norm the 25 year lease. Another norm was ‘a home’ as collateral for a loan to start a business. Both huge barriers to the entrepreneurial mindset, so the idea of the Surrey Technology Centre (STC) with 30 day notice licences began. Like all projects there is a commercial imperative to ensure the business neither runs out of money or upsets the customer. Like many science parks across the world the action of local government has been critical and the grant of planning permission for the Surrey Research Park included these commonly quoted purposes for Parks: • Creating a source of independent income for the host • Effecting knowledge transfer • Raising the host’s profile as a place for supporting business development • Offering to share the risk for entrepreneurs in building a business • Access to technology • Access to talent • The right occupancy contracts helps the business to raise finance Today the concept of entrepreneurship giving economic value to science is so widely appreciated that humble science parks have evolved into places where business incubators and accelerators thrive, where R&D facilities have been rejuvenated with the idea of open innovation and where new, young businesses are invited in. Cities have followed suit and are creating innovation districts, with some national 1 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | W I N T E R 2 0 18

Dr Malcolm Parry OBE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SURREY RESEARCH PARK

Dr Malcolm Parry’s involvement with Surrey Research Park dates back to its origins in 1981 when he left an academic post with the University of Surrey to plan, develop and now manage the site. He also works as an expert on science and technology parks as instruments in economic development for UNESCO and United Nations Economic Commission to Europe

governments building science towns to drive economic development. My forty three year journey working at the University of Surrey – thirty nine as CEO, Surrey Research Park, have passed in a flash. But without the inventiveness and innovation of entrepreneurs in science, technology, engineering and social science, none of this would have happened. The big market for the future is the environment – it will be interesting, if not essential, to see how this goes. ■

To find out more, please visit: www.surrey-research-park.com

“ B A C K T H E N , W E H A D N O I D E A H O W T H E F U T U R E W O U L D U N F O L D . T O D AY, W E A R E P A R T O F A S E V E N T Y STRONG, WORLD -WIDE MOVEMENT”

NEW MEMBER

ounded in 2015 by Niklas Friedberg, Tobias Wingbermühle and Johannes Solzbach in London, Clustermarket is an online marketplace helping scientists, engineers and other technology pioneers access lab equipment in nearby institutions. The high cost of research equipment and services has traditionally always been a high barrier for the commercialisation of research and innovation in science, therefore the idea was to build a worldleading online sharing platform for life science researchers with the goal to democratise access to expensive laboratory equipment and services. Clustermarket is aiming to enable life science innovators to take their ideas to market faster and cheaper. In 2018, Clustermarket launched Bookkit - a lab booking system for academic research facilities and industrial laboratories that want to manage their lab infrastructure

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in the most efficient way. Today, Bookkit is being used in countries around the world at some of the best research institutions and science companies such as Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Illumina, Cytiva and many others. Many labs contain a wide range of expensive instruments which are often in high demand, resulting in bottlenecks while researchers wait for access to a piece of equipment essential to the next stage of their experiment. Clustermarket’s booking system Bookkit can manage the booking of these instruments which helps significantly reduce waiting time, enabling researchers to check availability and schedule experiments more efficiently. This enables lab managers to save their valuable time and reduces the admin workload. It also reduces the dead time of an instrument, identifying under-utilised resources which can then be opened up for use by other departments or even institutions thus unlocking the real value of the state-of-the-art technology. SMEs are often working with limited budgets and don’t necessarily have

sufficient funds for multiple versions of the latest equipment. Optimizing the use of the available instruments is therefore essential. Online lab instrument booking systems like Bookkit enable users to book machines remotely, enabling the team to plan their experiments around equipment availability and increase productivity. This also helps labs operate in a more flexible way and limit the number of people on site, particularly important when safely returning to the lab. Not only do these systems facilitate booking and maximize equipment usage, they can also be used to rent out available equipment to other users in nearby labs. With many SME research companies located in science parks and hubs, being able to access the equipment of surrounding groups can save you time and money, and even help cover the costs of these instruments by charging out their external use. Bookkit integrates with Clustermarket to offer this capability, allowing researchers to book out their equipment when not otherwise in use. ■

For further information, please visit: www.clustermarket.com/bookkit

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The UK is a world leader in the life science, technology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. From start-ups to companies with a global presence, the risks involved differ significantly and you need to talk to a specialist insurance broker who understands this world. Our highly knowledgeable and experienced team is available to help you through the complexities of the cover needed to protect you and your business.

> How we can Help By taking the time to talk to our clients and learn about how their business is growing we can adapt and adjust their insurance solutions as circumstances change. We can provide the full range of cover needed in these specialist environments, including but not limited to: • Property Damage/Business Interruption, including Research & Development operations • Public and Employers Liability • Product and Services Liability

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ADVOCACY

From micro-to-macro Professor Colin McInnes of the University of Glasgow on how his group is investigating new space technologies at extreme length-scale

pace technologies are now pervasive and are integrated into many aspects of our lives, from satellite navigation to environmental monitoring and global communication services. These highly successful satellite applications are built on many years of space technology research and development, which has delivered complex but highly reliable space systems. In order to deliver the next generation of satellite applications, new innovations in space technology will be required. Through a Chair in Emerging Technologies, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, my group is investigating new space technologies at extremes of lengthscale, from micro-to-macro. These technologies include centimetrescale devices that could be used in large numbers to form sensor clouds making simultaneous measurement of the space environment at different locations, which could enhance the monitoring of ‘space weather’ events, which can disrupt communications, reduce the accuracy of satellite navigation services and even cause failures in power lines. At the other extreme, we are investigating technologies to allow the fabrication of large space structures in orbit, for example by adapting 3D printing to the space environment. These structures could include ultra-large antennae for high-bandwidth communications, which would be too large to be packaged into the faring of a launch vehicle.

E N E R G Y F R O M S PA C E

As another application of large space structures, we are soon to begin a new project supported by the European Research Council on delivering energy from space. Here we will explore ideas for using large but ultra-lightweight membrane reflectors in orbit to illuminate large terrestrial solar power farms at dawn and dusk when their output is low but demand can be high. While all current satellite applications are based on information

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services, such ideas could allow the delivery of physical resources from space. Looking even further ahead, we have also been pursuing ideas for using the resources of near-earth asteroids, also supported by the Royal Society. By using material at the top of the Earth’s deep gravity well we can in principle reduce the scale and cost of future space ventures. For example, water extracted from suitable target objects could be used to support future human space ventures or be cracked into hydrogen and oxygen using solar energy to enable the production of fuel for spacecraft in-orbit. The current generation of satellite applications, again built on many years of research and development, now impacts on all our lives.

FORGING AHEAD

Looking to the future, space technologies can address the immense opportunities and the changes of the 21st century, from protecting the digital economy using clouds of micro-scale sensor nodes to delivering global clean energy services using macro-scale orbiting reflectors – and even unlocking future large-scale space ventures using in-situ resources. The Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme provides long-term support to world-leading researchers to lead on developing emerging technology areas with high potential to deliver economic and social benefit to the UK. Although not prescriptive in defining the focus of its Chairs, the Academy requires a powerful case to be made for the value of an extended long-term vision through to

application and over the years it has supported a number of senior researchers who have made significant contributions to advancement in space technology. ■

Professor McInnes MBE FREng FRSE is James Watt Chair, Professor of Engineering Science and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, University of Glasgow.

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ADVOCACY

Supporting future scientific research in a post-Covid world

Paul Janssenswillen HEAD OF SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS, CBRE – INTEGRATED LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

Paul Watts ILS BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR (EMEA), CBRE – INTEGRATED LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

his article explores the changes that we have seen over the last few months in the Research and Development world both, in part, due to COVID-19, as well as the continued evolution of how science is carried out; in the academic arena, the wider science park communities and corporate industry. It also suggests some key actions necessary to continue

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to deliver a strong development pipeline and enable a more effective scientific discovery environment. Firstly, I think it is necessary to describe a couple of key ideas that underpin successful R&D scientific outcomes that are backed up by cited research papers themselves and not just

some opinions contained in widelycirculated industry journals. The first of these is the definition of ‘Innovation’, the word that is at the core of research and development endeavours. Innovation is the sum of ‘ideas’ generated by creative or divergent thinking and

Some measures we’re seeing that help to mitigate against the above include:

• Buddying up staff with a weekly direct

chat with others in their organisation (or an individual in an external partner university/company) and setting up internal teaming to mentor individuals to force safe, diverse communication

• Using start-up incubator and graduate

companies teamed with the local ecosystem to energise the existing teams

• Using an effective resource

management system combined with real-time occupancy and equipment utilisation monitoring to optimise the workload execution

‘implementation effectiveness’ developed through closed or convergent thinking. You need both and the more ideas generated and the better one is at selecting and implementing them, the more innovative the organisation will be. The second seems self-evident and it is that teams made up of a variety of skillsets, knowledge and views (and that communicate more frequently) will be more successful than teams that don’t. The extent of this frequency and diversity of communication is easy to measure using social networking analysis. SNA methodology and the software that we use allows us to benchmark organisations with three simple KPIs, but also to graphically show the extent to which a group may be siloed and how weak the communication patterns are both for the individuals within the organisation and between the various departments. An example of the ‘anonymised’ output is shown in the image above. R&D organisations have implemented various laboratory and office workplace measures to respond to the safety concerns associated with this deadly global pandemic to increase the universal measures of ‘social distancing’, hand sanitisation, face masks etc. Some of these include; only allowing ‘essential’ staff back to their workplace, dividing the workforce into two or three shifts, pairing scientists together (with one doing the experiment in the laboratory and the other doing the data

analysis from home, then swapping over week by week), or using laboratory activity based working (ABW) to increase the sharing of assets where a lab previously allocated to 20 staff is now mapped to 100, but with only 20 people allowed in at any one time. The shortterm effect on productivity, measured by quantifying the number of experiments executed or the amount of consumables, reagents and chemicals used, has generally held up, but organisations are becoming increasing concerned that the lack of ‘spontaneous collaboration’, or tacit knowledge exchange, resulting from this distributed working will seriously impact their product pipeline 3 -5 years from now. Some of the challenges highlighted also speak to how the physical space is designed, where assets are located and where clients are looking to create ‘collaboration zones’ or ‘interaction hubs’. Careful consideration needs to be taken into account for how the areas attract talent, naturally support collaboration through the flow of science within the space and ultimately, how easy is it to focus on science rather than the non-value-add activities that become burdensome to scientists on a daily basis. Another impact of the global pandemic that R&D companies have witnessed is the vulnerability of their supply chain. As the virus continued to spread around the world, so the supplies of some consumables and reagents became more difficult to procure.

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• Implementing effective equipment

maintenance programs and supply chain management to increase the resilience of the operation. This includes the use of VR to minimise the number of people required on site

• The use of logistics automation to increase ‘walk-away’ time from experiments to safely extend the working day

• The upgrading of R&D workplaces to

provide more future adaptability, attract key local talent to a vibrant community and add to the asset value of the infrastructure

• Finally, as we witness commuting by

public transport in decline, the creation of stronger science park branding and identity to form stronger places within the local community

With some organisations currently seeing only a 10% return of workforce into office space and less that 60% returning to the laboratories, it’s clear that decisive steps need to be taken to ensure a healthy science park sector. ■

For any other queries relating to Facilities Management, Real Estate or Projects; please contact Harry Casillas – Life Sciences on 07342083799 or email: Harry.casillas@cbre.com

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ADVOCACY

Innovative delivery of Covid testing at Chesterford Research Park Sarah Brereton, Chesterford Research Park and Jim Duvall, UKSPA look at how inventive use of space kept on top of demand for COVID-19 test kits Having been given suitable training, students from the school have been working with DRW to assemble and pack the COVID-19 test kits ready for dispatch. The experience has exposed the students to the opportunities available within the life sciences sector and given them an insight into the career paths available for those studying STEM subjects. UKSPA is currently working with a small group of members to look at how science parks and other innovation locations are inspiring and working with young people to see science in action and consider a STEM career. Further information can be found at: www.ukspa.org.uk/association-news/ ■

DRW staff with students: [Back left] Josh Charge, Technician, DRW [Middle row] Eve-Luis Magiroos; Ella Hopewell; Morgan Tritton; Toby Burch; Li Peng, Operations Director, DRW [Front row] Jasmyn Pocknell; Izzy Poles; Cerys Lacy

hesterford Research Park has been home to UKSPA for over 15 years and provides an innovative, flexible and future-proofed environment for both established and early stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and development companies. UKSPA benefits by being part of the science park community at Chesterford and seeing at first-hand how an exceptional on-site management team is committed to working with occupiers are their needs evolve and change. The last few months during lockdown have been no exception.

