UKSPA Breakthrough Issue 22

Reshaping+ retrofitting

For all seasons

UKSPA co-founder Dr Malcolm Parry takes a personal look at its origins, evolution and future

Best practices for adaptive re-use and sustainable buildings

Leader of a team

University of Warwick Science Park’s Mark Tock reflects on its remarkable 40-year history

Passion and purpose

Catherine Johns talks about her intriguing career working with the science park community

Resources. Support. Connections.

DR WADE PETERSEN AMRSC LECTURER IN CHEMISTRY

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

“I find the organisation to be very welcoming, it feels young and vibrant. Personally, I have found being a member extremely useful and it enhances my presence within the scientific community. With grant money from the RSC, I bought a photoreactor. It’s a light box where you can catalyse reactions, which is essentially my entire research area, so I couldn’t have got started without it!”

What will membership help you achieve?

rsc.li/membershipcategories

Advocacy

09 For all seasons

UKSPA co-founder Dr Malcolm Parry enlightened Ian Halstead about its origins, its evolution and the challenges which lie ahead.

12 Time for SUI team is now

The ScaleUp Institute's CEO, Irene Graham, offers insight into how the UK’s life science's growth focused SMEs can achieve their strategic ambitions.

16 Putting the circular economy into practice in labs

I2SL creates community of practice promoting resource efficiency.

Support

18 A grand space challenge

Liz Sparrow from Ridge is leading a multidisciplinary team as part of a three-year framework with The Satellite Application Catapult.

20 A sweet solution for protecting IP

Communicate Technology looks to keep your intellectual property (IP) as your asset, rather than your liability.

Innovation

24 Created for a new era

Gen Two Real Estate co-founders, Ariel Levy and Daniel Sterling, explain their business model and development philosophy.

Lab Innovations

28 Catalyst for change

Ahead of Lab Innovations 2024, Breakthrough heard the views of two members of its advisory board.

30 High expectations

As the laboratory industry gears up for the UK’s leading trade show dedicated to its sector, we offer a glimpse of Lab Innovations 2024.

Growth

36 Leader of a team

The University of Warwick Science Park's Mark Tock reflects on its remarkable 40-year history and looks to its future.

40 Focus on space

More than £100m is being invested in the latest development phase at North-East Technology Park, as project director Janet Todd explained to Breakthrough.

Impact

44 Journey of discovery

Renos Savvos, head of innovation and venture development at Kent’s Discovery Park, detailed its plans to transform the area’s economy.

48 Making the most out of Biodiversity Net Gain

ASA Landscape Architects' Veronica Flemming delves into the requirements associated with Biodiversity Net Gain.

50 Transform and renew

Making life science and pharmaceutical buildings in the UK fit for a low carbon future.

52 Passionate and purposeful

Catherine Johns, well-respected for her work with the science park community in the UK and internationally, talked to us about her intriguing career.

INTRODUCTION UKSPA

Let's work together

We are all still contemplating what might lie ahead for the UK’s science park community after Labour won a convincing majority to implement its agenda for the next five years.

The party laid out a clear vision for the future of science and technology in its manifesto, and its mooted policies reflected their broader goals for economic growth, innovation, and addressing societal challenges.

It was certainly encouraged to see Labour place a strong emphasis on the need for increased investment in R&D to drive innovation and create employment and wealth, and it has subsequently hinted at lifting public R&D spending to 3% of GDP.

I recall back in 2021, when the Council for Science and Technology wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighting the UK’s place as a global superpower in science and engineering, and urging him to increase investment in those sectors by at least 50%.

INVESTMENT IN R&D

At the time, of course, with the economy still impacted by the aftermath of Covid and lockdown, such an increase in public support wasn’t possible.

However, an uptick in our economic fortunes will hopefully enable the government to begin delivering on its R&D investment promises.

UKSPA

T: 01799 532050

E: info@ukspa.org.uk

W: www.ukspa.org.uk

l Chief Executive James Chaffer

l Head of Membership & Communications Adrian Sell

Consumer price inflation was unchanged for the second successive month in June, and hopefully the Bank of England will deliver a long-awaited rate cut at its September meeting.

Labour has already placed a strong emphasis on using science and technology to foster a fairer and more inclusive society, and one element which caught my eye was a National Investment Bank to support innovation and green technologies.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also unveiled a £7.3bn National Wealth Fund aimed at transforming our infrastructure and attracting billions in private investment.

DIGITAL INCLUSION

During the election, Labour advocated powerfully for widespread digital inclusion, ensuring greater access to high-speed internet and the skills needed to thrive in a digital economy.

Another core focus was its proposed investment in STEM education to narrow the skills gap and provide opportunities for underrepresented groups, which would certainly be welcome throughout our community.

Labour has committed to using technology for social good, including leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence and data science to improve public services, from healthcare to transportation.

Concerns about AI and other emerging technologies are widespread,

OPEN BOX MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

l Director Stuart.Walters@ob-mc.co.uk

l Director Sam@ob-mc.co.uk

l Production Manager Mark.Lamsdale@ob-mc.co.uk

l Design Matt.Hood@ob-mc.co.uk

l Advertising Krishan@breakthroughdigital.co.uk

l Editor Ian Halstead - halsteadian@aol.com

We are committed to sustainable forest management and this publication is printed by Buxton Press who are certified to ISO14001:2015 Standards (Environmental Management System). Buxton prints only with 100% vegetable based inks and uses alcohol free printing solutions, eliminating volatile organic compounds as well as ozone damaging emissions.

so it was good to hear that the government is proposing the establishment of a regulatory framework to ensure that they are developed and used responsibly.

COLLABORATION

I noticed that elsewhere in this magazine, my good friend, Dr Malcolm Parry, expressed hopes that the new government will adopt a more collaborative approach to the science park movement, and I’m sure we all echo his thoughts.

At our 40th anniversary conference at the University of Warwick in October, we expect to have keynote speeches from important players in the science and innovation sector from across the political spectrum.

We look forward to learning about their visions, discovering how they believe science and technology will help deliver growth for the UK, and explaining to them the many ways in which UKSPA and its members can play an important role.

By October, I hope we’ll also have heard more from the new science minister, Sir Patrick Vallance, about his vision for the future of our life science sector, which he well understands from his work with Big Pharma and his longstanding research expertise.

I am sure we all look forward to engaging with the new government and supporting their plans in driving economic growth, and increasing productivity, through investment in science and innovation. ■

Breakthrough is an Open Box Media and Communications publication produced in association with UKSPA. 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 Open Box M&C.

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

FASTER RESULTS

2x Faster than Our Industry-Leading Point Scanner ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY

3- and 10-Channel Models to Customize Your Approach PROVEN RELIABILITY

Incorporates Decades of Expertise in Quantitative Biological Assays

Doubling up as we reach 40

it is really pleasing to report that the UKSPA Executive Team has doubled in size over the past few months, with two new additions joining myself and Adrian Sell as full-time members of staff.

Gill Purkiss joined the team in April as the new Events & Marketing Manager, while Katie Lycett started her position as Membership & CRM Executive in May, with both having settled into their roles really quickly.

Those who attended the recent UKSPA Summer Conference, hosted by Birmingham City University at their exciting STEAMhouse facility, will have met Gill when they registered for the event. Those unable to attend in June will no doubt have already seen Gill’s hand at work in the social media content and other communications being put out to promote the Association’s activities.

Katie brings with her a wealth of experience in managing membership CRM systems, as well as great background in events planning that will no doubt be an added bonus for the team. She will be looking after all of the Association’s back-office systems and reporting, as well as being the primary point of contact for membership and finance queries. I am sure they will both be an asset to the Association, as we aim to expand both the number and type of events we put on for the membership, as well as extend our influence into local and central government to promote the great work of member organisations.

INCREASING DEMANDS

The steady increase in the number of both Full Members and Business Affiliates over recent years, with the total number in the Association’s membership now standing at over 225, has led to increasing demands on the Executive Team – especially when it comes to the planning and delivery of its regular series of conferences and events. This is particularly true as we enter the final stages of preparation for the UKSPA 40th Anniversary Conference, taking place at the University of Warwick on the 16th-18th October 2024, which both Gill and Katie are now ably assisting Adrian in the organisation of this event.

Tickets for this major milestone conference, which includes both a gala awards dinner and a pre-conference

"I A m SUR e [G I ll AND KATI e] w I ll b OTH be AN ASS e T TO TH e A SSOCIATION , AS we AI m TO ex PAND b OTH TH e NU mbe R AND T y P e O f eve NTS we PUT ON f OR TH e membe RSHIP , AS well AS ex T e ND OUR IN fl U e NC e INTO l OCA l AND C e NTRA l GO ve RN me NT ."

UKSPA's 40th Anniversary conference is being held at the Slate conference centre within the University of Warwick

event, as well as two full days of sessions focussing on the key issues, are now selling fast, and are available via the UKSPA website, www.ukspa.org.uk/ ukspa40, along with details of the conference programme, keynote speaker highlights and optional tours of Warwick Science Park.

EXPANDED A w ARDS

There are also details of the nominations process for the UKSPA 40th Anniversary Awards, which have a deadline of 14th August for the submission of nominations. The number of main award categories has been expanded to 9 this year, with 14 awards in total, so plenty of opportunities for members to get involved - please do take a look at the criteria and consider nominating your organisation, colleague or tenant company.

Adrian, Gill, Katie and I look forward to welcoming you to Warwick in October, to help us celebrate the first 40 years of UKSPA – and look forward to the next 40 years! ■

Please send your comments and feedback to the UKSPA team: info@ukspa.org.uk

Advocacy

The world according to UKSPA and its members

FOR ALL SEASONS

UKSPA co-founder Dr Malcolm Parry enlightened Ian Halstead about its origins, its evolution and the challenges which lie ahead.

The early 80s were dark and unsettling times. Détente was dead. Cold War rhetoric was rampant. Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan led to Olympic boycotts.

The sombre mood permeated every niche of society, and a song from Germany suggesting that the catalyst for nuclear apocalypse might be ‘99 red balloons’ stormed the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Yet, amid the gloom, uncertainty and paranoia, eight visionaries came together to form the world’s first trade association for science parks - UKSPA.

Today, it seems obvious for universities to develop start-up space for aspiring entrepreneurs to research and develop their ideas, and then mentor them through the challenging stages of growth which every new enterprise faces.

Back in the early 80s though, such parks barely existed, and it required a significant leap of faith to imagine them as future driving forces for innovation and employment.

It’s instructive to hear the reflections of Dr Parry, who turned the concept of Surrey Research Park into a powerful and productive reality, was one of the original eight, went on to chair UKSPA on three occasions, and whose enthusiasm for science remains undimmed.