INVENTIVE SOLUTIONS

Diagnostics for the Real World (DRW), based in the Science Village at Chesterford, made worldwide headlines earlier this year with a game-changing way of testing for COVID-19. The University of Cambridge spinout responded quickly to the pandemic by adapting its HIV testing machine, SAMBA II, to diagnose COVID-19 infection in just 90 minutes. Having first been used at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge the

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machines were subsequently rolled out across the NHS. This innovative development created unprecedented demand for both the SAMBA II machines and the accompanying test kits. Fulfilling this uplift left DRW looking for additional space to store the kit components and assemble and pack the kits ready for dispatch. With no additional office or lab space available on the park, the park management team worked hard to find an alternative, eventually alighting on the idea to use some of the communal space within the Nucleus, which due to the lockdown was not being used. This space proved the ideal area to both store the kit components and set up an efficient assembly and packing area.

LIFE SCIENCE SKILLS

In addition to finding the additional space they required, park manager, Katherine Maguire, was also able to put the DRW team in contact with Saffron Walden County High School in an effort to find some additional help over the summer.

To find out more about Chesterford Research Park, please visit: www.chesterfordresearchpark.com

Li Peng OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, DRW

“Having access to this space within the Nucleus has been tremendous and has enabled us to keep up with the thousands of test kit orders we continue to receive on an almost daily basis. Having additional help from the students has also been invaluable – it’s labour intensive work but the atmosphere is great, and everyone is really pleased to be part of the initiative. Being able to set up a packing and storage area at Chesterford Research Park, within a couple of minutes’ walk of our labs in the Park’s Science Village has been fantastic. We are really grateful to Katherine and her team for helping to facilitate this.”

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Support

On and off-site services for your business

Shining a light on opportunities Business Durham’s Elaine Scott discusses all things NETPark, and we hear about its latest success story from Evince Technology’s Gareth Taylor

yriad influences must come together to create any science park; from talent to technology, from strategy to delivery, and from finance to sheer good fortune, but only a strong and effective support network enables locations to survive and prosper. In the years since Tony Blair opened NETPark in his Sedgefield constituency, it’s evolved to become home to 32 companies employing 450 high-skilled staff, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the regional Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence, making it the only science park to have two Catapults. The site, which is owned and run by Business Durham, the county council’s economic development arm, also houses the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), and now offers flexible co-space for enterprises in the space sector, mirroring that provided at the UK’s space base at Harwell. NETPark’s success deserves attention far outside the North-East, and there’s no-one better placed to highlight its achievements than Elaine Scott, the business engagement and opportunities manager for Business Durham, its innovation lead, and manager of the satellite centre of excellence. “All our tenants are science and tech, with a particular focus on space. The centre was set up to stimulate interest in the space economy, to

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increase the use of space and satellite applications, and to encourage companies from other sectors to look at space,” she says. “We work across the North-East. In the early years, we focused mainly on downstream space, including earth observation techniques, using hyper-spectral imaging, accumulating rich data on temperature and pollution, and developing systems to predict weather and floods. “Another area of expertise here is gathering PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) data from satellites, which is very topical. We’ve been using the EU’s Galileo for GNSS positioning, so now it’s about how we replaced that system post-Brexit. It’s a challenge, but equally, it creates opportunities for the UK. “Our third strand is around satellite connectivity and communications. Around half the world’s population isn’t connected to the internet, and it’s an issue across oceans, in deserts and remote locations. “Putting fibre-optics into the ground is very expensive, so there are huge opportunities to use low earth satellites and it’s a fast-growing area of interest.”

U P S T R E A M S PA C E

The last three years has seen the centre widen its focus to upstream space, developing hardware for satellites and rockets, and its success in attracting such tenants has been greatly enhanced by the presence of the CfAI, created via Durham University’s ground-breaking research on cosmology and space science. “Professor Carlos Frenk, who is Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, has been there since the mid-80s, and does absolutely amazing work around dark matter,” says Scott. “Studying faraway galaxies requires advanced instrumentation, so there’s a need to develop adaptive optics to get round the challenge of atmospheric turbulence in space. “The team at the CfIA has worked on the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble, and are currently involved with the Extremely Large Telescope programme, which really raises our profile as a location for space excellence.”

Not every centre in the Catapult network has managed to fully deliver on the admirable concept of driving innovation into UK-based companies, but the one at NETPark is one of the exceptions. “We act as an enabling organisation, shining a light on opportunities in the space sector and bringing them to the attention of companies in the region,” says Scott. “Our Catapult has three core roles. Connecting enterprises to funding is crucial, as SMEs don’t always understand what money is available, especially from the public sector. We have a virtual team, and also bring private investors to companies. “Connecting enterprises to people with market and technical expertise is key, especially when they have not previously operated in the space sector. All the region’s five universities are

members of our consortium, so we identify experts and other resources to support our tenants and other NE companies. “Collaboration is the third major element. We’re like a dating agency for businesses. We’ll identify opportunities for SMEs to work together on R&D programmes or commercial projects. It’s quite a close community up here, and we find people are willing to work together. “We also have a close relationship with the North-East LEP, who funded a feasibility study on the space sector to help grow opportunities for the region. We see many companies in the space and satellite sector who could scale-up, so our hub will be important in providing resources, contacts and facilities.”

NORSS

The centre at NETPark also hosted the UK’s space agency incubator programme, and one of its first success stories was Northern Space and Security Ltd (NORSS) which specialises in space situational awareness technology, and space surveillance and tracking. “It was set up by a retired RAF officer, Ralph Dinsley, who’d served for more

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than 30 years and was an aerospace battle manager. Essentially, the company devises innovative techniques to identify, track and monitor the behaviour of objects in space,” says Scott. “It began almost as a retirement project, but we saw its potential, and NORSS is now one of the UK’s fastestgrowing space companies. It opened a second office at Harwell in 2018, and this year set up the UK’s first orbital analyst centre in Durham.” As the park’s evolution continues, Scott sees significant potential in all aspects of communications’ technology. “All the advances we’re seeing in autonomous vehicles and other whizzy stuff sound great, but they need data and reliable data. Fast and affordable connectivity, and reliable communications are at the heart of all this wonderful new tech,” she says. “Right from the design and manufacture of next-gen antennas and satellites, not just the enterprises but their supply chains too, is really something in which this region could specialise.”

E V I N C E T E C H N O LO G Y

The latest element of NETPark’s success is Evince Technology, which uses synthetic diamonds to create next-gen electron devices. The huge potential for such material was identified long ago, but until now, no-one has succeeded in designing and manufacturing devices which are both practical and commercially viable. However, Evince CEO Gareth Taylor (main image) believed the solution was to evoke the era of valve technology, and dovetail the latest semi-conductor manufacturing techniques with his innovative electron emission technology to create solid-state devices - but at micro-electronic scale. “I’ve been looking at the scope for diamond-based electronics for the best part of 20 years, and it became a real passion,” he says.

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SUPPORT

“If you look at the history of semi-conductors, most major advances were made between the 50s and the 70s. Obviously, incredible strides have since been made, but the fundamental technology has barely changed. “If we then look back to 1910, the invention of the valve was the catalyst for unprecedented technological innovation in radio, TV, and much more. “What we’re doing is to put the equivalent of tens of thousands of valves into a diamond micro-chip. They don’t get hot or glow in the dark, but do have huge applications for 5G/6G comms, energy technology and lots of other clever stuff.” Taylor’s enthusiasm is such that it’s easy to understand how his determination to innovate has driven him on for almost two decades, and hasn’t yet begun to dim. “So many industries still rely on technology which E L A I N E S C O T T, I N N O VAT I O N L E A D, came from the light-bulb, but we can miniaturise this technology, and it will be pushes the microwave spectrum to the game-changing. One of our customers level which can directly compete with the was amazed when we first met, observing currently favoured, but more complex that his £1m tool is still powered by the photonic solutions.” equivalent of a candle,” he says. “One of the most critical and LO C K D O W N I M PA C T wide-ranging opportunities we have is Inevitably, lockdown impacted Evince’s within the space community. Electric progress, and just as its first pilot models propulsion is widely seen as the most were being tested, but it also gave Gareth effective way to position and maintain and his colleagues time to re-jig its spacecraft in their target orbit. manufacturing supply chain. “However, the most unreliable “It used to take about 180 steps to component in them are the electron make our device, and we relied on seven sources they need to ionise propellant universities for around a dozen of those and neutralise the satellites, which still processes,” he says. use that same light-bulb technology. “Now though, we are working with a “Our technology also has a radical commercial fabricator, have brought impact on the communications’ side. A multiple processes in-house, and are telecoms satellite typically has 36 finally rolling off and testing prototypes. vacuum tubes, but it’s using technology We’ve already signed customers in such dating from the 1950s, because these diverse sectors as x-ray, additive devices are still three-times more manufacturing and communications.” efficient at power amplifying microwave Pleasingly, it’s clear that he shares signals than modern semiconductors. Scott’s enthusiasm for technical “However, our tech removes the innovation and creating employment in problems which impact the lifetime and the North-East, and also for its performance of those tubes, and also manufacturing heritage. “We’ve got a

NORSS operations director, Sean Goldsbrough (left) with the company’s founder and executive director, Ralph ‘Dinz’ Dinsley and NETPark’s Elaine Scott.

“ W E A C T A S A N E N A B L I N G O R G A N I S AT I O N , SHINING A LIGHT ON OPPORTUNITIES IN THE S PA C E S E C T O R A ND B RIN GIN G T HE M T O T HE AT T E N T I O N O F C O M P A N I E S I N T H E R E G I O N .”

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BUSINESS DURHAM cluster of very interesting capabilities here and I’ve been pushing the idea for ages that if the government really wants to develop a base of advanced and value-added manufacturing, it should be in the areas which have developed craft skills over many decades, and in some cases, for centuries,” says Taylor. “We are unashamedly saying to everyone that we want to be a manufacturing business, not least because this region has a tremendous tradition of doing the heavy stuff, the difficult stuff, and creating techniques and processes and products to solve really challenging industrial problems.” ■

To find out more about NETPark, please visit: www.northeasttechnologypark.com For more on Evince Technology, please visit: www.evincetechnology.com For more on NORSS, please visit: www.norss.co.uk

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Any UKSPA member, strategic partner, stakeholder or supply chain member interested in appearing in Breakthrough, and wishing to discuss potential editorial opportunities for future issues is invited to contact its editor, Ian Halstead.

PHONE 07939 090785 EMAIL halsteadian@aol.com

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stablished in 2010 and based in Ford, West Sussex, Intech’s team of highly experienced, multidisciplined engineers service business across the UK. The administration team and technicians in theirr UKAS accredited in house laboratory are on hand to work with their clients and their particular requirements both on and off site. Calibration, Clean Air Technology, Clean Room Validation, Fume Cupboard Servicing, Temperature Mapping are among the services provided, and they are approved suppliers of Rotronic Monitoring Systems and Waldner Laboratory Furniture. Intech are the sole representatives in the UK for WALDNER Laboratories, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialist laboratory furniture and fume cupboards. Alongside a dedicated WALDNER product consultancy service, the company provide clients with a complete laboratory furniture and fume cupboard design and sales facility, and also offer annual fume

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cupboard service and maintenance packages, tailored specifically to individual customer requirements. Clients are drawn from global pharmaceutical companies, healthcare establishments, organisations involved in research and laboratory services, large scale manufacturing operations, cold storage, food suppliers and transportation operators. Intech ensures compliance, efficiency, and quality of service to enable its clients to achieve their industry standards with

the least amount of disruption. Their services are vital to their clients as regular calibration and temperature mapping of your production, manufacturing, heating and cooling equipment ensures they function at optimal levels of efficiency, don’t break down, and last for much longer before needing replacement. ■

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Innovation

Extending the frontiers of UK science and industry

Previsico CEO Jonathan Jackson (left) alongside co-founder and chief scientific officer Professor Dapeng Yu

The signs of things to come Loughborough University has a cluster of SMEs and academics using space and satellite tech within their business and research models. Ian Halstead talked to flood forecaster Previsco and intelligent mobility specialist Prof Mohammed Quddus. 2 8 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | A U T U M N 2 0 2 0

revisico is very much the poster child for today’s generation of start-ups; led by innovative scientists with a strong entrepreneurial streak and underpinned by the latest advances in Big Data and analytics. However, as CEO Jonathan Jackson explains, the origins of this fast-growing international venture lay in the childhood memories of its co-founder and chief scientific officer, Professor Dapeng Yu. “He was heavily influenced by his early years in China, where he saw the personal tragedies and economic devastation which floods caused, and passionate about the need to identify

radical and effective solutions, which is why he first went into flood modelling back in 2001. “Of course, there’s been academic satisfaction along the way, especially when the Cabinet Office tasked Loughborough with developing nextgen forecasting models after the 2014 floods, and when Previsico was spunout in 2019, but there’s always been a very practical and personal intent behind his efforts.” Jackson was brought in to drive the business forward at a corporate level, and admits finding its ethos immediately and powerfully appealing. “I’d already led three start-ups, and intended to stop - until I met the two

founders. We talked about their ambitions, and I stressed that my background was in building successful commercial enterprises. It still is, but the reason we exist as a company determined to be successful is to do good and help people. “The aim is to save millions of people’s lives and livelihoods, and also save billions of pounds for commercial, government and humanitarian organisations. It’s a chance to genuinely make a difference, and I was inspired by Prof Yu right from the start. “When we recruit, passion and engagement are absolute musts. We obviously talk about the need to be successful commercially, because those returns enable us to achieve our humanitarian targets. If we tried to run it as a social enterprise, I don’t think it would work and we wouldn’t reach those goals.”