He recalls that an array of social, economic and technological influences surfaced ahead of the organisation’s creation.

“The ‘school leaving age’ had risen, as many more youngsters were going to university, on courses that reflected the need for broader curriculum including social sciences, business, as well as science technology and engineering.

“The global tech giants of today, Apple and Microsoft, launched their first products, IBM introduced its first affordable PC, cell phones began to appear, and the telecoms’ industry was liberalised.

“Some universities realised they needed to deliver new space for graduates focused on science and technology who had innovative ideas that would meet widening market opportunities such as building microsatellites and computer games.

“Unfortunately, the property industry was still only interested in operating via long-term and very restrictive leases.”

BIGGEST C h ALLENGE

However, the biggest challenge facing the fledgling science parks was the absence of successful and established role models for universities to provide direct support for these young entrepreneurs.

Stamford was by far the pioneer, as leaders of its university and the nearby city of Palo Alto had seen the potential for a park focused on R&D to provide employment for its graduates, and generate wealth for the region, way back in 1951.

Europe’s first science park, Sophia Antipolis, had opened in 1969, via an initial collaboration with a high-profile technical school, and subsequently with the university of Nice, but the continent was slow to follow.

Malcolm Parry was awarded an obe for services to business and education in 2006

Cambridge Science Park was formed a year later, but still hadn’t evolved into a micro-cluster by 1980.

So, when UKSPA’s pioneering founders looked into the future, they really were starting from strategic scratch

“We created a logo, because there had to be an identity, and held four meetings a year, but it was still quite informal,” says Dr Parry.

“However, we used the annual conference to build our profile, generate revenue and attract sponsors. We saw ourselves as free spirits of the science community, but you still have to balance the books.

“Property was a key driver, because the tenants we wanted to attract to the new locations required low-cost and relatively small, but quality units, although not substandard space on 25-year leases which was all the property industry then offered.”

Expansion of the science park community was measured during UKSPA’s first decade, but Dr Parry says a major catalyst for its subsequent growth was an influx of senior talent.

“Recession had seriously impacted even the largest corporates, and a lot of experienced people from industry and commerce were looking for new and challenging roles, which was a tremendous opportunity for science parks to recruit them to leadership roles.

“Our original group had evolved into a powerful body, which had intellectual strength and academic knowledge in science, engineering and technology, allied to practical and front-line expertise in business operations at national and international level.

“In parallel, as universities began to understand their potential to become hubs of innovation and business growth, the internet developed at pace and the power of computers increased exponentially, so all the elements needed for science parks were present.

“Some, such as Surrey Research Park, offered purpose-built space, others offered converted space, but regardless of the model, the private sector gradually became interested.

f ROM T h E GROUND UP

Dr Parry’s involvement genuinely was ‘from the ground up’, as he’d been invited by the University of Surrey’s vice-chancellor to create its research park in 1981.

“We were lucky in terms of location, as the university had acquired a sizeable chunk of land when Guildford invited it to relocate from Battersea in 1966. When the government announced that it was about to reduce HE funding, new revenue had to be generated.

“Everyone’s model was evolving then, but a constant was our realisation that tenants would benefit significantly from the support of property consultants, patent lawyers, architects, finance specialists and others, whether colocated on parks or based externally.

“We then began to form sector groups within the UKSPA framework, allowing tenants to share their

experiences with their peers and benefit from shared expertise.

“Science was rapidly becoming miniaturised, and some parks created research hubs by amalgamating teams from corporates which were downsizing.

The expanding network also helped soften the impact on areas which had lost thousands of jobs, as major industrial enterprises shrank significantly during the late 80s and early 90s.

“You visited areas where residents were apprehensive that sites which had created wealth and employment for decades might now be zoned for housing, and it was reassuring to see how positively they felt about the development of a science park,” recalls Dr Parry.

At the same time, science parks began to spread across the EU, although their models were quite different.

“Germany wanted to maximise the value of its universities and technical institutes, so its parks tended to be based on large industrial sites, which had become redundant,” he says.

“In France, Spain and Italy, the evolution of parks was driven by local authorities who saw them as potential solutions to particular economic challenges.”

the daejeon expo bridge in South Korea lit up at night

A year or so after UKSPA’s formation, the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) was established, and Dr Parry was particularly delighted.

It’s clear from the start of the conversation that the trifecta which underpinned his 40-year career was innovation, technology transfer and international relationships.

“I’m a big believer in the need to deliberately avoid insularity. I’ve probably presented papers at more than 25 of IASP’s annual conferences and attended even more of their events,” says Dr Parry.

“In the early days, Catherine Johns, myself, and a couple of others were very engaged with them as an organisation, and impressed by the audiences they could reach, though I appreciate that the membership fees might have kept some UK parks away.”

The British Council recognised the value of UKSPA and supported its international networking.

As Dr Parry began globe-trotting on behalf of both UKSPA and Surrey Research Park in the late-80s, he found that their work had enthused a number of universities in Korea, and he has returned more than 30 times.

“A group in Daejon showed interest in what we were doing at Surrey, which was pleasing, though unexpected, because at the time their country was nothing like the global hub of technology it is today.

“I remember back in 1989, discussing Korea with an older American contact, and he said when

he’d got off at the central train station in Daejon, he’d been taken to his hotel in a bullock cart.

“Today, it’s a magnificent neonbright city with a population of 2.4m and a fantastic place to be, and it’s been intriguing to watch Korea as it’s steadily moved up the global league table.

“They only joined the OECD in 1996, but it’s now the world’s 13th largest economy, expected to grow by around 2.6% in 2024, and driven (as it has been so often) by strong exports.

“Korea really embraced the concept of science parks, right from the beginning they saw them as engines of economic growth, and I wish UK governments had done likewise.”

TIME f OR TRANS f ORMATION

In 2001, Dr Parry authored a research paper looking at universities and how they might best engage with their regional economies and local communities.

His conclusion, that the government should use science parks as a key instrument to drive national strategies on social, business and technological challenges was crisply argued, but fell on deaf ears in Westminster and No 10.

However, with a new party now settling into power after 14 years in the political wilderness, Dr Parry is optimistic that the message will finally be heard.

“It’s obviously very early, but I really hope Labour will adopt a collaborative approach to science parks and employ greater investment in technology and innovation to raise our productivity levels, which have been desperately low since the 2008 crash.

“This government needs to focus much more on science parks, and to genuinely understand their huge potential as engines of economic growth and wealth creation.

“Building momentum around particular technologies is always critical, but the perennial challenge is to identify a cluster where a technology is present, and then to develop it and bring in new and well-funded talent, but without losing the original creativity.

“In the last, proposals and development initiatives have always tended to come from individual universities and institutions, rather than from central government.

“MPs will welcome particular projects or individual parks when achievements are highlighted, but there is minimal national engagement with the science park movement.

“Equally, although there’s much chatter about ‘entrepreneurship’, the UK just doesn’t seem to foster it as much as other countries.

“We seem to veer from overregulation to under-regulation, and the middle ground has been passed by for decades. Hopefully though, we will finally see a new approach.”

Just as it’s time for significant political change, Dr Parry believes UKSPA is also on the cusp of transformation.

“Paul Wright was CEO for 16 years and was a very powerful individual who built the organisation way beyond the enthusiasm of individual park managers,” he says.

“Now, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, UKSPA is at a tipping point because the world of science has been taken over by innovation, and it will have to engage with multiple business sectors and develop new relationships.

“The parks, and UKSPA itself, are now beginning another period of evolution as they identify and then migrate to their next-gen models.” ■

Malcolm Parry (right) being honoured by the international Association of Science Parks (iASP)

TIME FOR SUI TEAM IS NOW

The ScaleUp Institute's CEO, Irene Graham, offers insight into how the UK’s life science's growth focused SMEs can achieve their strategic ambitions.

t’s not by chance that a national organisation looking to bring public and private sectors together, and with a strong focus on scale-ups, business growth began in London’s Knowledge Quarter, with the Crick Institute and the British Library’s IP Centre right across the road.

Graham is certainly well-placed to judge the mood of financial markets, after almost 20 years with Standard Chartered in global MD roles, and a subsequent spell leading the banking industry in relation to its business engagement across the corporate and SME spectrum.

She’s also the co-founder and CEO of the ScaleUp Institute (SUI), so can speak with authority on the changes it has seen - and the challenges which lie ahead.

Its catalyst was the 2014 Scale-Up Report on UK Economic Growth, led by entrepreneur Sherry Coutu, which concluded that fostering the growth of scale-up firms would realise significant benefits in terms of employment, wealth generation and contribution to GDP.

“The SUI was set up as a private sector and not-for-profit body, to ensure scale-ups were recognised as a segment in their own right within the SME economy,” recalls Graham.

“It was identified as crucial that they received tailored support from the public, private and third sectors, had the right access to growth capital, markets and talent, and that the right policies were in place to support them.

“The initial report had made it clear that Britain was lagging its rivals, such as the US and Germany, because of the absence of strong national and regional networks to assist ambitious scaling firms, alongside deep pools of venture and institutional capital.

“We’ve always had a strong entrepreneurial culture, although we have for too long viewed SMEs as simply one homogeneous group, rather than being clear on how we segment SMEs.”

Graham says it is vital that such enterprises receive tailored solutions for their various stages of growth, and that an array of specific services is provided for our scale-up firms.

“We have 5.5m SMEs which generate a total turnover of £2.6trn. Just over 34,000 are scaleups and they generate £1.4trn in turnover, which is equivalent to 55% of total SME output, despite making up just 0.6% of the business population,” she says.

“A further 16,000 are in the scaling pipeline, generating an additional £360bn in revenues.

We identified the ingredients these businesses require for growth, and the challenges they face, so now it’s about creating the mechanisms to deploy them effectively and at scale.

“We’re working closely with the government at national, devolved and local levels, and across the private and education sectors, about how we address scale-up needs.

“This includes, inter alia, working with Innovate UK to ensure the right pathways and programmes to support innovative scaling businesses are in place, and the banking sector on how it evolves its services for scale-ups.

“We’re also working with HM Treasury, the Capital Markets Industry Taskforce and the British Business Bank on closing the funding gap.”

INTENSE f OCUS

Given the strength of the UK’s life science sector, its intense focus on solving global health issues, and ability to generate significant scale, it’s naturally one on which Graham and her team keep a very close watch.

The SUI was also directly engaged with the sector through the recent work of the taskforce on life sciences which was commissioned by the government, but industry led.

“We calculate that more than 6,000 companies are operating in the scientific and tech sector which encompasses life sciences. We know they’re highly innovative, international in their strategic focus and have high growth ambitions,” says Graham.

“Their major challenges are gaining access to markets, access to effective collaborations and R&D opportunities with government and corporates, at home and abroad, access to the right talent, at both day-to-day and at leadership level, and access to growth capital.

“Across the sector, 70% of life science scale-ups currently say they lack access to the right form of finance to meet their future requirements, and it can be a particularly acute challenge if they’re looking for funding and are based outside London and the South-East.”

The availability of lab space can also be a sizeable hurdle, even in the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ linking London, Oxford and Cambridge, as is identifying and recruiting the required talent from universities and business schools. “Our mayors, and combined authorities and their equivalents, have a key role to really drive activity for their scale-up companies and clusters in life

sciences, working in collaboration with science parks and the private sector,” says Graham.

“Of course, creating the right physical space is important, but it’s also about creating the right environment to attract talent and investment and allow growthfocused businesses to flourish.

“Life science companies are invariably global, but it’s vital that we retain them within the UK economy. Science parks have a key role here in showcasing these enterprises to help raise their profile, attract potential investors and enable corporate and research collaborations.”

The SUI’s research highlighted three core factors driving the local growth of scaleup enterprises: access to equity finance, access to skills and sectoral clustering.

“We have brilliant serial entrepreneurs, and the life science clusters and hubs are also definitely evolving,” says Graham.

LIKE-MINDED LOCATIONS

She identifies Alderley Park, the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, the Babraham Research Campus and Imperial College London’s Scale Space as exemplars for the work they do in fostering life science start-ups and scaleups and giving them space and support to grow.

“There are too many to mention, but it’s reassuring to see that the challenges are well understood and being addressed in so many areas across the country,” says Graham.

“However, a recurring issue throughout life sciences is that although a reasonable flow of UK seed capital is coming into the sector, more work is needed to significantly increase the availability of follow-on ‘crossover’ institutional capital.”

In July 2023, chancellor Jeremy Hunt initiated the Mansion House Compact which aimed to unlock tens of billions of investment in high-growth companies by 2030.

Under subsequent reforms, ten of the UK’s largest providers of defined contribution (DC) pensions agreed to allocate 5% of assets in their default funds to unlisted equities.

Above: Alderley Park is the UK’s largest single site campus focused on life science innovation

Below: chief executive officer of the ScaleUp institute, irene graham

AD v OCAC y

Some progress has been made. The LIFTS initiative (Long-term Investment for Technology and Science) was launched with the British Business Bank, supported by pensions capital from Phoenix Group, Schroders and Intermediate Capital Group.

Legal & General also unveiled a new fund to help investors with DC pension schemes access private markets. L&G is the UK’s largest pension provider and has more than 5.2m members with such schemes.

New funding would be particularly welcomed by life science scaleups, given their intense strategic focus on expanding their overseas footprint, as SUI research revealed.

“One of their key elements is their global ambition and strategic determination to export products and services. Some 80% are currently exporting, and around 90% of those are looking to penetrate new markets,” says Graham.

“Europe and North America, as you’d expect, are significant targets, but equally, they’re looking into Asia, Australasia, China, the Middle East and Latin America, and there are other huge potential markets in India and Africa.”

T h E RIG h T STU ff

Such businesses highlight key barriers to increasing more exports as finding the right partners and support networks in overseas markets, and receiving introductions to potential buyers.

“Practical solutions can make a significant difference, such as more tailored trade missions from the UK to help them expand into major overseas markets,” says Graham.

“Getting the right access to the right people, and getting the right introductions in their target markets, is crucial in all sectors, and particularly so in sciencebased sectors where specific knowledge is required.

“DBT trade missions are very important, as are local connections and the presence of local relationship managers who really understand the requirements of life science companies.”

Graham was pleased to see the new Labour government swiftly signal its commitment to scaleups and scaling business with its pro-business agenda, including industrial strategy plans, and commitment to partnership with the private sector.

“It will now be imperative to double down on what is working, and to build upon those institutions and initiatives, including tax enablers, that have proven impact,” she says.

“We must accelerate what is in train, and embed national and regional structures for the long-term, to tackle the remaining obstinate barriers to businesses scaling and by leveraging data and technology opportunities.

Above: Alderley Park offers a range of laboratories suitable for chemistry and biology use, from coworking to labs between 300 sq ft and 10,000 sq ft

“It is encouraging to see the government already making progress on a National Wealth Fund and planning reforms to ease constraints on space to grow, which is critically important for lab space.

“It was also reassuring to note their public commitment to skills reform, including within apprenticeships, procurement reform, data sharing, and stronger collaboration between nations and regions.

“Having Sir Patrick Vallance back, as a science minister who well understands the life sciences sector and broad scale-up needs, is also a significant plus.”

One of the locations highlighted by Graham, Bruntwood SciTech’s (BST) Alderley Park, is the UK’s largest single site campus focused on life science innovation.

Its managing director, Dr Kath Mackay, who is also BST’s chief scientific officer, admitted she was delighted that the Mansion House reforms had delivered tangible impact via the new L&G fund.

Below: glasshouse at Alderley Park is a rare haven for innovative, hi-tech companies, offering a range of contemporary office space

She shares Graham’s fervent hope that the new government will prioritise the development (and practical delivery) of a comprehensive industrial strategy and engage productively with regional policy and business leaders to stimulate innovation-led growth. ■

For more about the work and research of the ScaleUp Institute, visit: www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk

Putting the circular economy into practice in labs

I2SL creates community of practice promoting resource efficiency

hen the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) wanted to engage lab owners in resource efficiency, green lab managers made it clear they didn’t just need information on how to reduce waste, but wanted a way to share concerns, learn from each other, and collaborate with suppliers to tackle purchasing and packaging challenges. With support from a Cell Signaling Technology 1% for the Planet contribution, I2SL launched the Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice in 2023.

Through a free, interactive website, blog, and roundtables, I2SL provides a venue for lab owners, operators, suppliers, and users around the world to discuss ways to promote a circular economy across the research enterprise. In addition to using significantly more energy and water than offices, laboratories generate a vast amount of waste, much of which is difficult to recycle in traditional programs or could be toxic. A circular economy seeks to optimise resources and product use by reducing materials, pollution, and waste, recovering materials for reuse, and recycling.

I2SL’s new community of practice tackles all these topics through a question-and-answer

forum, regular roundtables, monthly blogs, videos, and a resource library where participants share presentations, papers, and best practices. I2SL welcomes the exchange of information among lab users and suppliers and uplifts new ideas that improve lab resource efficiency.

fORUMS fORGE T IES

For example, the first Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice online roundtable focused on ways to reduce the amount of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam used in lab packaging. EPS foam is prevalent in lab supply shipments, to both protect equipment and fragile items and ensure antibodies and chemicals requiring cold storage remain secure in transit. I2SL Board Member Kelly Weisinger of the Environmental Defense Fund shared suggestions for labs to avoid EPS packaging, based on a technical bulletin released in 2021. Lab products suppliers Cell Signaling Technology and Millipore Sigma presented on their efforts to reduce EPS, including applications where ambient packaging was sufficient

and foam could be eliminated; lab users were able to discuss lessons learned and potential solutions with their suppliers.

Below: i2Sl’s latest waste reduction campaign, labSavers, encourages lab clean-up and space evaluation

Online forums have also provided a tutorial on how to use the I2SL Laboratory Benchmarking Tool (LBT), how to get an Energy Score for a lab building through the LBT, and ways to reduce and reuse water in laboratories. A representative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® program shared best practices to reduce water use in lab equipment, by fume hood wet scrubbers, and from single-pass cooling. Green lab managers from the United States and Canada described efforts to educate researchers on autoclaves, which have solenoid valves that can fail in “open” mode and waste millions of gallons of water, and a pilot to allow labs to test waterless condensers.

Above: Author of this article, Kathleen brady, i2Sl executive director

Projects also highlighted ways to reuse stormwater and condensate for landscape irrigation. Video recordings of these presentations are available for free on the I2SL website.

C LEAN L ABS , S AVE S PACE

I2SL’s latest waste reduction campaign, LabSavers, encourages lab clean-up and space evaluation. Recognising that the most sustainable lab building is the one that isn’t built at all, I2SL is helping lab managers and planners identify waste, enhance safety, and better utilise space by providing checklists, best practices, and templates to promote lab cleanout efforts and space evaluation. Participants can access free tools to help them conduct walkthroughs to identify underutilised space, cluttered areas, outdated electronics, and opportunities to recycle, share, donate, or properly dispose of lab equipment and chemicals and free up space for research. LabSavers materials are available through the Community of Practice or on I2SL’s website.

A Y EAR ’ S wORT h O f C IRCULAR C ONVERSATIONS

The community of practice publishes an annual editorial calendar focused on different lab-related circular economy

Above: i2Sl provides a venue for lab owners, operators, suppliers, and users around the world to discuss ways to promote a circular economy

topics each month to encourage participants to contribute blogs, pose questions, or videotape brief “PHIL Talks,” which stands for People Helping Improve Laboratories and is a nod to I2SL’s

Engage with other lab owners on sustainability and waste issues

In addition to the Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice, I2SL offers a number of other ways for lab owners, operators, managers, and users to share ideas and challenges:

• The University Alliance Group welcomes professionals and students from academic and research institutions around the world to discuss ideas for improving green labs programs, funding, efficiency, waste management, and purchasing. For example, the UAG is currently piloting a competition to educate researchers to shut the sash on fume hoods to enhance safety and save energy.

• UAG leaders also encourage funders to require lab grant recipients to demonstrate sustainable research operations and buildings, through the Million Advocates for Sustainable Science pledge

• I2SL has a Lab Waste Landfill Diversion Working Group that delves into more challenging recycling, purchasing, reuse, and composting issues in labs.

Membership in these groups is open to lab users around the world. Email info@i2sl.org to attend a virtual meeting.

late founder, Phil Wirdzek, who always encouraged innovative ideas and information sharing among lab users and suppliers. Future community of practice topics for discussion include equipment sharing, lab materials “swap” programs, and animal bedding composting lessons learned. While anyone can visit the community of practice website, those who choose to register as forum members can receive additional access to shared resources from other community members and get free copies of presentations on topics such as waste reduction, sustainable purchasing, equitable sourcing, and other resource conservation challenges for research organisations. ■

For more information, visit the Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice website at: www.circulareconomy.i2sl.org

Support

Liz Sparrow, a partner in the architecture practice at Ridge is leading a multidisciplinary team as part of a three-year framework with The Satellite Application Catapult in Harwell.

The team at Ridge is combining its experience and expertise to provide comprehensive design and management services across a wide range of awe-inspiring projects.