R A D I C A L I N N O VAT I O N

The urgent need for radical innovation in forecasting technologies was identified when the frequency and impact of major weather events, such as floods and hurricanes, increased sharply and the inability of traditional techniques to detect surface water flooding was exposed. The government was attracted to Loughborough as Prof Yu had spent almost 14 years devising R&D models displaying flooding in real-time, using IBM’s Weather Company’s forecasts. Previsico currently provides realtime flood level forecasts and warnings with a 48-hour lead time, updated every three hours, and predictions for the depth and time of floods with a 25-metre resolution. It then checks the accuracy of its forecasts using crowd-sourcing visuals allied to reports from social media sources and news platforms, a technique honed most recently during the August floods in Aberdeenshire. “We want to drive our resolution down to ten metres,” says Jackson. “For instance, we did some work involving Superstorm Sandy, which hit New York, and did that at five-metre resolution with 90% accuracy, whereas when we did the 2016 floods in London, we were only at around 70% accuracy.

“ T H E A I M I S T O S AV E M I L L I O N S O F P E O P L E ’ S L I V E S A N D L I V E L I H O O D S , A N D A L S O S AV E B I L L I O N S O F P O U N D S FOR COMMERCIAL, GOVERNMENT AND H U M A N I TA R I A N O R G A N I S AT I O N S .” J O N AT H A N J A C K S O N , C E O, P R E V I S I C O “However, the constant balancing act is that the higher the resolution, the more processing power is required and the longer it takes to produce a forecast. At the moment, we produce a forecast every three hours, but we obviously don’t want to go down to ten metres, only to discover that it takes twelve hours. “We are making good progress though and hope to be close to 10 metres in 2021. We’ve put the service into the cloud to achieve more processing power, but the model’s performance also needs to be fine-tuned.”

S AT E L L I T E P R O J E C T

Previsico is currently working with a team from Leicester University on a satellite project, and Jackson expects the second research phase to complete early next year. “We expect this element to really improve our performance in terms of accuracy, as we’ll be able to take satellite images of the extent of a flood, push it back into the model, re-calibrate the model and then provide better forecasts about the amount of rain and the likely extent of the flood.” The company is initially focusing on the insurance industry, has its first international client lined up and expects to sign at least two more before the year-end. It will then build out the service for that sector, and raise external finance to establish a US presence, giving it access to the world’s largest market for flood insurance. Previsico has also been admitted to Hong Kong’s science and technology park, allowing it to widen its search for

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talent and raise its profile in the region. “One of Prof Yu’s old friends, who worked at Loughborough and is now based in the territory, had a chance conversation with him, which ultimately led to our decision to set up there,” says Jackson. “Those discussions happened long before both the civil unrest and Covid-19, so we’ll now have a virtual relationship for the time being. I am a little concerned as to how we ensure they buy into our culture and really understand the company when we can’t fly out to meet them, but there isn’t an alternative.”

T R A N S P O RT S T U D I E S G R O U P

As Prof Yu beavered away for all those years on the Loughborough campus, the university’s Transport Studies Group was spending even more time studying intelligent transport systems. Its ambitious goal is to revolutionise how network operators, vehicle manufacturers and drivers use, and interact with, the country’s road networks, in which the skills of Prof Quddus in devising map-matching algorithms is pivotal. In July 2020, the latest accolade to his technical nous and problemsolving expertise came when Highways England awarded a £1m grant to Loughborough and Galliford Try, (the team’s industrial partner) to analyse how the UK’s motorways could best be prepared for the arrival of selfdriving vehicles. Governments, industries, technical bodies and academic institutions

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INNOVATION

“A S V E H I C L E A U T O M AT I O N I N C R E A S E S , C L O U D C O M P U T I N G , AI AND IOT WILL ALLOW L ARGE V O L U M E S O F D ATA T O B E C O L L E C T E D , C O L L AT E D A N D A N A LY S E D F O R O P T I M U M D E C I S I O N - M A K I N G AT I N D I V I D U A L , L O C A L A N D C I T Y L E V E L S .” P R O F. M O H A M M E D Q U D D U S , P R O F E S S O R O F I N T E L L I G E N T T R A N S P O RT S Y S T E M S , LO U G H B O R O U G H U N I V E R S I T Y around the globe are, of course, investing heavily in the evolution of connected and vehicle (CAV) technology, as they try to gain a competitive advantage in the future market for intelligent mobility solutions. The team led by Prof Quddus is now considering autonomous vehicles might operate when they encounter road-works, emerging and diverging sections of road, lane changes and junctions, and how they will interact with lane markings. His map-matching algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the powerful tools at the heart of the project, and his other mobility research programmes. Satellite data plays a crucial role in ensuring that the best quality information about navigation and positioning is passed on to the GPS systems. “We’ve been working with Highways England for ten years or so, developing techniques to make their data more precise. For instance, when you examine national accident data, you might find that because the location data wasn’t accurate, it indicates that some accidents happened in the middle of a field,” he says. “Naturally, they want to know the precise location of every accident, to discover if (for example) there are problems with the road, the surface or the camber. “Thanks to breakthroughs in Big Data computing and dynamic mapping, we can now help them collate accurate data, helping them to develop new, safer and more efficient infrastructure. “As vehicle automation increases,

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cloud computing, AI and IoT will allow large volumes of data to be collected, collated and analysed for optimum decision-making at individual, local and city levels. “Our roads will ultimately be safer and travel times will be reduced. Reducing congestion is crucial to increasing national productivity which has lagged behind our international competitors for decades. “We can also use our enhanced knowledge, and these innovative techniques to both guide people working on today’s intelligent mobility solutions, and to educate future leaders and the next generation of scientists who will drive innovation into the infrastructure sector.”

SIMULATION PLATFORMS

At the moment though, there isn’t enough data from existing roads and motorways to demonstrate how they might operate when used by connected vehicles. Another looming challenge is that there won’t be a Big Bang moment, when today’s vehicles are suddenly superseded by the autonomous next generation, so there’ll be an array of different models using very different levels of technology. “We are looking 20 or even 30 years into the future,” says Prof Quddus.”In the short-term, there are likely to be more ‘hazardous interventions’ between the two generations of vehicles, so the benefits for our society and our economy will not be immediate.”

The Highways England grant will also help develop state-of-the-art simulation platforms to see how connected vehicles will react when they (for instance) encounter diversions or are asked to change lanes. “We need to learn if our existing road infrastructure can be upgraded or modified to host those vehicles, so we’ll be using different vehicles on our platforms. Some will have just a camera. Others will have sophisticated sensors,” says Prof Quddus. “We also need to see how road safety and traffic congestion are likely to change, as the penetration of ‘intelligent’ vehicles increases over time.” Working with Galliford Try, the Loughborough team is currently collecting data using both its autonomous vehicle, which has sophisticated sensors on board worth some £70,000, and other vehicles with just basic aids. “During 2021, we should be able to tell Highways England what kind of modifications they will need for connected and intelligent vehicles to drive through their network,” says Prof Quddus. “One aspect concerns the way people drive through road-works. If you’re using GPS, the configuration changes completely. However, if your vehicle was able to access a dynamic road map with real-time data, it could change the configuration before it enters the road-works and safety would be significantly improved. “We’re also looking at road layout markings. If the weather conditions are poor, or the markings are faded, they may be obscured, and the autonomous vehicles need to be able to read those markings. We’ll be running tests through the simulator to see what resolution is needed to be effective and safe.” ■

For more information about Loughborough University, please visit: www.lboro.ac.uk For more information about Previsico, please visit: www.previsico.com

The Development Hub

he Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus (AberInnovation) provides a focal point for a community of ambitious, collaborative companies of all sizes to advance the development of new products and processes in agri-tech, food and drink and the bio-economy. AberInnovation creates an environment where product development and business growth is frictionless. This is made possible by a strong community of world-leading experts and world-class businesses who share a common purpose in a common location at Aberystwyth University’s Gogerddan site - worldrenowned for crop and livestock science. Aberystwyth University academics have been at the forefront of meeting societal and environmental challenges for decades, including food and water security, climate change mitigation, and renewable energy. Our new campus allows this vital work to continue at the cutting edge of new technologies and with some of the country’s most innovative companies.

D E V E LO P M E N T FA C I L I T I E S F O R I N D U S T RY C O L L A B O R AT I O N

AberInnovation offers five technical zones, custom-designed for collaborative agri-food and circular economy R&D. Our Biorefining Centre is a pilotscale facility for extracting, analysing and optimising chemicals from biomass and waste stream materials, with co-located industrial biotechnology and a food grade environment. The food grade environment is integrated with the Future Food Centre, for the testing, validation

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Innovation In the Heart of Wales

facilities is provided by the Campus’s Innovation Hub and its array of meeting, conference and networking spaces – an incubator for innovation-led companies.

I N C U B AT I N G I N N O VAT I O N Ben Jones MARKETING AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER, ABERINNOVATION

Ben is responsible for AberInnovation’s branding and marketing strategy, articulating the vision and cultivating a community of leading disruptors. He is passionate about facilitating ground-breaking collaborative R&D in west Wales

and improvement of existing and novel materials as foods including nutritional content, advanced compositional analysis, shelf life and consumer preferences. Sensory testing booths and a dedicated kitchen allow real-time responses to sensory properties of novel foods. Both of these centres are supported by the firstfloor Advanced Analysis Centre offering bespoke facilities for supporting analytical needs and advanced compositional testing in bioprospecting, bioprocessing and fermentation process support. On the same site, the Seed Biobank houses more than 35,000 seed varieties collected from all corners of the world for over 100 years and stored in controlled environments. The front door to all of these

Commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting innovation that delivers continues unabated at AberInnovation. Following two successful pilot programmes, our flagship investment-readiness programme, BioAccelerate, is back in 2020 and this time boasting a two-phase programme with awards of up to £50,000 for the strongest business ideas. Seeking ambitious innovators with game-changing ideas, BioAccelerate 2020 will first equip participants with everything they need for their slide deck and first pitch over a 13week accelerator programme. Phase 2 sees the best six participants or teams given the investment, expertise and facilities needed to develop their propositions into fullyfledged business plans. The culmination of all this hard work sees them pitch on the final day to a panel of industry experts and venture capital investors, hoping to secure one of two £50,000 awards to bring their idea to fruition. ■

For further information, please visit: www.aberinnovation.com

SPACE, SATELLITES AND THE SOUTH WEST Home to the World’s most capable ground station, the UK’s first dedicated horizontal satellite launch site and funding opportunities available for businesses looking to pivot into the space industry, it’s safe to say Cornwall has established itself at the forefront of the UK space economy.

Playing an important role in the national space programme, Cornwall has recognised distinct opportunities in data and space, utilising the unique physical, digital and intellectual assets in the region and harnessing data to overcome challenges - both local and global. The region leads the way on several significant innovations currently taking place in the world’s space sector; this is thanks to a wide range of businesses, from groundbreaking start-ups to world-leading pioneers.