Catapults are unique national assets. They were established in 2011 by the UK Government in partnership with Innovate UK, with the aim of establishing a world-class R&D network and to bring together public and private sector research in deep, long-term collaborations. They foster partnerships between businesses and universities and turn the best of UK science into solutions that drive economic growth.

There are nine Catapults across the UK in over 50 locations, spread widely across unique sectors from cell and gene therapy to offshore renewable energy and medicine discovery. They work closely with universities to help the UK’s research and innovation sectors thrive, delivering science and technology through testing, adopting and scaling cutting-edge research.

B ENE f ITS O N E ART h

The Satellite Application Catapult (SAC) technology and innovation centre was set up over ten years ago in Harwell in South Oxfordshire. It has a mission to innovate for a better world, empowered by space.

The Satellite Applications Catapult “helps businesses to realise their potential from space infrastructure and applications

towards worldwide connectivity and geospatial intelligence.”

SAC brings together business and Academia to explore new technologies and services, engage with markets and identify the very biggest space-related challenges. These collaborations uncover opportunities and source funding to help fix them. The expert catapult team provides access to facilities, tailored business support and technical expertise that wouldn’t otherwise be available.

f OUR E ART h-L EAD M ISSIONS

The Catapult focuses its projects on four Earth-focused missions to take advantage of evolving opportunities.

Beyond Our Earth: Harnessing and building on space technology.

Driven by robotics and AI, in-orbit logistics, assembly and manufacturing will be an integral part of the new space economy. Assmbling large structures in space, refuelling, manufacturing, servicing and debris removal are all crucial to the next phase of growth for the space industry, and its ability to solve grand challenges on Earth.

Our Autonomous Earth: Bringing the benefits of advanced, resilient, satellite services. By creating a supportive infrastructure across the UK, this

£1.6bn

Catapult core funding agreed April 2023 –March 2028

advances our national capabilities, and positions the UK as a leader in satelliteenabled autonomous services.

Our Connected Earth: Safe, secure and performant connectivity for every person. Satellite technology will bring high-speed internet access to remote and underserved areas so people can connect across the whole world and access critical services.

Our Sustainable Earth: Enabling safe and just outcomes for 500 million climate displaced people by 2030. Spacebased capabilities help communities build social cohesion and inclusion; mitigate and adapt to climate change; reverse biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; promote environmental regeneration; and achieve a safe and just energy transition.

SENT INTO ORBIT

SAC has been the bedrock for many exciting space-related projects. Here are some highlights:

Methane Monitoring Data Supply:

The UK Space Agency funded project reliably measures GHG emissions to demonstrate compliance and implements outcomes to regulate methane-producing activities. UK organisations can access GHGSat data for R&D purposes.

A grand space challenge

Space-Based Solar Power Enablers:

Putting the UK at the leading edge of this exciting technology to create a new, fully renewable energy source. This is well-funded research being carried out into capturing energy from sunlight on a spacecraft in Earth’s orbit, converting this to microwaves, and beaming it to a rectenna on Earth to convert back to electricity.

Innovating for Clean Air: Worldwide, 91% of people are regularly breathing air violating World Health Organisation guidelines and satellite data is increasingly seen as an integral part of monitoring and analysing air pollutions from space. The project has helped develop the local economy and create jobs in the low carbon energy sector. It boosted market growth in both India and the UK and created new opportunities for collaborative innovation projects. It also allows pedestrians to take control of their daily exposure by avoiding specific routes.

Ubiquitous Connections: Projects delivered by the Satellite Applications

Catapult have created connectivity solutions for Columbia, Dorset and Turkiye, benefitting business, research organizations and local communities.

S UPPORT ON E ART h

To be able to deliver these Big Science projects, the Harwell Catapult has to work alongside on-the-ground partners. Specialist prototyping and manufacturing facilities, and unique testing platforms require state-of-the-art solutions, implemented by suppliers who understand the science and specific project needs.

“We’ll be supplying design and management services to SAC across a vast range of innovative projects” says Liz Sparrow. “Everyone at Ridge is very proud to be the sole supplier providing instrumental solutions in this three-year development framework.”

Head of SAC Estates and Facilities management, Donna Johnston said: “I am delighted Ridge have become part of our team. Their expertise will infuse our projects with a greater depth of knowledge and skill, elevating our ability

to innovate for a better world empowered by space at pace.”

The constant pipeline of exciting projects that flows from within the innovation centre needs to be financially assessed, and they need feasibility studies to demonstrate that they stack up. “We’re anticipating being involved from the start of some really exciting projects” said Liz, “from replicating the moon’s surface in a vast shed to enable the testing of robotics; fitting out workplace requirements for specialist tenants; or designing a concrete yard to be used as a rockettesting ground”,

This is an exciting time for the Satellite Applications Catapult as they lead the charge in the UK for space-related solutions. For the multidisciplinary teams at Ridge, it is a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in this invigorating and innovative environment. ■

To read more about Science and Research projects at Ridge, please visit: ridge.co.uk/sector/science-and-research

A SWEET SOLUTION FOR pROTECTINg I p

intellectual property (IP) lies at the heart of endeavours within science parks, innovation clusters and research campuses, encompassing valuable inventions, research findings, and technological advancements.

However, in the digital age, the threat of cybercrime looms larger every day. Whilst regulatory complications, customer data theft and reputational damage are obvious issues, cyber-attacks also pose significant risks to the protection and security of your IP, as well as the IP of your tenants. With the right practical strategies in place, some more novel than others, innovative organisations can keep IP as their asset, rather than their liability.

IP IN INNOVATION

Intellectual property is most commonly thought of as being copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets but it also includes intangible ideas. IP law exists to protect these intangibles (usually for a defined duration of time) so that organisations can invest in developing innovation with confidence, knowing that they will be able to benefit from the intellectual goods they produce.

By its nature, IP is of high long term value to innovation focused organisations, it’s the driving force for growth within our science parks and innovation centres. Unfortunately, that also makes it a prized target for cyber criminals. Stakeholders in scientific enterprises need to be aware of the risks of an IP breach, which include

David Johnson, Cyber Director at Communicate Technology looks to keep your intellectual property (IP) as your asset, rather than your liability.

unauthorised access to sensitive research, theft of trade secrets, infringement of patents, or even extortion attempts. The consequences of such breaches can be extremely detrimental, leading to financial or funding losses, loss of time to remediate, and reputational damage.

A S w EET DISTRACTION

One of the issues organisations holding IP face is that if your legitimate users are compromised, actions such as accessing, downloading and sharing high-value information may go undetected, especially if a growing innovation organisation does not have the resources to invest in sophisticated detection and response technology. IP may be siphoned off without a company being aware until it’s too late, and clients, partners or stakeholders alert that there has been a loss. This exact issue happened at Microsoft in May 2023, when breached, hackers gained

access to staff accounts and exfiltrated data without being detected.

One of the more creative ways you can get around this is by creating honeypots. Charmingly named, this cyber security mechanism uses a decoy, sacrificial target to lure cyber criminals away from the legitimate target. It’s a false application or data, depending on the nature of the IP, mimicking the original, which is configured with some deliberate security vulnerabilities. If accessed, strict tracking measures and behavioural assessment can be undertaken to understand the threat actors' motivations and even account closure can be activated to shut down the user on the spot.

Unless a stray user accesses the file by mistake, which you can protect against with user training and internal communications, you can assume honeypot traffic is nefarious, saving time on analysis across your whole domain because you know that the

activity is not a false positive. Simple technology can alert you when there is traffic in the honeypot, and from there you can make the executive decision to close your network whilst you investigate. From here you may call an expert cyber security provider to help, because an incident doesn’t have to evolve into a breach.

P ROTECT IP IN SCIENCE PARKS

There are things innovative organisations can do to mitigate the risk of attackers accessing our networks and honey pots in the first place. Here are a few things to secure platforms, devices and individuals against cyber threats, all of which your chosen cyber security partner and Communicate can assist with.

1

Education and training No matter know much you spend on threat detection and prevention, human error is one of the biggest factors in cyber security incidents. Conducting regular training sessions, seminars, and/or workshops to educate stakeholders about best practices for cyber security helps to build your defences.

2

Establish strong IT infrastructure

A secure configuration, next generation firewalls and antivirus are musts, as well as regularly updating software and firmware to patch vulnerabilities. Encrypt data, store backups and apply the principle of zero trust or least privilege.

3

Secure Collaboration Platforms Having secure collaboration platforms to facilitate information exchange and protect against data leaks is useful for both IP and hybrid and remote working.

4

Continuous Monitoring and Response Deploying real-time monitoring systems to detect and respond promptly to any security incidents means that when an attack happens, it can be eradicated. Detecting and eradicating threats is key to protecting your IP from theft.

5

Establish an Incident Response Plan Outlines the steps to be taken during a cyberattack or data breach, so that you can respond swiftly and minimise or eradicate loss.

Selecting a security profile which suits organisational threat appetite is a key recommendation. When an innovative business’ value lies within its data, it is worth considering decoy tactics if they’re not ready for enterprise-level security solutions yet. A trusted security partner will work with innovation centres and their tenants to find that sweet spot when it comes to cyber security, helping science parks can help create an environment where innovation thrives while IP remains safeguarded. ■

For about Communicate, please visit: https://communicate.technology/

Save time and money

Science is fast becoming miniaturised, but size and scale really do still matter when you’re operating in complex and challenging environments.

Ellab has been helping pharmaceutical and life science companies reduce the time taken to bring new products to market in the UK and Ireland for 35 years, from global plc giants to the newest biotech start-ups.

“We provide comprehensive and tailored solutions, which could be installing state-of-the-art validation equipment, specialist validation or calibration services, continuous environmental monitoring or seamless lab relocations,” says Stacey-Bradbury.

“Our success is based on our ability to provide experts at every stage of the process, whether the project is ensuring regulatory compliance, or about optimizing operational efficiency.”

Ellab has established partnerships with 17 of the largest 20 pharma and biotech companies, after five straight years of growth in both revenue and employment numbers.

The UK and Ireland operation generated around £20m in the last financial year and the workforce is running at just over 180, and a recruitment drive for engineers is underway which will take the headcount within sight of 200.

Intriguingly though,

Stacey-Bradbury says the core focus for his team isn’t selling products or services.

“Essentially, we are problem-solvers and solution providers. It might be that we offer a calibration service, project manage a lab relocation, supply monitoring equipment, or supply engineers to execute a customer’s validation project.

“The client might be buying new kit, or need to relocate kit from an existing business, but we always calibrate and check everything. The fine detail always matters in project management.

“If, for example, we were providing consultancy services to a life science company creating new manufacturing space, if someone said the gas supply would be 150mm from the floor, we’d make sure that it was and that there was sufficient space to install the machine.

“When the equipment arrives, it can then be slipped straight into place and when everything has been calibrated or validated, they can start production.”

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

It might sound simple, but Stacey-Bradbury says the attention to detail allows Ellab to stand out from the pack, whilst delivering industry-leading products and services.

“We understand that it’s crucial to reduce a client’s downtime to the absolute minimum, which is why there’s so much attention to make sure everything is as it should be. “Our typical client is a pharmaceutical manufacturer, and they need every aspect of our service to be flawless.

Marcus Stacey-Bradbury, Ellab UK ’s sales director, explains how it’s helping pharma and life science companies save time –and money.

“They understand the value of our services, because it’s a small percentage of the costs they’d suffer if their manufacturing process was idle for a couple of weeks.

“High-value drugs, human tissue, blood supplies and other expensive items are involved and lengthy breaks in production could easily swing the business into loss.”

Ellab was founded in Denmark 75 years ago, and Novo Holdings, which specialises in investing in life science companies, acquired the business in June 2023.

With assets of 149 billion euros at the end of its last financial year, Novo is a player on global scale, although Stacey-Bradbury admits Ellab’s sharp uptick in growth began under its previous owners.

“For decades, the original business was purely an equipment supplier in the UK, but to increase its market presence it completed a trio of acquisitions of niche operators, who were very experienced at addressing and resolving issues around particular pain-points,” he recalls.

The first was Hanwell, a specialist manufacturer of temperature monitoring systems for clinical and lab settings.

Stacey-Bradbury was then its commercial manager, but he crossed into Ellab UK and is now both sales director and a member of the group’s senior leadership team.

“We then expanded into calibration services by acquiring Arena Instrumentation, which had established a tremendous reputation over more than 35 years.

done a lot of work with NHS trusts and hospitals over a long period.”

Ellab has been particularly successful in winning work across the UK’s science park community over the past 18 months, and Stacey-Bradbury says the catalyst was the company’s marketing co-ordinator, Laura Hatchard.

“She suggested to the CEO that we needed a specialist to deal exclusively with such customers at the very early stage and was absolutely right.

“We’re finding that clients who want to install, or relocate, labs on science parks really appreciate being able to discuss their requirements well ahead of schedule and having certainty about timelines.

“Then, because we have their delivery schedule in place, we can project manage the process right from the start, which takes pressure off them.

“I think every science park, or innovation district, will have an FM manager on site, but whilst they’re usually very experienced, they don’t necessarily have all the latest knowledge about labs, which is understandable.

“Arena was delivering highquality services to blue-chip clients, so it brought on board the experienced engineers we needed to expand our operations.”

STRATEGIC h AT- TRICK

Ellab’s strategic hat-trick was completed by the acquisition of CTS, who specialise in validation life cycle delivery and consultancy within the life science sector.

“All three firms were already at the top of their niche, in terms of experience and expertise, and bringing them into Ellab really did give us a very powerful and comprehensive offer,” says Stacey-Bradbury.

“We’ve come a very long way in a short space of time, and the benefits are clear. We may have been in the UK for 35 years, but most of our growth has come in the last five.”

Commercial sensitivities prevent him from identifying specific clients, though he is able to point observers in the right direction.

“If you were in the UK, and you took a drug, or swallowed a tablet made in the UK, there’s a very high probability that we have supplied at least one of our services to that company,” says Stacey-Bradbury.

“If you visit any of the departments in your local hospital, there’s a very good chance that we’ll have monitored, mapped, serviced or calibrated some of the machines there, because we’ve

“We employ specialists who we call ‘subject matter experts’, so if the FM manager wants to know anything about calibration, validation, monitoring or mapping, they will have the answer, and our relocation and installation teams can also swiftly resolve any inquiry.

“Just as it’s crucial for us to reduce manufacturing downtime and prevent product loss for some clients, it’s equally important that we can provide peace of mind to frontline staff on science parks, who have an array of other issues to address.” ■

For more information about Ellab, please visit: www.ellab.com

Innovation

e xtending the frontiers of UK science and industry

CREATED FOR A NEW ERA

Gen Two Real Estate co-founders, Ariel Levy and Daniel Sterling , explained their business model and development philosophy to Breakthrough.

for far too long, ‘build it and they will come’ was the refrain of property giants who dominated the development landscape.

Rather than take time to identify trends and discover precisely what occupiers wanted, they instead delivered skyscraper offices and sprawling sites of identikit business space until the markets for both were saturated.

Fortunately, more nuanced strategies are finally evolving, particularly in science-based sectors where precision is essential, as a new generation of investor-developer emerges.

In the vanguard of this movement are two school-friends, who set out to steadily acquire

knowledge and insight to create a new model.

“Research is crucial, and we always focus on the fine detail. We try to differentiate ourselves by getting to know the sector, the area, potential occupiers and the planning expectations of the local authority before we start any project,” says Levy.

“We believe you must genuinely know your client and what drives them, so you can design and deliver a product which is particularly attractive to them. Space should never be generic.

“Understanding the science is key. You could deliver space which works for one tenant, but wouldn’t for others, so it must be sufficiently flexible to suit occupier without too much capex investment. If you haven’t taken the time to understand the sector, it just won’t work.”

Below: construction of the first phase of Alchemy's life science campus is on course to begin in Q4 of 2024

“It’s also crucial to identify locations where we can procure the build correctly, deliver space at sensible rents, which also meets the demands of the local market, and give occupiers space they can be proud of,” says Sterling.

“We believe we’re providing something slightly different to everyone else, by delivering self-contained units for life science uses, where the occupier is responsible for their lab, so it’s a step-up from the multi-let starter space they’ve been used to.”

It’s a mature and measured philosophy, but although Gen Two Real Estate was founded less than three years ago, its gestation period stretched back for a decade.

REAC h ING T h EIR GOAL

Levy and Sterling took different routes to reach their goal, after seeing their families succeed in London’s ultra-competitive property scene.

The former graduated from Cambridge, gained experience as a healthcare & real estate M&A analyst at Rothschilds, before spending a decade in office and residential development.

The latter learnt his trade as a chartered surveyor after earning a degree in real estate, before gaining experience in commercial property investment and then honing his development skills with his family’s real estate vehicle.

However, for all their accumulated knowledge and shared vision, the Gen Two duo still needed to demonstrate proof of concept by successfully delivering a project in life science sector.

The strength of the South Cambridge bio-cluster was appealing, and the availability of an old industrial warehouse adjacent to Whittlesford Parkway station enabled Levy and Sterling to begin converting the space on a speculative basis.

Discovering that the highprofile biotech start-up, Constructive Bio, was looking for grow-on space allowed them to fine-tune the fit-out to its

requirements and the company signed a 10-year lease last November for the 10,800 sq ft space, renamed The Recordery.

A subsequent acquisition at the same Lion Works location, 12,000 sq ft of lab space occupied by Alchemab Therapeutics, underlined their determination to develop a biotech hub at Whittlesford.

When Constructive Bio went on to take the ‘Start-up of the Year’ award, before 300 members of Cambridge’s science and technology ecosystem in May 2024, Gen Two’s standing within that influential community also rose several points.

More importantly, in terms of their strategic ambitions, whilst those deals were being completed, their plans for the Alchemy life science campus at Fowlmere were proceeding.

The location was identified back in 2022, but it was a complex challenge, with almost 75,000 of industrial space spread across five buildings, and on a site of more than five acres.

With consent for 125,000 sq ft of life science space secured last November, construction of Alchemy’s first phase is on course to start in Q4, and the Gen Two duo are delighted that Lion Works and Alchemy confirmed the viability of their model.

“Neither site was on the market, so we had to make direct approaches to the vendors, and spend a lot of

time with them to discover their perspectives about the right time to sell,” recalls Sterling “We’re always prepared to wait for the right opportunity. It might be that a potential vendor needed some time to wind down their existing business, or a year’s lease back to enable them to look for a smaller (or larger) premises elsewhere.

“If there is already something there, it must work for us at the existing use value. At Alchemy, we were happy to hold the existing industrial space, but the main aim was to get planning to create a life science campus.”

“A range of factors and issues influenced our decision-making, including the presence of very strong research institutions and unsatisfied demand. We also saw the accelerating pace of spinouts coming from the university into that market,” adds Levy.

BESPOKE BUT f LEXIBLE

Equally though, they’re determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past where developers often stuck too rigidly to their original model.

“Two years ago, we were thinking about a single phase at Alchemy, but once we took the time to fully understand the occupiers’ requirements and the science involved, we decided to create space which was bespoke, but also flexible,” says Sterling “Alchemy’s first stage is taking the space to ‘shell and core’, and getting all the landscaping done, so everything is finished externally.

“This phase will deliver the amenity block, café-deli, coworking space, conferencing facilities, the gym, and what we call ‘end of journey’ space, equipped with showers and lockers.

“We’re aiming for a biodiversity net gain of 30% and will be planting over 100 trees whilst removing as much of the existing hard ground surfaces as possible to attract wildlife.

“We appreciate potential tenants want to see how the lab space will look, so the first of eight suites will be fitted-out into two smaller suites, as we think there are only a couple of ways in which it could be used in a biology configuration, and the other suites we’ll fit-out to each occupier’s specific requirements.”

Levy says such flexibility goes to the heart of their development philosophy, especially given their life science focus.

“In a sector which is changing at such pace, it’s crucial to design and deliver buildings which can stand the tests of time.

“For us, it’s never just about getting something built and let, it’s more personal. We want to help tenants achieve their goals, but we also want to be proud of the campus, which is why it’s being built to BREEAM Excellent standards.”

Above: daniel Sterling (left) and Ariel levy - the co-founders of gen two real estate

INTIMATE KNO w LEDGE

Whilst the Gen Two model deliberately avoids the ‘one size fits all’ pitfall, it also prizes intimate knowledge of the local market. BCR Infinity Architects were chosen for Alchemy, and Levy explains why.

“We wanted a practice based in Cambridge which had previously worked with the council, so they had insight into the values and ambitions of the planning officers.

“We saw BCR’s Maurice Wilkes building, on St John’s Innovation Park, and very much liked both the design and end product.

“We’d also worked with them on a scheme which didn’t progress and been very taken with their design concept there.”

The same determination to fully engage at local level was highlighted by Gen Two’s rapport with South Cambridgeshire District Council.

“We had a great relationship right from the start, met them three times early on and then had a design panel review. They genuinely were one of the best local authorities I’ve ever dealt with,” says Sterling.