LEADING THE WAY Cornwall has been at the heart of commercial satellite communications since the beginning of the space age in the early 1960s. Since 2014, under new, private ownership, Goonhilly is forging a new future as the world’s first private Deep Space Communication centre, establishing the UK’s first Space AI Institute based around a multimillion-pound investment in a GPU-accelerated supercomputing centre, alongside establishing advanced manufacturing of supercooled cryogenic receivers. From ground operations to space exploration, with partners SSTL, Goonhilly is also key player in international plans to return to the Moon. The joint “Lunar Pathfinder” spacecraft, to be built by SSTL and operated via Goonhilly, will provide vital communications and navigation services for NASA and ESA lunar missions.

A WORLD FIRST

LAUNCHING SOON... Bringing launch home, Cornwall Airport Newquay will be host to the UK’s first horizontal spaceport: Spaceport Cornwall. Delivering the operational environment to create a safe and responsible launch site for small satellites to reach Lower Earth Orbit from 2022, the project was awarded a grant from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, which will be used to build a new hangar to house a satellite payload integration facility for the industry.

SPACEPORT CORNWALL IN THE COMMUNITY

Furthering lunar exploration, following their expansion last year, Exobotics Ltd are an innovative start-up who now have an office base in Cornwall. Exobotics are disrupting the space industry by removing the barriers to entry in terms of cost, skill and time required to perform roving missions. Their incredibly skilled team are developing the world’s first CubeSat compatible roving modules, enabling missions to the Moon, Mars or near-Earth objects that could previously only be done on a large scale. They are also spinning out some of this technology for low-Earth orbit.

A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITY

Spaceport Cornwall is acting as a catalyst for the space and aerospace sector in the South West. Running up to the first launch from UK soil in over half a century, Spaceport Cornwall, alongside Virgin Orbit, Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, have commenced their search for companies to support their satellite launch operations. They are actively seeking companies to collaborate on Virgin Orbit UK’s Transportable Ground Operations System (TGOS).

If you are interested in pivoting into the burgeoning space and satellite cluster in the South West, there is a dedicated team at AeroSpace Cornwall who can support an expansion into the region with red carpet roll-out. AeroSpace Cornwall exists to help bridge the gap between industries. This can be through the development of software applications in the satellite communications, earth observation, navigation and meteorology areas. It can be harnessing and applying data from space (such as sat data or GPS data) or it can be manufacturing a piece of kit that sits on a satellite.

The Spaceport team are also dedicated to engaging with the local community, schools and businesses, through job creation, economic growth and raising the profile of Cornwall on a global stage. Outreach - particularly inspiring the next generation to get into STEM - is a key priority for the project as they develop a programme for all schools in Cornwall.

AeroSpace Cornwall can give you access to funding, and opportunities, so that you can understand your market and develop your product in order to tap into that market potential. The team are ready to discuss your ideas to adapt your business or technologies. Get in touch with james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk to find out more.

INNOVATION

From AI to vaccines –

how the cloud enables research As research focuses more and more on data analysis, how is the impact of cloud computing affecting the landscape?

Andy Powell CLOUD CTO, JISC Charley Rogers MEDIA AND CONTENT EDITOR, JISC

he world of research is complex and includes a multitude of subjects and approaches. But one thing that is beginning to unite them all is data. “Paraphrasing James Hetherington, director of e-infrastructure at UKRI, there is no science without data science,” says Andy Powell, cloud CTO at Jisc. “And with the increasing amounts of data that researchers – both in technical fields and beyond – need to process, cloud computing is becoming rapidly more important.”

S E R V I C E I M P L I C AT I O N S

Cloud technology enables the use of relatively new services such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), text analysis and image recognition. There is an increasing number of ready-made platforms available through cloud providers, so that less in-house coding is needed. This is particularly advantageous for researchers who may not have much coding experience or work outside of technical fields, and who therefore may not have access to the tools required to build their own platforms. Microsoft, Google and AWS have also done a lot of work in developing platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools, to reduce the workload for the individual.

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“Cloud is affecting how research is done,” says Andy, including enabling ‘on-demand computing’. “For example, instead of waiting for time on an institution’s high-performance computing (HPC) facility, a researcher can spin up compute nodes in the cloud, using a provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft’s Azure, and work from there, shutting the nodes down once they are no longer needed. This provides a greater flexibility in work schedules, allows for more rapid experimentation, and can improve efficiency.”

OPEN RESEARCH

Organisations outside of Big Tech have been working to develop cloud resources for research, too. The European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) is a project first proposed in 2016 as part of the European Cloud Initiative to build a ‘competitive data and knowledge economy in Europe’. It offers 1.7 million European researchers and 70 million professionals across science, technology, the humanities and social sciences an open service for storage, data management, analysis and reuse of research data. The EOSC works across borders and disciplines by federating existing data infrastructures dispersed across the EU, and is currently running a Galaxy portal for coronavirus (COVID-19) research. The portal contains data on coronavirae, including samples from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), which is updated daily from public international databanks. The cloud includes some key tools for identification of mutations, phylogenetic analysis, sample processing and visualisation, meaning researchers can run experiments

without having to install tools. The EOSC setup also means that tools for sharing data, workflows and results are easily accessible without downloads, and the EOSC-Synergy collaboration supports data processing. The EOSC’s executive board co-chair, Cathrin Stöver, says: “EOSC is an ideal tool to respond to public emergencies such as the COVID-19 virus by opening up scientific data on the virus, sharing live on-the-ground data on the spread of the virus, and accessing and combining this data not only to eradicate the virus but learn how to deal with similar viruses and future outbreaks.”

L I F E - S AV I N G VA C C I N E S

Cloud technologies are also being utilised in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Imre Berger, professor of biochemistry at the University of Bristol, and his team has developed a new class of synthetic vaccines, called ADDomer. This consists of a protein which is engineered to form a large particle structure resembling a virus. In order to be able to create this protein, the team needed to know the structure of the ADDomer at near atomic resolution. This is where the technology played a central role; the team were able to determine the structure of the protein through cryo-electron microscopy and then use cloud computing to figure out the structure from the microscope data Using cloud also allows an increased level of collaboration in projects such as these, says Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at Bristol Children’s Vaccine Centre: “That’s what’s exciting about this [technology]; distinct people coming together to solve a problem, not only for vaccines but for medicine in general, and actually work[ing] out how we can help each other to understand the best way of doing things.” ■

More information on Jisc’s cloud solutions, can be found at: www.jisc.ac.uk/cloud

Growth

Sharing your success, best practice, and lessons learned

Ones to watch JLL’s investor and developer life sciences lead, Chris Walters, talks to Ian Halstead about how the sector has been impacted by Covid-19, and what opportunities it offers now - and into the future.

stute developers and canny investors have been taking interest in the UK’s life science sector for several years, but it’s a trend which has inevitably accelerated at pace during 2020. JLL’s life sciences team is busier than ever, and whilst Walters reports that some engagement has come from people looking to expand their presence, there’s also been an array of newcomers keen to see what might be available. “Intriguingly, the interest has come from many different places, so in terms of developers, we’ve seen people who are

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either development managers or large-scale developers, who have cut their teeth bringing forward traditional office buildings, now turning their interest to a new sector,” he says. “From the perspective of the people who would provide the funds and the capital to bring forward these developments, it’s a really diverse mix. “We’re seeing interest from private money, family money, private equity houses, who range from the small to the global giants (Blackstone and Brookfield, for example) and also from sovereign wealth funds, looking at the UK as a

growing life sciences’ market. “The net has widened significantly and they’re all looking at the sector for similar reasons. The key drivers for interest were already there, notably the amount of public sector interest and public money going into the sector, and the record levels of private sector venture capital funding which continues to come into the UK.” The continued flow of public and private sector money is also encouraging the real estate industry to consider life sciences as a sector in its own right, rather than how it’s traditionally been

Chris Walters believes Edinburgh BioQuarter is a good location to test the appetite of investors and developers to enter markets outside the Golden Triangle

WE’RE STILL SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE AT T R A C T E D T O T H E G O L D E N T R I A N G L E , B U T E Q U A L LY, W E ’ R E A L S O S E E I N G SOME WITH AN E XISTING UK PRESENCE A N D O T H E R S W H O A R E L O O K I N G AT S E C T O R S M O R E H O L I S T I C A L LY T H A N P R E V I O U S LY, L O O K I N G T O I D E N T I F Y POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN REGIONAL TOWNS OR CITIES described by the real estate industry as an ‘alternative’ sector.

CONTINUED RESILIENCE

Equally appealing, particularly during a period of unprecedented volatility throughout the global equity, money and bond markets, is its continued resilience. “If you look at the share prices of the large pharmaceutical plcs, they have been alongside the tech firms in outperforming all other business sectors during the first nine months of 2020,” says Walters. “Life sciences in particular is growing and maturing, and science in general will certainly drive investor and developer appetite forward over the next four to five years. “Everyone will have different investment horizons, of course, and although I don’t think sovereign wealth funds will have a significant presence in

the short-term, it is interesting that they’re starting to look at this sector, and they are a different type of money too. “Private equity people will have a different business plan to (say) pension funds, and again, sovereign wealth funds will have a different profile, and it’s always good to see a wide mix of interest and models.” On the domestic front, Walters admits being impressed by the continued expansion of Manchester-based Bruntwood, especially its JV with Legal & General, Bruntwood SciTech. “It’s been a great example of how an outfit has brought together development expertise, funding and capital in one package, and then steadily built a portfolio of quality assets across the UK. “They’re not the only show in town, and there are certainly others doing some great stuff, but I think they’re achieving so much because the two

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organisations complement each other very well.” JLL is also now reaping the rewards of bringing in the former CEO of BioCity Group, Dr Glenn Crocker, to lead its UK life sciences team in early 2019. “It’s been great working with him, as he has a huge wealth of experience and knowledge. He did his first degree in genetics, then a DPhil in immunology, and led the biotech practice at EY, before founding BioCity in Nottingham, and his presence helps us significantly when we’re engaging with the sector,” says Walters.

SIGNS OF CHANGE

Traditionally, most interest in life sciences, whether from investors or developers, has focused on the longestablished ‘Golden Triangle’ of London, Cambridge and Oxford, but there are welcome signs of change. “Largely, it depends on where people are on their journey. If you were looking at any sector for the first time, you’d feel more comfortable going into something which is established,” says Walters. “We’re still seeing a lot of people attracted to the Golden Triangle, but equally, we’re also seeing some with an existing UK presence and others who are looking at sectors more holistically than previously, looking to identify potential opportunities within regional towns or cities. “My personal view is that there are opportunities across the UK, as long as people take time to ensure that the ones they choose have all the ingredients required to be successful. The Golden Triangle has enduring appeal because it is underpinned by the research strength of its universities. “Equally, if you look further afield, at for instance Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, and Nottingham, when you see what research is happening in their local academic institutions and NHS Trusts, and then look at the space which could be brought forward there, it will vary.

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GROWTH

“Different locations will always have varying scales of opportunity, so it’s a question of looking to identify the right partners and stakeholders and then working with them to unlock their potential.”

C AT C H I N G T H E E Y E

Asked what new projects or schemes have caught the attention of the JLL team, Walters cites the very different models of the Edinburgh BioQuarter and Cheltenham’s Golden Valley. “Edinburgh is certainly interesting, and the Health Innovation District proposals have real potential. It’ll be a good location to test the appetite of investors and developers to enter markets outside the Golden Triangle. “It’s a city with its own strengths, particularly around its academic and research institutions, and I think it’ll be an interesting one to watch. “In general terms though, when either talking to those new to the sector, or looking at sectoral opportunities, it’s important to break down the myths surrounding life sciences. “There’s definitely still a perception that it’s full of people in white lab coats doing experiments, whereas the convergence we’ve been seeing between science and technology is massive. “For us, it’s more about looking at opportunities within the knowledge economy, rather than focusing specifically on life sciences. It is one part An artist’s impression of Cyber Park at Cheltenham’s Golden Valley - Chris Walters believes its cyber USP underlines how many opportunities the UK offers

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of the story, but there are many others, for instance, the Golden Valley proposals near Cheltenham. “It’s about cyber, it’s a different offer, and a slightly different USP, but it underlines just how many opportunities there are right across the UK. “Obviously, not everywhere can specialise in everything, so the key is to understand where the different clusters are, and then to really get under their skin so you can really understand the opportunities.” Inevitably, those developers and investors looking to make their debut in life sciences, or within the wider science community, haven’t yet had time to acquire detailed knowledge about different sectors.

PA U S E F O R T H O U G H T

Walters believes it’s always good for them to press the ‘pause’ button, whilst they distinguish between the different types of companies, the different users and the different kind of space they’ll all require. “In general terms, the government’s Office for Life Sciences breaks down the sector into two categories, bioscience and med-tech, and even they contain many sub-sectors, so it’s never easy to try to pigeon-hole the industry, but equally, it is important simply to recognise that such differences exist. “Looking ahead, the significant new interest in science and technology can

only continue to grow. The fundamentals which are driving the sector, and the need for people to take more physical space, will be just as compelling, and more money will come into the sector from both public and private sources. “Life sciences has a clear opportunity to become one of the growth sectors for the UK real estate industry, although there are still only a limited number of tangible opportunities, and I expect we’ll see tough competition for years to come.” Looking further into the future, Walters thinks the real estate sector must work ever more closely with the scientific community, to develop and establish genuine and productive partnerships. “Developers and investors have traditionally focused on bricks and mortar, and physical buildings, whereas scientists are typically coming at the issue from an R&D perspective,” he says. “The more we can engage those two parties in conversations, to understand their drivers and their requirements, then the better the real estate industry can deliver the type of space they need, and with the correct functionality, then all the better everyone will be.” ■

For further information on JLL and life science opportunities, please visit: www.jll.co.uk/en/industries/life-sciences

NEW MEMBER

dvanced offsite manufacturing specialist, Merit, is transforming design and build in the bioscience, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, aerospace and nuclear sectors with zero carbon solutions for complex clean rooms and M&E services. The company is expert in the design and manufacture of biosafety and infection control facilities that require stringent regulatory approvals. Merit combines specialist experience, knowledge and understanding to develop proven solutions that achieve MHRA and FDA regulatory approvals, removing significant risk for its clients. Merit uses its proprietary Design for Manufacture strategy to produce preassembled modules (PAMS) at its factory which are precision engineered and tested in a controlled environment before installation on site. The process uses modern methods of construction to reduce build time on projects by up to 50% compared to the traditional approach, achieving significant cost savings.

Expert teams work collaboratively with clients to support process layout development so that it can be fixed and the design finalised quickly and efficiently. In the early stages of a project, BIM is used to bring walk through capability allowing clients and immersive experience. Using 3D BIM technology for design and space planning creates the opportunity to integrate M&E services unobtrusively into the space. As technical details progress, clash detection and element scheduling techniques are incorporated to simplify coordination, ensuring smooth progression to site. This approach allows Merit to manufacture up to 90% of a construction project and ship it to site, saving time and money while at the same time increasing precision, quality and safety in a controlled manufacturing environment. The company has applied the intelligent use of new technologies, renewables, heat pumps and heat recovery systems to create zero carbon solutions in industrial environments, helping clients

address the challenges of climate change. Rethinking sustainability, in parallel with its offsite total solution, entirely eliminates the use of fossil fuels from the buildings it constructs. This strategy has already seen one client achieve carbon zero status for a facility designed and built by Merit, reducing energy consumption revenue costs for them by over £1.6 million over ten years. Merit’s innovative approach combines innovative thinking with a zero carbon commitment to deliver significant capital and running cost savings and is at the heart of the company’s continued success across the UK for clients that include the NHS, Cell Gene Therapy Catapult, GSK, Lifescan and Rolls Royce. ■

For further information, please visit: www.merit.co.uk

THE ECOSYSTEM FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Where businesses, students and academics work side by side - where ideas come to life. Located just off the M11, on the Harlow Science Park, our newly opened innovation hub supports health, performance and wellbeing companies looking for something more. A cultivating community, opportunities to connect and access to university facilities.

Join us today 01279 969 271 ariseharlow@aru.ac.uk ariseinnovationharlow.co.uk

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Harlow

INNOVATION HUBS

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NEW MEMBERS

he Queen Mary BioEnterprises Innovation Centre (QMB) based in London E1 is a modern early and late stage incubator for science and technology companies. QMB is a wholly owned company of Queen Mary Innovation, the technology transfer company of Queen Mary University of London. QMB was developed to promote London as a world-class bioscience cluster – and to attract and retain the best scientific talent and intellectual property driven science firms in the capital. The Centre is a 52,000 square feet capacity building and is centrally located inside London, on the research campus of Bart‘s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Whitechapel. Accommodation is available in lab. suite sizes vary from 600 square feet upwards, with competitively priced leases relative to other London-based offerings.

WHY THE QMB I N N O VAT I O N C E N T R E ?

The QMB Innovation Centre offers reconfigurable laboratory and write-up space and flexible leases. The flexibility of the centre’s floor plan means space can be easily reconfigured to meet a tenant’s needs. The commercial labs are designed to house both microbiological safety cabinets and fume cupboards allowing both biology and chemistry work.

ardi Medusa, a Wi-Fi and data solution within the wide range of Yardi’s real estate technology, delivers robust, super-fast and resilient Wi-Fi and data to businesses across the UK and Ireland to ensure buildings and businesses run more effectively to keep tenants connected. Yardi Medusa lets you flex Wi-Fi parameters at the touch of a button so

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All services are kept within the ceiling void, allowing for expansion into adjacent space if a further unit is required, subject to availability. Highlights of the QMB Innovation Centre include: • Cat 2 Laboratory suites with flexible laboratory & write-up space • Laboratories designed to house both non-ducted microbiological safety cabinets and ducted chemistry fume cupboards • Laboratories with segregated nonrecirculating air regimes with 8 changes per hour and a comprehensive BMS system to control the internal environment • Access to meeting rooms of variable sizes at a discounted rate for tenants • Facilities room (glass washer, large autoclaves, ice machine, washing machine & RO purified water) • Emergency generator for critical equipment e.g. -80 freezers

you can respond quickly to clients’ bandwidth needs, whilst gaining visibility of usage reports and connectivity data to help streamline management operations. Yardi Medusa enables businesses to deliver tailored Wi-Fi packages that cater for all users whilst driving mobility and high-performance roaming for members within your properties. Our expert teams are trained to fit-out internet and connectivity infrastructure with minimal disruption to customers, whilst ensuring your building is futureproofed and outage-free. Yardi is an award-winning real estate technology firm dedicated to the innovation of solutions to support all aspects of real estate management. Their technology stitches together the entire lifecycle of real estate, from property marketing, leasing, core property accounting and property and investment management. Yardi supports

• Access to the 120 seat Clarke Kennedy

lecture theatre situated on the lower ground floor • Access to networking events hosted at the centre • Access to Queen Mary University of London facilities and expertise, subject to availability • 24/7 electronic card access – with CCTV linked into the University’s Security System • 65 cycle spaces and shower facilities • Great transport links via London underground, DLR and Crossrail • 30 minutes from London City Airport connecting you to Europe Tenants include: hVIVO; Spirogen – member of the AstraZeneca Group; ADC Therapeutics; Mediwise; Biorelevant; Roseway Labs. ■

For further information, please visit: www.qmbioenterprises.com

the specific needs of a wide range of real estate markets, including science parks, build-to-rent, student, retail, flexible workspace, traditional office, and industrial and logistics market segments. Yardi has the highest commitment to quality, innovation, responsiveness, and customer focus. With 40 offices and over 7,000 employees worldwide, Yardi is positioned to help real estate professionals effectively manage their portfolios more efficiently and competitively. Yardi supports a global client base from offices located in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and across the United States. ■

For further information, please visit: www.yardi.co.uk

ASA Landscape Architects Creating and managing commercial landscapes to support vibrant, biodiverse communities

ince its origins 25 years ago, ASA Landscape Architects has become a leading landscape architectural practice, with extensive experience in supporting science and technology parks; spanning master-planning and landscape design, through to landscape asset management. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, science and technology park owners and occupiers were looking to get greater value from their landscapes. It is nolonger sufficient to bring in a Landscape Architect at the end of a project to add ‘some greenery’ around the edge of a building and carpark. At ASA Landscape Architects, they believe that the landscape in these centres of excellence should be as innovative as the people inhabiting them; therefore, they should be considered and planned for from the out-set. There are many opportunities for innovation in commercial landscapes. From biodiverse planting which offers year-round interest; to low-maintenance and low-carbon landscape designs; to green roofs and walls as well as planted SuDS and ponds to attenuate and clean

roof and car-park run-off; the landscapes of science and technology parks have to work harder. ASA have been working closely with MEPC development and facilities managers, to develop and manage the landscape at the Milton Park site (above); most-recently designing a retro-fitted SuDS system for an existing building, creating new biodiverse pocket-parks and cycle/pedestrian routes, as well as overseeing the landscape maintenance to support this thriving, diverse, multisector community. More recently, they’ve worked with Frasers Property to enrich several of their business parks; including the multiphased landscape re-development of Winnersh Triangle business park, encompassing biodiverse entrance planting, enhanced podium level wildflower meadows, a sports-hub and outdoor office spaces. These will promote healthier lifestyles, encourage and support occupiers return to work as lockdown eases, engender a sense of community and enhance the general wellbeing of all those using the facilities. ASA Landscape Architects feel really fortunate to have worked with many of

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Rupert Batho COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, FRASERS PROPERTY

“In the post Covid world, our challenge is to make our places of work relevant and appealing to both our occupiers and their people. At Winnersh Triangle, through landscaping, development and customer engagement we are enriching a series of individual work zones and integrating them into a cohesive business community.” their clients for several decades, developing their landscape assets to create the character and work-place neighbourhoods that make a place feel really special, and it is especially satisfying to see this reflected in occupier feedback surveys which consistently rate highly the green spaces designed and managed. This time of change certainly brings its challenges; however, ASA are genuinely excited about the renewed focus on re-thinking the work-place and the role that landscape can play in delivering low-carbon, vibrant, biodiverse communities. ■

For further information, please visit: www.asalandscapearchitects.co.uk

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NEW MEMBERS

A S U S TA I N A B L E BUSINESS COMMUNIT Y

Taunton Innovation Park A New Digital Innovation Centre proposal for Somerset A BUSINESS-LED D I G I TA L C O M M U N I T Y

For several years now there has been momentum building under the leadership of the Digital Taunton business community to put Taunton at the heart of the Somerset and wider South West high growth M5 tech corridor, supporting businesses in realising their vision and the journey of “digital business transformation”. The formation of the new Somerset West and Taunton Council with renewed leadership and purpose in March 2019, coincided with the reinvigoration of the regular monthly Digital Taunton meet ups of over 80 business leaders. This has led to a range of interested stakeholders coming together to realise the original vision of a Digital Taunton cluster which was published in 2017.

PA R T N E R I N G W I T H S TA K E H O L D E R S

As a newly formed council, Somerset West and Taunton wanted to make

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things happen and deliver new investment on the ground with a clear focus on the regeneration of Taunton as the county town. Key to this was developing a vision and mixed use masterplan for Firepool to breathe new life into the town centre as part of its Garden Town prospectus, and raise the profile of Taunton as a dynamic and welcoming business community with a focus on ‘fostering opportunities for collaboration, innovation, enterprise and employment in the creative, cultural and digital economy’. Somerset County Council has a strong track-record of securing external funding for and delivering successful enterprise and innovation centre schemes. The two local authorities have pursued a collaborative-approach to a Digital Innovation Centre scheme to respond to market failures, unmet business need and innovation support.