Gen Two also embraced an innovative council-led programme offering planning applicants the chance to meet the current (and future) generation of local residents.

The Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service’s Youth

Engagement Service is a real mouthful, so it was good to hear that it’s referred to as the YES programme, run by Bonnie Kwok and her team.

“It was spread over two days, so we first took pupils from the local primary school to the site and explained what we were planning,” says Sterling.

“We then went back to carry out an awards ceremony and talk to their parents, which was equally important. Although it’s a large site, it hadn’t been open to the public, so very few locals had ever walked across the land. We also carried out three parish council meetings, so we could engage with everyone.”

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Gen Two is that it’s run as a family office, which adds an extra dimension to its operations.

Above: constructive bio's cSo, Prof Jason chin (second from left), and ceo dr ola Wlodek (second from right) flanked by Ariel levy (left) and daniel Sterling

“One of the key things when you’re working for family, is not to lose money. If say, we were looking to underwrite an asset of £1m or £10m, our analysis, assumptions on growth and every element of our decision-making process is interrogated,” admits Levy.

“When we established Gen Two and were looking to acquire sites, we actually proceeded more slowly than we’d imagined, because we were being scrutinised, and it was very helpful because we didn’t get ahead of ourselves with unrealistic assumptions.”

Below: lab space at the lion Works location at Whittlesford, within the South cambridge bio-tech cluster

“As a family vehicle, we have to be more cautious, but equally, it offers the freedom to research potential acquisitions in depth because we’re not under pressure,” adds Sterling.

The presence of a family fund which still holds assets acquired during the recession of the early 90s, is also a very tangible reminder than real estate should be considered a long-term investment, not a short-term play. Nuance is a recurring theme with Gen Two’s co-founders, and even their trading name isn’t quite what it might seem, as Sterling explains.

“There are two elements. The obvious one is that we’re both the second generation of families which invested in real estate, but the ‘gen’ also ties into the gene of life sciences and genealogy.” ■

For more information on Gen Two Real Estate, please visit: https://gentwo.co.uk

Accelerating discovery

Prologis expands horizons of Cambridge Biomedical Campus

Life sciences represent one of the most exciting and dynamic fields today, driving innovations that have profound impacts on health and disease understanding.

At the forefront of this transformative sector is the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), an internationally renowned centre for patient care, scientific research, and education where Prologis has had a lead development role since 2010 when the Phase 1, 215,000 SqM modern-day expansion of the campus began.

The in-combination co-location on the campus of leading research functions including the Medical Research Councils Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the University of Cambridge with major teaching hospitals including Royal Papworth and Cambridge University Hospitals Trust and industry including GSK, Abcam, AstraZeneca and others, is unparalleled in the UK.

CBC’s expansion reflects its commitment to fostering a community where academic research, clinical excellence, and industry innovation come

together. This unique co-location enables companies to accelerate commercial tech-transfer timelines, bridging the gap between discovery and application. The campus is not just a science park; it is an integrated healthcare campus and part of the fabric of the local community.

This thriving environment has attracted significant investment and development and a Phase 2 expansion, underway, will add an additional 75,000SqM of commercial R&D space and clinical expansion. The Phase 2 masterplan design ensures a landscape-first approach, framing the laboratory and office buildings around an elevated grassland meadow. Nestled into this landscape is a state of the art semi sunken CycleParc which provides secure covered cycle spaces for the building occupiers.

To date Phase 2 has delivered 24,000SqM via Abcam’s purpose-built lab and office HQ building and the adjacent fully let multi-occupancy lab and office enabled 1000 Discovery Drive. As we look to the future, we anticipate the commencement of construction of

2000 Discovery Drive, an additional 13,000SqM of lab and office enabled space, set for completion in summer 2026. This new facility will provide flexible floorplates that can accommodate wet and dry laboratories and office space across six floors. Following this, the development of two more commercial buildings will commence, further enhancing the role of the campus in the community.

Prologis invests in logistics, where it is a market leader, and the life sciences sectors because of our unique position at the intersection of real estate, technology, and supply chain management. By leveraging our technological expertise and market leading understanding of logistics, Prologis is well-equipped to navigate and contribute to the life sciences industry, a field increasingly characterised by high-tech real-estate needs. Prologis's broader investment strategy, which focuses on innovation and a customer centric approach, aligns with the traits of the life sciences real estate market. Our focus on critical infrastructure sectors, namely logistics, life sciences and data centres—all three recognised as societal and political priorities—will help shape the future of real estate in our communities and for our customers. ■

For more information, please contact Andrew Blevins (ablevins@prologis.com) and Emily Bliss (ebliss@prologis.com) at Prologis.

1000 discovery drive, cambridge biomedical campus

C ATALyST For CHANGE

Ahead of Lab Innovations, the UK’s largest annual trade show for the lab sector, Breakthrough heard the views of two members of its advisory board.

Raj Patey works within the global non-profit organisation, My Green Lab, whilst Jiteen Ahmed is head of technical services for Aston University, but they share the same passionate belief that their industry is moving towards a sustainable future.

Patey has been with the US-headquartered giant for more than five years and was appointed business development director of Impact Laboratories in April 2022.

His core focus is to reduce the environmental impact of labs, by highlighting accountability, consistency and transparency issues around manufacturing energy and water, and persuading customers to choose more sustainable products.

“Since My Green Lab was founded in 2013, it has been advising labs globally on energy, water usage, chemical and consumable waste, and sourcing practices, and there’s been marked change in attitudes towards sustainability,” says Patey.

“Lab managers, researchers and procurement professionals have made significant progress, but now the responsibility has shifted from passionate, though

often-isolated, individuals to comprehensive institutional efforts to change operating procedures and supply chains.”

Patey cites the UK Research and Innovation’s environmental sustainability strategy and Wellcome’s sustainable standards as exemplars for providing frameworks which incentivise better ways to conduct lab work.

“Innovations in both research and industry require bravery and desire to push boundaries, although scientific decisionmakers can be surprisingly conservative when it comes to adapting processes,” he admits.

“Legitimate concerns, such as the fear of losing accreditation for critical procedures or incurring higher costs, can hinder change, and environmental advocates must challenge this mindset to drive the necessary transformations.”

STEP BY STEP

Patey’s experience has convinced him that small steps are the best way to overcome initial resistance, and to then implement lasting change.

“The first step is always to increase awareness, to help lab managers and technicians understand the impact of their labs on the environment, and to make them aware of the options available to mitigate it,” he says.

My Green Lab’s latest research into the biotech and pharma sectors revealed that their overall carbon impact continues to rise year-on-year, reaching 5% of all global emissions in 2022.

However, Patey does see positive signs, particularly that the UN has designated target outcomes for each sector under its Race to Zero initiative.

“Clearly, the trend towards sustainable laboratory practices is gathering momentum, and the challenge now is to take action to mitigate existing environmental damage,” he says.

“Events such as Lab Innovations promote collaboration and are the catalyst for vital conversations, are crucial for our industry to take cohesive steps towards a sustainable future.”

Ahmed, who aside from his Aston role also chairs the laboratory group at the Southern Universities’ Procurement Consortium (SUPC), says the exhibtion, at the Birmingham NEC on October 30th and 31st, will also address the shortage of technical staff.

Above: raj Patey from global non-profit organisation My green lab

Below: Jiteen Ahmed, head of technical services for Aston University

“Few people in the lab impact proceedings as significantly as technicians, who handle everything from the procurement of consumables and equipment, and the operation and maintenance of maintenance, to the support of students in meeting key learning objectives.

“They also assist academics with safety and compliance inspections and record-keeping, usually handle the disposal of hazardous materials and waste, and will often manage inventories, as well as making direct contributions to research.

“However, like many major sectors, including construction, education and medicine, the laboratory industry is suffering from a shortage of skilled workers.”

RECRUITMENT ISSUE

Ahmed says the recruitment issue is made more challenging for technicians by the nature of their job, which requires significant practical skills that can only be acquired via long experience.

“If someone is asked to provide a rapid diagnosis when instrumentation malfunctions, or required to source a chemical which is proving elusive to their colleagues at short notice, they need a great deal of accumulated knowledge and wide awareness of the industry.”

He is bullish about the outcome of efforts to increase the supply of technicians though and highlights the work of the £5.5m Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy, launched in March 2023 and funded by Research England, which operates within UKRI.

“The institute is hosted by the University of Nottingham, and headed by its director of technical strategy, Dr Kelly Vere, who is well-known in our industry for launching the Technician Commitment (TC) initiative back in 2017,” says Ahmed.

“Her concept of the four pillars, visibility, recognition, career recognition and sustainability, was instrumental in helping win recognition for the work and value of lab technicians, and particularly for ensuring that the industry was fully aware of their technical knowledge.”

Ahmed says Dr Vere’s initiative led to technicians being credited in research papers, both as named authors and for supporting roles, enabled them to apply for research grants, saw them recognised for teaching skills, and appointed to institutional decision-making bodies.

CRUCIAL ELEMENT

Another major impact was that apprentices were increasingly hired by the lab industry to safeguard the knowledge and experience of their technical staff.

However, Ahmed stresses that the central aim of the TC was not to elevate the status of technicians as an end in itself.

“The crucial element was to attract bright young people to technical roles and provide another source of talent for the scientific community,” he recalls.

“T-Levels, the new form of secondary education qualification which focus on vocational skills, degree apprenticeships and work placements are also helping strengthen the pipeline of new technicians.

“At the same time procurement consortia, such as the SUPC, are working to reduce the burden placed on technicians by producing framework agreements, and running competitive and compliant tender exercises to identify reliable and cost-effective suppliers.

“The lab industry is a jewel in the crown of British industry for innovation and discovery, but to continue to shine it must overcome challenges around sustainability and skill shortages.

“I share the conviction of Raj, and our peers, that by bringing together the industry’s brightest minds and key decision-makers, Lab Innovations is the place to achieve our goals.” ■

Join the UK lab community at Lab Innovations 2024 on 30 & 31 October at NEC, Birmingham. For more information, to book your stand or to register to attend, visit: www.lab-innovations.com

After steadily growing in scale and scope for more than a decade, it’s no surprise that the organisers of Lab Innovations expect the 2024 renewal at NEC Birmingham to break last year’s visitor record.

More than 4,300 delegates attended the 2023 show, and with more than 200 exhibitors already signed up for October 30th-31st, hopes for a new high look well-founded.

Easyfairs UK has worked with longterm partners, GAMBICA, Laboratory News and the Royal Society of Chemistry, to build a programme focused on presentations and discussions around sustainability and innovation, dovetailed with an array of interactive experiences.