The Digital Innovation Centre proposal has already attracted over 90 confirmed expressions of interest from the Digital Taunton community in support of the business case submitted to the LEP to receive funding from the Government’s Getting Building Fund as well as seeking additional funding from the European Regional Development Fund. These are currently in the final stages of determination with significant local authority contributions already confirmed. The Digital Taunton business community is being consulted on the architectural design and internal lay out of the 3,000 square metre centre intended to be built and fitted out in early 2022, if the funding package and planning is approved in the next couple of months, with supporting innovation services to be commissioned in 2021 to make this a true centre of excellence for businesses. It aims to support any business that wants to transform in a digital age including but not limited to: Natives Digital jobs in Digital Tech industries Supporters Non-digital jobs in Digital Tech industries Transformers Digital jobs in traditional industries. ■

nterprise Centre, East Northants will offer start-up and growing businesses first-rate flexible workspace and business support when the new £8 million state-of-the-art facility opens at Warth Park, Raunds in summer 2020. East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) which is delivering the project, has received £1.69 million funding from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) Local Growth Fund towards Enterprise Centre, East Northants as part of Enterprising East Northants, the council’s economic plan for sustainable job creation and business growth. In March 2020, ENC appointed industry experts, BizSpace to manage the day to day operation of the centre. With more than twenty years of expertise, BizSpace is the UK’s leading provider of regional flexible workspace and will work with Enterprising East Northants, the council’s economic arm, to provide small and medium

enterprises with business support and advice. It is ENC’s ambition to increase and improve the skills base across the district and by providing a space which will create up to 785 jobs in the first 10 years. Construction work started in June 2019 and is being carried out by industry specialists, ASHE Construction. The new purpose-built enterprise centre will offer: • First rate flexible business space – studios and offices • Easy in / out terms • Virtual office space • Direct access from A45, A14, A1, and A6

• Meeting rooms and reception services • Events programme and on-site business support

• Superfast internet connection • Free on-site parking Local businesses and entrepreneurs will have access to a range of support and expertise to nurture and grow their business and it is anticipated that the centre will provide business support to 205 businesses in the first 10 years. ■

To register your interest or for further information, please visit: www.bizspace.co.uk/spaces/ecen

Introducing Arise Harlow

An ecosystem for entrepreneurs

nglia Ruskin University (ARU) is proud to announce the opening of its latest innovation hub, Arise Harlow. Supported by a community of scientific minds, companies in the health, performance and wellbeing sectors can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and innovative businesses at Arise Harlow Innovation Hub. Situated on the new Harlow Science Park in Essex, members have access to first rate flexible office space with on-site amenities including high speed broadband, easy in/ out terms and unique networking opportunities. Virtual office space options are also available. With ample parking facilities, it is just off the M11/M25 on the UK’s Innovation corridor of London-Stansted-Cambridge, with London only 35 minutes away by train. Organisations in the location include Public Health England, Raytheon, Kao Data and Arrow Technologies. The innovation hub is supported by Essex County Council and Harlow District Council and is part of the region’s economic development plan for sustainable job creation and business growth. ■

Looking for a professional company that relocates scientific equipment?

Large or small, our proven process will ensure a safe and successful move Call Benchmark Services today

on 01480 423810 or visit www.benchmark-services.co.uk

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GROWTH

Establishing a breeding ground for health innovation through data-driven bioscience “What is now proved was once only imagined.”

his well-known quote from the poet William Blake perfectly surmises the innovation sector today. 2020 will surely be remembered as when innovation was never more needed as the world wrestled to control external forces wreaking havoc on our health and global economies. How individuals and organisations have adapted, pivoted plans and sought to triumph through the unrelenting challenge caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has been tremendous. While across the country many blows have been dealt because of Coronavirus, we have seen organisations unite with a common purpose to succeed –

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particularly in the health and life sciences sectors. The advancements within these ecosystems have been inspiring and demonstrated the value of establishing health innovation districts where such organisations can come together to solve a common problem any time – and not just when pandemics strike. The concept of innovation districts is relatively new, but they have already proven themselves in supporting economic growth. Notable examples include Texas Medical City (Houston) and St Louis’ Cortex (Missouri) which have focused on the regeneration of otherwise forgotten areas of the cities and delivered vast socio-economic benefits to the local

Anna Stamp INTERIM PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, EDINBURGH BIOQUARTER

Anna took up the role of Interim Programme Director for the Edinburgh BioQuarter in October 2019. She is responsible for the process of selecting a commercial private sector partner for the joint venture, developing the masterplan and placemaking strategy that will deliver the partners’ vision and manage the ongoing commercialisation activity of the BioQuarter’s ecosystem

communities. As an Arup report cites: “Innovation districts are emerging as the destinations that can help UK cities create, scale up and attract fast-growing firms, together with new products and processes which will drive more productive and inclusive economic growth.”

W O R L D - L E A D I N G H E A LT H I N N O VAT I O N D I S T R I C T

This is exactly what is being sought at Edinburgh BioQuarter; a 167-acre site within three miles of Edinburgh city centre. Already an established home to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh Medical School and its research institutes, alongside a growing number of global life sciences companies; BioQuarter partners – which include City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise and University of Edinburgh – believe the development brings together the prowess and skills on one site to become a world-leading health innovation district. With globally significant research being led through the University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian putting the development in the spotlight – including STOPCOVID, a project bringing together 150 researchers at the University’s Centre for Inflammation Research, BioQuarter is already on track to achieve these ambitions. Organisations based at BioQuarter are linked by a common goal, tackling local, national and global health challenges. And thanks to the proximity and connections that exist between anchor institutions, we can accelerate the time it takes to deliver new drugs, health treatments and technologies to patients. BioQuarter is at the forefront of Scotland’s data and health tech capabilities – the country has one of the most advanced health informatics systems in the world with a long tradition of using linked health service data for research. Edinburgh has ambitions to become “the data capital of Europe”, and as part of this programme, BioQuarter will be home to the £68m Usher Institute, a data-driven health and social care hub approved under the £1.3 billion City Deal with funding from UK and Scottish Governments. This development will curate and make accessible around 270 new health and social care data assets, house over 1000 health data experts, including clinicians, researchers, students and data scientists

T HE O P P O R T U NI T IE S AT B I O Q U A R T E R A R E E X T R E M E LY E XC I T IN G W I T H 61 A C R E S O F AVA IL A B L E L A N D F O R E X PA N S I O N A S PA R T O F I T S M A S T E R P L A N; W E H AV E O N E O F T HE B I G GE S T MI X E D - U S E D E V E L O P M E N T O P P O R T U NI T IE S IN E U R O P E and has ambitious targets to create 50 spin out companies. The opportunities at BioQuarter are extremely exciting with 61 acres of available land for expansion as part of its masterplan; we have one of the biggest mixed-use development opportunities in Europe.

TRIPLE HELIX

We know that the triple helix – bringing together public, private and governmental support – is a tried and tested model for success. We are on the cusp of something special and there is an opportunity to unlock our innovation ecosystem. To do this, we are looking to identify a private sector partner to join BioQuarter’s existing partners on a journey to create Edinburgh’s £1 billion Health Innovation District. We have entered an OEJU Procurement Process which will launch in Q1 2021. Interest in the project is high – with a recent virtual Bidder’s Day attracting over 150 companies from around the world including Asia, Europe and the USA. Speaking as a panellist on the Bidders Day, Professor Kev Dhaliwal, Chair of Molecular Imaging and Healthcare Technology / Honorary Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and lead on the STOPCOVID project said that: “The greatest strength of BioQuarter is in its proximity and mixing of people in one place. The innovation ecosystem is born out of human capital mixing on the site; everything coming together creates a unique appetite for the innovation

G E T Y O U R D I G I TA L C O P Y AT: W W W. B R E A K T H R O U G H D I G I TA L . C O . U K

ecosystem. Anyone can be an innovator at BioQuarter.” The opportunity for researchers and clinicians to be based on one site and work side by side while also near those requiring treatment is significant and has already benefited many. Indeed, what is already being achieved on the site is more than noteworthy. With a growing pipeline of organisations interested in having a base within BioQuarter, the future of the site is bright. Added to a time where solving healthcare challenges has never been more important makes BioQuarter an extremely attractive community to be a part of. ■

If you have an interest in shaping Edinburgh’s Health Innovation District, our Prior Information Notice is available to view via the Public Contracts Scotland website: www.publiccontractsscotland. gov.uk/search/show/search_view. aspx?ID=JUN389046. On the PCS website you can also find out more about the opportunity available by completing our procurement questionnaire. Further content relating to ongoing activity across BioQuarter and the development itself can be found at: www.edinburghbioquarter.com. A replay of the virtual Bidder’s Day can be watched again on Youtube at: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lUnovYVveyk&t=8s

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Impact

Taking care of your people, places and public perception

The Innovation Stimulation Ian Halstead talked to Nesta senior policy adviser, Harry Farmer, about how innovation might be stimulated as our economy begins to emerge from lockdown

avid Puttnam is still cherished as the artistic genius behind Chariots of Fire, the inspiring Oscar-winning tale of how Harold Abrahams overcame anti-semitism, and the elite of global athletes, to capture an Olympic gold. Even now, as his 80th birthday approaches, Lord Puttnam maintains his lifelong interests in democratic freedom and technology, as chair of a House of Lords’ committee investigating the impact of the digital era upon society. Arguably though, his greatest achievement is also the least wellknown - persuading the Labour government which came to power in 1997 to establish a public body to

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promote creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial talent, allowing Britain’s bright ideas to blossom into tangible and profitable form. The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts was understandably known by its acronym, but although Nesta’s capital letters are gone, and it now operates as a charity, its mission remains the same, to stimulate innovation and be a powerful voice for change which is fairer and more inclusive. It’s easy to understand how Harry has settled into such an environment, as he muses passionately about the challenges ahead for our economy and our society.

“Many of the present issues began life before Covid-19, and the core question was how we could drive innovation in the UK within an economy which, as far as we could see, didn’t work for most people?” he says. “How could we be the world’s eighth most innovative country in the world in 2019, yet also one of the most unequal in the developed world and with such low and stagnant productivity? “We wanted to articulate a connection between innovation and the long-standing problems within our economy, and to look at how the wealth generated by innovation is distributed within our society.”

In the late 1990s, Lord David Puttnam was a founding Chairman of NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) as it was known at the time

Questions which have, of course, taxed many minds over the centuries, but pleasingly, this isn’t simply blue-sky thinking which prizes flights of fancy over the pragmatic and practical. “We would like to see innovation policy focused on a wider array of business sectors, and to be more place- based. Ideally, the government would adopt a missions-based approach,” says Farmer. “As part of this, we could use a more proactive approach to regulation, what Nesta calls anticipatory regulation, to steer emerging technologies in particular directions to achieve specific and targeted outcomes. “We think this approach would give government a better idea of what benefits, or harms, new technologies and innovations might have. At the same time, it could also encourage the evolution of business models which are more benign and more conducive to equality and less exclusionary. Just as Nesta’s founder is debating issues around the impact of digital on society, Farmer would like to see the rapid evolution of conversations about the nature of technologies, what benefits they might bring and if such benefits will be widespread. “We use the concept of ‘inclusive innovation’, as it’s long been true that new business models and innovative technologies tend to be rolled out, not to deliver the greatest rewards to the largest number of people, but in ways which are less threatening to, and intrusive upon, existing power structures,” he says. “There’s a danger that in moments of great crisis, such as now, we adopt innovations in a manner that is beneficial for those who have wealth and lobbying influence rather than in the manner that would achieve wider social and economic benefits.”

HOT TOPIC

The topic of technological change has exercised the minds of many in recent months. The March Budget saw Chancellor Rishi Sunak promise to more than double government R&D spending by 2024. In July, Dominic Cummings continued his mission to tear down the traditional apparatus of government, by pledging to

Credit: Justin Walpole

MORE PLACE-BASED

W E W O U L D L I K E T O S E E I N N O VAT I O N P O L I C Y F O C U S E D O N A W I D E R A R R AY OF BUSINESS SECTORS, AND TO B E M O R E P L A C E - B A S E D . I D E A L LY, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ADOPT A MISSIONS-BASED APPROACH create an ‘Office for Talent’ in No 10, to attract scientists and radical innovators. Boris Johnson has also repeatedly claimed that the scientific community will “supercharge” the country’s economy, albeit that he’s been rather light on the detail. It’s an issue on which Nesta’s Farmer is equally eager to focus, and particularly the means by which the ends might be achieved. “The idea of turning Britain into a ‘science superpower’ is being heavily promoted by Cummings and Johnson, but there’s been little debate about how,” he says. “Is it simply a matter of achieving citations by academics and researchers at British universities, or the number of patents and trade-marks registered - as we already perform very well by both metrics? “There’s also a tendency for new grants and finance awards to follow existing successes, especially in the area of biomedical research. “Yes, there was a time when we were very innovative by international criteria in that sector, and Covid-19 has highlighted

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the potential advantages of having a strong biomedical research presence. “Equally, government policies and decision-making shouldn’t show a bias towards legacy legacy industries, and need to be more radical about the ways in which we can innovate.” Again, as in the earlier discussion about the links between the generation and distribution of wealth via innovation, it’s pleasing to hear Farmer put forward potential solutions. “We could use some of the government’s R&D budget to focus on both genuinely innovative technologies in new sectors, and also to drive forward its ‘levelling-up’ agenda,” he suggests. “We’d like to see them use innovation investment as a catalyst for economic development, unleashing latent innovative potential, rather than simply pouring funding into areas and institutions where excellence already exists. “It’s not a concept that is new internationally. Germany’s post-unification strategy, for instance, was to invest in R&D in the most economically deprived industrial regions of East Germany.

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IMPACT

“There’s still a widespread fear of socalled ‘jam-spreading’ among the civil servants who lead on innovation policy, rooted in the belief that benefits from R&D are best achieved by concentrating certain activities in specific geographic areas. “There’s a view that investing in underdeveloped regions would result in the ‘jam’ being spread too thinly. We’re trying to push-back against that perception, but it is firmly entrenched.”

T H E M AT T H E W E F F E C T

Nesta’s rationale, that innovation investment should be a key tool for ‘levelling-up’, also has to overcome the ‘Matthew Effect’ - coined by a US sociologist some 50 years ago, inspired by New Testament parables pointing out that those who achieve riches and fame tend to acquire more. “Currently, it’s more difficult to attract new funding to an area if ir doesn’t have a pre-existing track record of research excellence. We’d like to see the R&D money channelled through either LEPs or regional bodies,” says Farmer. “We’d also like to see UK Research and Innovation establish a regional presence, with a network of offices operating within those devolved bodies, so they could draw upon its expertise. “One of the advantages of doing this is that it would go some way to address the worry that if money is devolved to local authorities, they won’t have the required expertise or resources to dispense it wisely, or they’ll be susceptible to lobbying by local companies. “Of course, the funds need to be delivered within a mechanism allowing the recipients to make well-informed decisions about how to spend it, but the fact that the mechanism doesn’t yet exist can’t be a reason not to proceed.” It’s also been suggested that local authorities, and/or LEPs, could bid for tranches of the new R&D money from a single and national fund, with a gatekeeping safeguard from central government. It’s a concept which gains traction from Farmer, although as he stresses, such funds would have to be firmly ring-fenced, particularly against the backdrop of Covid-19 and its ongoing financial impact on local authorities, so money intended for research couldn’t be for day-to-day spending. As everyone awaits guidance as to how the government’s future spending plans might dovetail with its ‘levelling up’

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we are confident that challenge prizes agenda, Farmer is enthused by the (sometimes called ‘moonshots’) could potential of ‘challenge prizes’. work, “ says Farmer. “We need a broader definition of “For instance, we think they could innovation, a wider diversity of sectors drive ambitious innovation in satellite into which funding can go, and a greater design, perhaps to clear debris, or repair focus on SMEs and start-up ventures. spacecraft in orbit, and in personalised We also need a wider tool-kit, in which drugs, to entice biotech start-ups to challenge prizes can play a crucial role,” create new treatments for neglected or he says. very rare conditions. “The current processes by which “We saw in September that Boris government money is awarded tend to Johnson was keen to use the concept of be easier for the large companies to ‘moonshots’, when talking about apply, so we’d like to see challenge potential Covid-19 strategies, and prizes used to fund innovation, hopefully, he and his advisers will realise particularly in its early stages. the merit of this approach to stimulating “Challenges enable the government innovation for the benefit of our to take a calculated gamble on smaller economy and our society.” early-stage companies, committing Hopefully too, the new generation of relatively small amounts of money early entrepreneurs receive the fruit of their on, and following this up with larger labours rather more swiftly than John investments if and when ideas show Harrison, the clockmaker who solved the serious promise. conundrum of longitude in the 1730s, “We think it’s a great way give a only for the parsimonious authorities to chance to support small, innovative, and spend 30 years quibbling about his even slightly weird companies, with entitlement to the reward. ■ radically different solutions, whilst containing the risk when spending public money. “The risk is low, and there are not For further information, please visit: the usual hurdles to overcome. Such an www.nesta.org.uk approach is less complex for applicants to navigate as the grant structures for John Harrison, inventor of the large schemes, and marine chronometer - winner of the first ‘Moonshot’ prize there’s also no commitment for the government to offer future money.”

FIGHT FOR THE PRIZE

Such an approach was once commonplace - used by Spain, the Netherlands and other countries eager to benefit from scientific advances, and of course, via Britain’s Longitude Act of 1714 which sought a practical means of accurately locating ships at sea, but though still popular in the US, has fallen from favour in the UK. “We’ve identified several areas where

There’s nowhere like Rothamsted Claire Flawn SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER, ROTHAMSTED ENTERPRISES

020 has been a year of change and challenge for all, and here we learn about Rothamsted Enterprises and how, through resilience, determination, agility and focus, they are weathering the COVID storm and pivoting their multi-faceted business to meet the ever-changing needs of their varied client base. Part of the world-renowned Rothamsted Research campus in Hertfordshire, Rothamsted Enterprises has been busy as ever despite lockdown. Offering high quality incubation and grow-on space, as well as range of venue spaces - a conference centre, a restaurant and a Grade 1 listed manor house - means no day is ever the same at Rothamsted Enterprises. The team, like so many others across the country, spent lockdown working from home, with weekly motivational tasks, virtual coffee breaks, and regular catch ups to maintain morale and keep the business sailing in the right direction.

Claire is Rothamsted’s marketing and communications specialist. She has over 20 years’ experience in the world of marketing, communications and sales, and is responsible for driving forward the sales and marketing strategy

Rothamsted’s iconic red brick Russell Building has continued to be refurbished, ready to open very soon, offering office and hotdesking space to businesses across the agri ecosystem. Rothamsted Restaurant has evolved hugely since COVID restrictions were brought in and is now offering indoor table service inside the restaurant, a large outside seating area (with polytunnels for groups of up 6 people!), as well as a new pop-up café for all to use. These facilities are available for all tenants, campus staff and the public to use and social distancing is in place to ensure everyone stays safe.

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In addition, the conference centre offering has been adapted to include the new Rent-A-Desk service, giving working people an affordable, safe escape from the kitchen table and some much-needed space to work without distraction. The stunning Grade 1 listed Rothamsted Manor has re-opened for public events meaning that the local community can still enjoy the grounds and the heritage of the historic, scientific estate. With the opening of the Russell Building, it has also given the team the opportunity to attract new tenant companies to the thriving campus, and to really share the successes of their tenants. There’s Gowan UK, who, via their recently expanded UK headquarters based at Rothamsted, support agriculture in the UK and provide critical crop protection solutions to local farmers. Then there’s Timac Agro - constantly innovating to offer agronomic and animal nutrition/ welfare solutions that improve agricultural performance in an environmentally friendly way. In addition, companies such as Barton Blakeley are based here, researching and developing methods of manufacturing high value materials via the conversion of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s not to mention the start-up companies that are coming through as a result of the SHAKE Climate Change Programme. So, whilst the past six months has been eventful, challenging and ever-changing, through strong leadership from CEO Nicole Sadd, and hard work and focus from the entire team, the outlook for Rothamsted Enterprises is extremely bright. Get in touch to find out more about potential collaboration and innovation opportunities. ■

For further information, please call 01582 938500 or email: info@rothamstedenterprises.com

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IMPACT

More ‘D’

A more development-focused strategy paving the way to R&D

IRTO – the Association of Innovation, Research & Technology Organisations represents the Innovation, Research & Technology (IRT) sector in the UK, which collectively employs 57,000 highly skilled people, and contributes over £32billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) per annum to the UK economy. AIRTO’s 60+ member organisations bridge the gap between industry and academia, and therefore form a critical part of the national innovation eco-system. AIRTO often acts as a convenor of its members and other stakeholder organisations with interests in aligned policy issues. This has enabled AIRTO to issue policy statements on areas of specific interest to its members. Other stakeholders’ views add to the richness of debates, but the output represents the views of AIRTO members and therefore the Innovation, Research & Technology community. By working collaboratively, including relevant government departments, AIRTO has been able to amplify its messages, which are then communicated via a wide spectrum of platforms. The first output of this collaborative process was the publication in January 2019, of AIRTO’s policy statement on “Gearing up to 2.4%”, which provided recommendations concerning means that government

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could use to stimulate more R&D investment in the UK, given that approximately two thirds of the total spend comes from private industry. This paper was well received and provided impetus for the work to continue. The UK government Industrial Strategy, launched in November 2017, included an ambition to grow the level of investment in research and development (R&D) to 2.4% of GDP from 1.7%. The call to grow R&D intensity in the UK has been made before - without success. An explicit call by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to lift R&D intensity from 1.9% to 2.5% by 2014, was made in 2004. But why has this plan not been successful in driving change and stimulating innovation? Throughout 2019, AIRTO explored this question, and how

the UK could benefit from deploying more resources for development activities as a solution to unlock market opportunities in the UK and globally. In addition to consulting our members, AIRTO consulted extensively with stakeholders in government, industry and representative organisations on this topic through a series of roundtable discussions. In the resulting output, in the form of a policy statement paper, labelled “More D”, we have identified four key issues which must be addressed, using the IMPACT acronym – the strategy must be…

1 I N N O VAT I O N L E D. . .

Innovation is critical for our national and global survival. Our Industrial Strategy must shift in emphasis, such that innovation becomes the central pillar. It is only through prioritising innovation that the UK will be able to address key global issues, such as the climate emergency. As such, we advocate a mission-driven priorities approach.

2 M A R K E T P U L L E D. . .

To succeed, our innovation strategy should be based on ‘market pull’ rather than ‘technology push’. The level of R&D activity overall in the UK has stagnated over the past fifteen years and sits at only 1.7% of GDP. The lack of progress points to a need to abandon the previous technology push approach for driving innovation. To raise the interest and level of R&D investment from business and industry requires the central focus to be moved towards market need.

3 A P P L I E D. . .

The ratio of public spend on R&D is suboptimal and needs rebalancing. In the UK, the ratio of ‘R’ to ‘D’ is approximately 85:15, in favour of research

activities. In competitor nations, such as Germany, the ratio is closer to 50:50. For the UK economy to benefit more from the national R&D portfolio, consideration must be given to achieving a more balanced mix of ‘R’ vs ‘D’. In other words, there needs to be more applied development activity, rather than front loading the ‘lion’s share’ of public resources into early stage discovery research. However, this rebalancing must be achieved without diluting the worldleading research base that has been built up over the past century and which underpins the UK’s stature as a science and innovation superpower.

industrial development activities and increased demand for the demonstrators and testbeds, training, analytical/measurement, and accreditation/certification services that the sector delivers to industry, government and academia, essential to the translation of innovative products to the commercial market place. In addition, the sector provides significant ‘trouble-shooting’ capabilities to address industry’s requirements to improve productivity. AIRTO has consulted widely, and it is apparent that there is a strong appetite from the IRT sector to work together to help the UK achieve R&D growth. However, the sector is limited by constraints on capital infrastructure, especially for those RTOs which may be not-for-profit organisations and face challenges in responding to market demand due to constrained access to resources for additional capital investment. ■

4 COMMERCIALLY TRANSLATED... Two-thirds of all UK R&D is industry funded. To succeed in growing commercial R&D even further, we must better understand and fulfil the needs of markets for development support across different sectors. We need to create conditions that could attract more businesses and private investors to grow their R&D, and make the UK the place to develop revolutionary, world-changing technologies and applications. Consideration must be given to the absorptive capacity of the IRT sector to accommodate future growth in

The “More D” position statement was launched in March 2020, and the full report is available to download from the AIRTO website: www.airto.co.uk

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Trends

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the innovation ecosystem

Positive Outlook Savills’ London-based commercial research director, Steven Lang, discussed the current appetite of VC money for life sciences, the evolution of the UK’s science park sector, and the challenges which lie ahead, with Ian Halstead.

he mood music around economic growth in all its forms has been understandably downbeat in recent months, so it makes a refreshing change to discover someone with a positive mindset, and the data and analysis to underpin their instinctive approach. It took, for instance, Lang only moments to dispel the perception that international venture capitalists had slowed their spending spree for UK-based assets in life sciences this year. Last year, the sector raised a record amount of VC money (almost £2.1bn), and Savills’ data shows that a healthy £1.34 bn flowed in during the first eight months of 2020, well ahead of the total amount raised during each of 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Steven Lang COMMERCIAL RESEARCH TEAM DIRECTOR, SAVILLS

Steven joined Savills within the UK and European commercial research department in January 2002 and has over twenty years’ experience in commercial property research. He is responsible for Savills’ UK research and consultancy for the office-related real estate markets outside of Central London, primarily the wider South East (M25) markets

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W H E R E T H E M O N E Y ’ S AT

Inevitably, the largest chunks went to London, the Cambridge-dominated East of England and the Oxford-led SouthEast, although the North-East caught the eye with an eight-month total of £136m – against a 2019 figure of just under £23m. However, it was the opposite story in the West Midlands, as just £3.5m came in between January and August against more than £46m in 2019. “Good things are happening in Newcastle and the influx of VC money is a good indicator of what we’d call early-stage interest. However, Birmingham’s life sciences sector isn’t taking off as quickly as you would expect, compared to Manchester (and Newcastle) given its population,” admits Lang. “It’s too early to be sure, but HS2 could be the crucial element which helps propel Birmingham into becoming a key centre for life sciences, which I think it will.” Developing and then establishing science-based locations is influenced by myriad factors, of course, and Lang says personal brands can be a major factor. “If you’re look at the global map for life sciences’ hot-spots, Mainz stands out, and it’s not immediately obvious why, but look a little closer and it’s pretty much all down to two remarkable professors; Christopher Huber and Ugur Sahin. “They have raised billions from research and the ventures they’ve created, including a $511m secondary listing on the NASDAQ in July. “There’s a lot more, of course, you need the right back-up team, the right space, a ‘bench-to-bedside’ mindset, a passion for innovation and always, great co-operation between public and private sectors. “All those elements have also got to be maintained

One of the workspaces at Factory Berlin, which Lang recently experienced on a European research trip

PROSPECTS FOR LIFE SCIENCES, A N D R E A L E S TAT E I N V E S T M E N T W I T H I N T H AT S E C T O R , A R E V E R Y POSITIVE. WE’ VE HAD MORE CLIENTS I N R E C E N T LY T H A N AT A N Y P O I N T I N THE PRE VIOUS NINE MONTHS and strengthened, or a location or cluster won’t deliver as hoped. If one or two of the fundamentals aren’t in place, existing companies won’t be attracted and spin-outs will look elsewhere, but it’s important not to overlook the relevance of individuals as catalysts for change.”