The presence of Alpha Laboratories, Analytix, Bronkhorst UK, IKA, Integra Biosciences, Sartorious, Scientific Laboratory Supplies, SciMed, Veolia Water Technologies, Waters, and many more major brands, underlines the show’s international pulling power.

High expectations

As the laboratory industry gears up for the UK’s leading trade show dedicated to its sector, Breakthrough offers a glimpse of Lab Innovations 2024.

Artificial intelligence is the hottest topic in the world’s scientific community, and its pivotal role for the lab industry of the future is at the heart of the event’s newest focal point.

The Quality Infrastructure (QI) Forum will be hosted by the UK Accreditation Service, BSI, the National Physical Laboratory, which has been setting standards for British industry since 1900, and the US-headquartered global giant of standards, ASTM International.

Nicole Hawkins, marketing manager in the Lab Innovations team at Easyfairs UK, says the theatre-based sessions will allow delegates to expand their knowledge of lab accreditations, technical assessments and quality, as well as exploring the potential of AI.

“I believe this forum will be essential for professionals looking to enhance their understanding and implementation of QI in their organisations, because it allows them to connect with those shaping the future of laboratory quality management,” she says.

EasyFairs has also introduced a second forum, focusing on biotech, and such core topics as the latest research in personalised medicine, funding strategies and regulatory challenges.

“This forum will also be theatrebased, with an array of presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions led by industry leaders, and be a major attraction for biotech professionals and innovators, as well as other delegates,” says Hawkins.

A third element new to Lab Innovations is ‘Lab Square’, a dedicated space for networking at the centre of the exhibition, where delegates can connect with contacts old and new.

“We have a VIP lounge, which is always very popular with those looking to meet industry leaders, influencers and decision-makers, but we thought adding a second location for networking would allow even more people to come together,” says Hawkins. ■

For more information about Lab Innovations 2024, including details of exhibition space, tickets, travel and hotel options, please visit: lab-innovations.com or contact Nicole Hawkins directly on Nicole.Hawkins@easyfairs.com

Decentralise your Clinical Trial Research with alpha solutions

Expand your potential pool of participants by sampling remotely, using complete bespoke Blood Collection Kits.

Why build research sampling kits in partnership with Alpha Solutions?

• Easily attain UN3373 compliance to P650 guidelines allowing the safe transport of blood

• Utilise high quality kit components for safe and successful sample collection

• Achieve effective messaging through customised and branded kits

• Meet sustainability objectives with environmentally conscious packaging

• Streamline logistics processes with stock holding, despatch and return solutions

To learn more about Alpha Solutions or discuss your custom kit requirements, reach out to kits@alphalabs.co.uk

Atrusted partner to the global research community providing innovative water purification and delivery systems, Avidity Science was founded in 1969 and acquired by ATS in 2023.

Avidity Science offer a range of laboratory water purification systems and recently launched the Solo™ S, a new Ultrapure water system with reusable cartridges, that’s designed to boost sustainability, reduce plastic waste and offer cost savings.

The Solo™ S has a novel system design that allows plastic consumables to be re-used, instead of disposed of, as part

of the AvRecycle™ plan, providing up to 90% reduction in carbon emissions relating to plastic production. The Solo™ S automatically switches to energy saving mode after a period of inactivity, reducing energy consumption for your laboratory and also offers a 5-inch intuitive, icon-based, touch screen and Near Field Communication (NFC) for cartridge identification and traceability, paperless data logging and acquisition capability which meets regulatory compliance, is easily accessible and supports critical research needs.

cUTP is a unique business location, offering flexible, serviced office space to small and growing firms as well as conference accommodation and business support.

Neighbouring Milton Keynes, CUTP is a thriving innovation habitat, with facilities, supported by the worldrenowned research capabilities of Cranfield University.

CUTP is home to over 50 businesses, ranging from start-up companies through to internationally recognised brands.

CUTP’s location places it at the heart of a thriving economic region, at the heart of the Oxford- Cambridge Arc. As well as excellent road links and free car parking spaces, it boasts easy access to the rail network, as well as Cranfield University’s own airport.

CRAN f IELD INNOVATION CENTRE (CIC)

CIC is tailored to the needs of small and growing businesses, offering serviced offices on flexible up to

Avidity Science in the UK is also an exclusive distributor for laboratory equipment, including CO2 Incubators and Biological Safety Cabinets, Systec autoclaves and media preparation. Supporting our product portfolio is our Avidity service team, comprising 20 field-based engineers, fully to install, commission, train and maintain our systems for our customers. ■

For more information, please visit: www.AvidityScience.com

1,780 sq ft, with a recently refurbished Café, meeting rooms, conference facilities and administrative support.

CIC tenants include aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, software design and business consultancies.

Flexible office solutions are available, that allow you to grow and evolve, without being held back by inflexible lease agreements.

TRENT h OUSE | DER w ENT h OUSE

Both buildings are multi-occupation buildings, providing offices for established businesses, from 2,000 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft.

Current tenants, include those that have moved from start-up space, in the CIC.

CON f ERENCING

CUTP’s on-site meeting rooms and conference facilities, are available to hire, for all businesses.

CIC includes a large conference room, with seating for 25 people and two meeting rooms, for 8-10 people.

All rooms have wireless access points and modern audio visual equipment. Catering is available from the café. ■

Find us at Cranfield University Technology Park, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0BT

For more information, please visit: www.cranfieldtechnologypark.co.uk

cranfield University technology Park is situated at the axis of the oxford to cambridge Arc focused on science, technology, engineering, and management

Solo™ S UVled - a tap to type 1 water purification system

clean Air keeps laboratory personnel safe with state-ofthe-art fume cupboards, ventilated enclosures, and extract systems. We specialise in designing, manufacturing, installing, commissioning, testing, and servicing this safety-critical equipment.

And when you choose Clean Air's next-generation fume cupboards, you’re partnering with a company that is not only committed to delivering the highest quality products but also to promoting environmental responsibility in laboratories.

We provide cutting-edge, sustainable fume cupboard solutions across the UK, and have a successful track record of meeting commercial laboratories’ requirements. Our client-centred design process ensures that each project is tailored to meet the application’s individual needs. From start-ups to large, established labs, our experienced

team has you covered with our standard and bespoke fume cupboards.

As an environmentally responsible organisation, since 2017 we’ve halved our Scope 1&2 carbon emissions, even as our turnover has doubled. We’ve developed energy-efficient options for our fume cupboard ranges. These include VAV and auto sash systems to support our customers’ initiatives to cut their carbon footprint, and our friendly team of experts is on hand to advise on your project.

We’ve combined our sustainability ethos with our commitment to innovation, investing in disruptive technologies to pioneer an alternative to testing with Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6). SF6 is the industry’s standard test method and the worst greenhouse gas. Now we’re the only fume cupboard manufacturer who can offer net-zero fume cupboard testing using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)! This can save ~3 tonnes of CO2e per unit.

So, whether you need one fume cupboard or twenty; walk-ins, mobile, fixed ducted or recirculation models; off-the-shelf or customised; working with Clean Air you’re aligning with a company dedicated to providing top-quality products while prioritising safety, efficiency, and environmental responsibility in laboratory settings. Join us on the journey. ■

For more information, please visit: www.cleanairltd.co.uk

the plain vertical sliding sash is the most common sash arrangement by clean Air, sliding upwards to allow access to the fume cupboard chambers

t-SQUARED design, build, validate and maintain highly specialised facilities for hightech regulated industries. Our clients’ work changes the world. And our work makes it possible.

From leaders in life sciences to space pioneers to quantum innovators, we are trusted by some of the smartest people in the world to turn their vision into hard-working facilities.

U NI q UELY INTEGRATED

T-SQUARED offer a uniquely integrated end-to-end service, which reduces costs and improves timescales.

As a single highly specialised supplier we can take your ideas from concept and scoping, through design and engineering, to construction, installation of specialist equipment, and validation. We can even provide dedicated operational service and maintenance.

T URNKEY DELIVERY

We cover new builds, refurbishments

Science Parks are home to many of the most visionary organisations in the UK and Europe, reaching for new ideas and designing products and services to create the future.

Clients need an environment with the best technical design and standards to help them achieve their goals. Managing a large-scale Science Park, with multiple buildings and clients growing their businesses every day, requires a reliable, resilient, and flexible superfast internet and WiFi network as standard.

technologywithin provide WiFi, superfast internet and workspace management software to over 15,000 clients every day. We create bespoke solutions for every site, from design through to day-to-day support, allowing Science Park operators to focus on

and conversions of all sizes. All RIBA stages of work from 0–7.

We can support your project though Performance Qualification, validation and Operational Qualification. And beyond, providing ongoing specialist maintenance, backed up with the expertise of the whole T-SQUARED network.

Through our fully integrated approach to design and build projects, T-SQUARED specialise in the fast-track delivery of specialist facilities. We have a 100% track-record in delivery.

fOR SPECIALISED INDUSTRIES

We deliver mission-critical facilities fast, and to extremely high operating standards – even in live operational environments.

We have the experience to take it from a blank piece of paper to a completed and validated build, ready to operate.

running their business. Whatever the workspace, technologywithin are there to enhance the working environment.

We offer not just great quality managed internet and WiFi services but also the analysis and management tools, backed up by expert technical support, which enable operators to have complete control over their network, flexing their offering instantly as your clients grow.

technologywithin’s products come together to offer a flexible and future-proof solution for managing the next generation of workspace. Our twiin portfolio delivers connectivity, management and voice services - the complete workspace management solution.

Public and private sectors

Delivering across all kinds of high tech and highly regulated industries for both public and private sectors:

• Life sciences • Pharmaceuticals

• Biotechnology • Medical devices

• Aviation

• Manufacturing

• Quantum • Animal health

• Space • Research+development

• And others. ■

For more information, please visit: www.tsquared.co.uk

Connectivity is vital for modern business technologywithin’s data service twiindata, not only delivers fast, reliable connections, it also offers advanced bandwidth management tools that can be managed easily and help open up additional upselling opportunities.

The only workspace management tool you’ll ever need

All the key features - sales pipeline, contract management, billing, meeting room bookings, plus a whole lot more.

Solutions that work for operators and their clients

Easy to manage, easy to use and with a wealth of useful features, this is the voice platform that delivers everything the modern workspace needs. ■

For more information, please visit: technologywithin.com

For over 50 years, Linesight have provided professional consultancy services, management support and strategic advice to the global construction industry in a wide range of areas, delivering world-class projects for leading life sciences clients.

Our team of industry subject matter experts bring deep understanding of the inherent challenges and opportunities of large-scale projects and are increasingly seen as thought leaders in the industry. We use market leading benchmarking techniques against research, evidence and expertise in complex project and program management to fully understand key insights and trends.