A M I R R O R T O T H E PA S T

Regardless of where VC money goes, Lang believes the UK now has a great opportunity to mirror what happened during the 1980s and 90s, when Toyota, Honda, Nissan and large chunks of their supply chains and manufacturing came to Britain, and transformed our automotive sector. “So much is already in place. If you look globally at the 2,500 life sciences’ companies with the largest R&D spend, we have 273 of them - which is pretty

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impressive when France has only 112 and Germany has 218 – which must bode well for our economy,” he says. “I often think that we don’t celebrate our successes, as for instance the US does, and would like to see a much greater focus on life sciences within the government’s Industrial Strategy. “Saying that, money is still flowing, and from all corners of the earth, into the UK’s life science companies, which is great news, as it will finance their research for the next three to five years, and they’ve now got the funding to proceed with their research, and are almost insulated from the uncertainties of the wider economy. “I think prospects for life sciences, and real estate investment within that sector, are very positive. We’ve had more clients in recently than at any point in the previous nine months.

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TRENDS

They want security of income for their buildings, and they’re very bullish about tenants from life sciences – more so than from other sectors.” However, Lang, believes much more must be done to ensure that funding is spread across the regions, and cites Germany as an excellent example of a government taking a strong and polycentric approach to its investment decisions. He also considers that, despite all the chatter about the need to bring forward eco-systems in parks and other science locations, it’s still very difficult to find ones which really work and at the required scale. ”The ‘build it and they will come’ mantra belongs has been outdated for years. Now, unless what you are building is both flexible and located within a genuine community, the truly innovative start-ups, and the next-gen of digital and tech talent will go elsewhere.”

FA C T O RY B E R L I N

On a research trip to Europe, Lang was hugely impressed by Factory Berlin, which operates two locations in the German capital, with a combined 21,000 sq m of space and more than 3,500 members, including start-ups, tech talent, creatives, students, corporates and academic institutions. Its sites are now the country’s largest location for digital innovation, which is having a massive impact as ‘digital health’ and they’re always high on the agenda for real estate developers looking to benefit from their unusual, and very successful, model. “Factory have been delivering amazing space for start-ups, tech talent and creatives for almost a decade,” says Lang. “Their first was by the old Berlin Wall, and they opened a second campus a couple of years later. They re-use existing space in urban areas, set up partnerships with the public and private sector, create a cluster

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Factory Berlin’s innovative community space includes its own in-house state-of-the-art cinema

of tech innovation and also become a catalyst for neighbourhood renaissance. “It is a quite remarkable model. Everyone talks about ‘ecosystems’, but when you see what Factory have achieved across their two campuses in Berlin, it’s eye-opening. “You’d expect a restaurant and cafe anywhere, but they also have a library, cinema, ball-pit, meditation room, a 360XR room, sports facilities and a music studio. The collaboration Factory Berlin is achieving between its tenants and its external partners is way ahead of anything we have in the UK.” Not that Lang is even remotely pessimistic about the prospects for this country’ innovation hubs and science parks. “One of the best experiences you can have as an analyst is to visit somewhere and discover that it’s been transformed. A few years ago, I visited several places, and they felt lacklustre and lacking in direction, but now they’ve suddenly picked up the pace,” he says. “Newcastle for instance. We saw VC money going into life sciences in the North-East, but Helix has also developed a very impressive digital data and science innovation hub across 24 acres. They’ve got scale, which created interest, and it’s almost like a fairground attraction. Everyone looks around to see what’s going on. “The city council has huge aspirations, and aims to create 30,000 jobs by the end of 2030. Legal & General is a major investor, with involvement from several government organisations, and the university. “All that has come together, and created a real buzz around the place, which is attracting companies who are raising capital - which again puts them on the map.”

I M PA C T O F B R E X I T

Brexit was once seen as a major threat to the UK’s universities, science parks, innovation districts and their research programmes, crucially around future access to talent, but Lang believes the importance of that particular issue has lessened, though his concerns about the loss of funding remain. “Horizon 2020 was obviously a huge EU programme, and although there’ve been lots of discussions, it’s still not yet clear if the government will put sufficient funding in to replace the EU finance.” Looking into 2021 and beyond though, Lang remains very much in the ‘more than half-full’ camp. “There’s a lot of interest in cybersecurity. I’m hearing good things about what’s happening at Warwick Manufacturing Group, and we are due to see a development partner chosen in the next few months for the Golden Valley scheme coming forward adjacent to the GCHQ site near Cheltenham. “The borough council has plans for a £400m mixed-use project under its Cyber Central brand, where you’d have 3,000 homes on a 200-hectare site alongside a cyber-tech campus, and there’s also a significant semi-conductor cluster developing around Bristol. ”So much is happening, in locations existing and new, but the momentum must be maintained (and hopefully increased), because now more than ever countries are competing fiercely to demonstrate their excellence in life sciences and to make themselves ever-more attractive to investors. ■

For further information, please visit: www.savills.co.uk

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TRENDS

Building a refreshing approach Richard Walder, the UK science and technology sector lead for Buro Happold Engineering, tells us why he is a passionate believer that mechanical engineering (ME) must always be a core element of building design. 5 6 | U K S PA B R E A K T H R O U G H | A U T U M N 2 0 2 0

ong before the world outside China knew the city of Wuhan existed, architects, developers, fit-out specialists and other members of the real estate community agonised for years about how to create the perfect office environment. Ultimately, the consensus was for a blend of open and flexible workspace, with break-out areas and pathways cleverly designed as the catalyst for chance encounters, and to promote collaboration and and co-operation between different teams. However, their rationale has been now overtaken by intense debates about when

employees in all sectors should return to their work-places - and how their environment might look. Such discussions are, of course, even more relevant during a pandemic when buildings are being designed, or refurbished, for science uses. In the search for clarity, Breakthrough turned to Richard Walder, the UK science and technology sector lead for Buro Happold Engineering, and a passionate believer that mechanical engineering (ME) must always be a core element of building design - and not almost an after-thought. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we look at how the current generation of buildings built for science

Natural ventilation at one of Buro Happold’s projects - The Quadram Institute, Norfolk

“ L O O K I N G A H E A D , I N G E N E R A L T E R M S , O C C U P I E R S W I L L C L E A R LY H AV E T O T H I N K MORE ABOUT PHYSICAL CHANGES THE Y MAKE TO THEIR BUILDINGS. OF TEN, A F E W Y E A R S G O B Y, A N D S O M E O N E P U T S U P A PA R T I T I O N O R C H A N GE S T H E L AY O U T, W I T H O U T T H I N K I N G A B O U T T HE IMPA C T O N H O W T HE B U I L D I N G W O R K S A N D P A R T I C U L A R LY, H O W T H E A I R - C O N W O R K S .” R I C H A R D W A L D E R , U K S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O LO G Y S E C T O R L E A D, B U R O H A P P O L D E N G I N E E R I N G

Credit: NBBJ | Luke Hayes

LO N G - T E R M C H A L L E N G E

purposes and lab use might need to change, they do have one major advantage,” he says. “Change of air rates are usually quite high, which provides a good dilution, so anyone in such an environment will be safe as they could be inside a building. “Obviously, in general terms, there is now a desire to reduce the amount of air which is recycled. Companies could run their air-con systems 24/7 to avoid stale air and conditions in which the virus might exist, but the inevitable downside would be a significant increase in energy bills.”

Engineers have long been tasked with designing reasonably energy-efficient buildings, but Walder believes future demands will be for them to create offices which can operate very close to their optimal level. “It will be a long-term challenge, but I would hope that all architects and engineers can design buildings which are healthy and cost-efficient.” However, Walder also thinks there’s likely to be a major shift in mindset with regard to how the UK’s real estate industry calculates the cost of new buildings. “In the past, of course, people have focused on the capital cost of a building, but it might be that going forward, the shift is more to whole-life costings and there’s a greater focus on the life-cycle of buildings,” he says. “Such a way of working is already familiar in, for instance, the American market, as the way in which their science buildings are funded means they’ve always been much more concerned in whole-life costings. “Typically, in the UK there’s a pot to construct the building and then another to manage it for the next 25 years, but in North America it’s more common to take a 50-year approach from the outset.

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“They also have a more mature market for much larger speculative buildings than we usually see here, so that’s an investment-led decision which will factor in whole-life costings.” Office developers were looking to the science sector before Covid-19, which will now surely accelerate, and as the long-term trend for out-of-town business parks is slowly reversed, science space is increasingly seen in urban areas and city-centre innovation districts. “Not every building will be suitable for conversion for science uses, and there’ll also need to be different approaches,” says Walder. “Should, for instance, new locations be designed in more flexible ways now to prepare for the next pandemic, and how can we best convert existing buildings costeffectively for healthcare uses, perhaps as lab space for testing? “I also think we’ll see more buildings which are more modular and decentralised, so we’re not always pumping air miles around a building, but providing air to where it is needed. Inevitably though, at this very early stage, it’s difficult for anyone to know what will translate into future trends and what won’t.”

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TRENDS N AT U R A L V E N T I L AT I O N

Credit: Nicholas Hare Architects | Alan Williams Photography

However, Walder is enthused by the belief that the time has finally come for developers to make greater use of natural ventilation, delivering buildings which bring in air directly through the facade without mechanical assistance. Such an approach would reduce recirculation, but does come with a caveat. “One of the things we always have to make clear when discussing natural air ventilation is that you have to dress accordingly for the season,” he says, “Everyone has different perceptions and expectations about their environment, but generally, after the last six months, I think people are now much more open to the idea of opening their windows and feeling fresh air coming in. “Another key issue is that the building needs to be designed for natural ventilation. We’ve all been in offices built in the 1960s which were never intended for more sophisticated layouts and air-conditioned systems, and now they simply don’t work. “As with any aspect, it’s crucial to carefully assess your space and decide

Outdoor working at Cambridge University’s David Attenborough Building

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how it can be used efficiently and safely. Occupiers must take care not to specify something which sounds great, but has minimal (or no) practical benefits. There’s always a danger of adding ‘bells and whistles’ just because they’re new or trendy.”

A MORE GRANULAR APPROACH

In the 15 years since Walder left university with a first-class degree in mechanical engineering, others in the real estate industry haven’t always shared his belief that ME should top the agenda when building designs are debated - but that’s another area where Covid has already begun to change traditional mindsets. “We’re already seeing people taking a more granular approach, they’re asking questions about how air flows and how the building works. It is rather nice to be asked those questions,” he admits. “Looking ahead, in general terms, occupiers will clearly have to think more about physical changes they make to their buildings. “Often, a few years go by, and

someone puts up a partition or changes the layout, without thinking about the impact on how the building works and particularly, how the air-con works. “Likewise, for the short-term at least, designers will have to reverse their ideas about internal office structures Instead of seeing collaboration and co-operation as their goal, they’ll have to ensure that people flow round buildings in one direction, and don’t encounter each other. “Inevitably, if that approach extends beyond the pandemic, it will have a significant impact on the design of corridors, stair-wells, lifts and other internal spaces. “However, my hope is that this aspect is only for the short-term, and that once economies have emerged from lockdown and the pandemic is under control, buildings are once again designed to encourage discussions and collaborations.” ■

For further information, please visit: www.burohappold.com

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