We have earned a reputation as a world leader in our field – a global network of local experts, providing faster project delivery, maximum cost-efficiency and best value. We are a dynamic, fast-growing business, while still maintaining a more personal and boutique-firm feel. Our life sciences work is supported by teams of experienced professionals from our offices around the world with knowledge of pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and medical device industries and are appointed based on our expertise across multiple sectors of industry - from labs,

warehouses, cold rooms, API, solid dosage, packaging, fill/finish, and biologics. This level of experience and knowledge gives Linesight an in-depth understanding of the manufacturing processes, as well as of quality and validation procedures.

Our services are focused on:

• Driving optimum value through market-leading benchmarking and market intelligence

• Ensuring robust and defined project methodologies

• Setting clear project success criteria

• Providing governance and assurance

• Challenging design assumptions

• Enabling real-time decision-making through effective data management

• Managing project delivery at every critical milestone

We strive to improve capital efficiency, predictability and effectiveness for our clients by cutting through complexity. Through our authentic guidance we enable the most informed CAPEX and OPEX project investment decisions. Our focus on building meaningful, long-term relationships is embedded in our culture, and has lead to a repeat business rate of over 84%. ■

For more information about Linesight, please visit: linesight.com

The University of Warwick Science Park (UWSP) Ltd 's chief operations officer and head of special projects, Mark Tock , reflects on its remarkable 40-year

history and looks to its future.

LEADER OF A TEAM

Brand-building is relentless in today’s ultra-competitive world, so it’s a refreshing pleasure to meet someone who not only pays tribute to their predecessors - but is equally happy to identify his personal ‘science park hero’.

There have only been three chief operating officers since UWSP was founded; David Rowe, who led it from its inception until 2011, and the late David Grindrod, who then held the role until 2022.

Their presence is still felt, but it’s an excellent sign that Tock, who celebrated his second year in charge in June, shares their enthusiasm, endeavour and love of science.

A life science specialist by trade, he readily admits he’s an admirer of one of UKSPA’s co-founders, Dr Malcolm Parry, who was awarded a PhD in the subject.

“He was of the same vintage as David Rowe, did an outstanding job at Surrey Research Park and he’s a good person too. Knows what he’s doing and speaks his mind,” says Tock.

He also offers a nuanced view on one of the park’s very first tenants, Sir Clive Sinclair, a whirlwind of innovation, who designed the first pocket calculator, the first home computer, the first mini-TV, and much more, but whose reputation was sullied by one high-profile flop.

His far-sighted invention of a battery-assisted pedal powered tricycle, the Sinclair C5, was intended to reduce fossil fuel consumption and reduce traffic congestion, but his creation was relentlessly mocked for mechanical and technical defects.

Unlike his contemporary, Apple’s Steve Jobs, Sinclair failed to ally his technological genius to powerful marketing campaigns to capture potential customers - or

embrace the need to focus relentlessly on the fine detail of designs or product launches.

“Some view the C5 as a business failure, but I think he was just very much ahead of his time. Many of his inventions inspired the next generation of entrepreneurs who then created market-leading products,” says Tock.

UWSP’s first building was an incubator unit (the Venture Centre) sponsored by Barclays Bank, and public-private relationships have propelled its progress since Margaret Thatcher performed the official opening.

As a chemistry graduate from Oxford’s Somerville College - and whose tutor, Dorothy Hodgkin, is still the only British woman to win

a Nobel Prize for science - she well understood the compelling case for linking research-focused universities to science parks.

Mrs Thatcher’s prescient remarks in February 1984 applied equally throughout the UK’s science park community, which was then taking its first steps from concept to reality.

“We turned the development of scientific research to the advantage of our people through the industrial revolution, but the new electronic revolution has been taken up more vigorously, as far as industry is concerned, both in the United States and Japan,” she said.

“You though have found a way to harness the inventive genius of the scientist to the venture capital of the banks, and to add to that the management of industrial development and turning discovery and creative ideas to the advantage of the population as a whole.”

Baroness Thatcher’s enthusiasm for UWSP was undimmed when it celebrated its 20th anniversary.

“The idea of drawing business into a constructive partnership, utilising innovative new technology and the latest scientific developments to generate enterprise, was still very fresh in the early 80s,” she wrote.

“I congratulate those who had the imagination to conceive this project, and those who have subsequently shown commitment to its success. It’s a marvellous example of how, through partnership, the very latest ideas can be harnessed for the benefit of a wider world.”

SPECTACULAR SCALE

She would have been even more impressed to hear of its subsequent growth, as Tock reels off an array of information and statistics.

“The transformation over 40 years really is spectacular. In 1984, there was a huge area between the University of Warwick and the park, mostly just open fields and meadows.

“Now though, there’s been so much expansion that the campus abuts the park, so there’s a physical manifestation of the relationship between the two, and their colocation is a very tangible reason for companies to come here.

“To have a Russell Group university, with 28,000 students and an international

Growth

reputation as a powerhouse of worldleading research, is an enormous pull.

“UWSP currently operates more than 500,000 sq ft of commercial space, across five locations between Coventry and Solihull, and also acts as the managing agent for 85,000 sq ft at the University of Warwick’s innovation Campus, Stratford-upon-Avon.

“It indicates the scale of those operations that we have a team of 37 people helping to deliver our property and facility services, and that we have now developed more than 42 acres.”

Three of Tock’s colleagues operate the not-for-profit organisation, Minerva Business Angels, which focuses on high-growth tech companies, and has assisted almost 100 companies to raise close to £70m.

“Today, across all our locations, we support close to 150 companies, whereas originally, we just provided incubator space for a handful of start-ups.

“If someone has a good idea, but don’t need an office, we can support them as well as if they need a workshop or a lab, and later we can offer them grow-on space.

“At the opposite end of the scale, we could provide a standalone 20,000 sq ft building for use as a regional HQ. Equally, some tenants expand so significantly that they bring together teams from different locations.

In March, Bosch Mobility UK consolidated staff from three offices on the park into the i-House and they now have around 90 people there.

At the heart of the Bosch operation is a team of engineers, designing and developing software applications for the automotive industry.

Sharing your success, best practice, and lessons learned

“Everything they do is about collaboration, so this is the ideal location with the university, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) right here,” says Tock.

Even before the fit-out was completed, the four-storey NAIC designed by Cullinan Studio was an impressive sight inside and out, with an array of display areas, engineering halls, and technical labs delivering 33,000 sq metres of internal space.

It came with a chunky price-tag of £150m, and a demanding strategic brief - to bring together industry and academia to research and develop transport solutions for a sustainable and decarbonised future - but has proved a sound investment.

“Naturally, much of the work being done there is confidential, but even a flavour of what is happening is hugely impressive,” says Tock.

“It is a showcase for the auto industry, a place where firms go to display their innovations to the world, and it’s also a wonderful place in itself.

The landmark building is also a fitting symbol of the contribution made by Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, who came to the University of Warwick before its science park existed, founded the WMG, and was chairman until his death in 2019.

the National Automotive innovation centre (NAic) is a showcase for the auto industry

Photo credit: Nick dimbleby

The ‘force of nature’ tag is regularly misapplied, but not here. He had a huge impact on the automotive industry, academia and government policy, and played a significant role in the decision of Tata Motors to acquire the floundering and cash-strapped Jaguar Land Rover.

“As a Yorkshireman, it’s not easy to admit, but the West Midlands has been the leading region for technological innovation since the first industrial revolution, and Lord B, as he is still affectionately known, was one of the automotive sector’s giants,” says Tock.

“We’re proud that so many companies here operate in crucial strategic sectors and are addressing global issues around sustainability and decarbonisation.

“We do have a powerful automotive presence, but if you walked around the park, you’d also see enterprises focused on consumer electronics, drug testing and novel delivery systems, life sciences, crop research and in many other niches.

“We even have a company designing heart monitors for dogs, which will definitely add several points to the happiness scale for owners.”

f INE DETAILS

WUSP operates on a 10-year strategic plan, but looking so far over the horizon doesn’t mean the fine detail is forgotten.

Last year, the team at its Ignite incubator began steadily reconnecting with the 750 companies which had accessed its programmes, to provide a valuable resource for those entrepreneurs and the current generation.

It’s the circular economy given physical form, and another network is being created across all five locations to help fledgling enterprises gain crucial support and engage with other start-ups and SMEs.

“Our latest development of business lounges will provide space

the Venture

on the edge of Birmingham, in Warwick and in Coventry, so if someone just wants to bounce between locations to do business in a single day, they can do so,” says Tock.

“It’s easy to hear the stories of successful entrepreneurs and imagine their journeys were easy, but starting a business can be a lonely place, and we believe these lounges will make a real difference.”

The scale of the difference which UWSP has made on the UK’s innovation landscape was revealed this year, when research by the Financial Times and the global data and business intelligence platform, Statista, placed it among Europe’s elite locations for start-ups.

“It was hugely satisfying to see ourselves rated in the top 5% for the quality of our accelerator and incubator programmes in Europe, and that we were the only UK science park to receive such an accolade made us even prouder,” says Tock.

“It’s one thing to believe that you’re all doing a great job, but to see that confirmed by independent and peer-reviewed research is something else.”

The next development phase will be to increase density on the UWSP, which will happen within the coming 18 months.

Tock bubbles with anticipation, although he can’t reveal more, but listening to him enthuse about the UWSP, it’s easy to understand why his two predecessors stayed for so long.

“I never come in on any day without having my mind blown in some way, perhaps some new technology, or an invention, or maybe meeting an amazingly clever person. You can’t predict what will happen, but it is just amazing.” ■

For more about the UWSP, visit www.warwicksciencepark.co.uk

Above:

centre, UWSP's first building was officially opened in 1984 by then british PM Margaret thatcher

Above: the team at UWSP recently celebrated the site's 40th birthday

Ready to Run

E a se of use, simplified analysis , an d hi gh ly

e xpandable: The new IRSpirit-X s eri es of FTIR

s p e ctrophotometers provides acc urate and reliable

I R analysis solutions for a var ie t y of industries.

Wi t h an optimized optical system and de t ectors,

t h e compact-sized IRSpirit-X seri es co ver users’

d e m ands from sensitivity to reasonab le p ricing.

Great for Small Lab Spaces

d u e to very small footprint and la rge sample

c o mpartment for accessories

I R P ilot pre-build macro program an d S p e ctrum advisor function

a l lows easy and quick analysis even for u n e xperienced users.

10-year Warranty

t h e IRSpirit-X series components a re c ov ered b y a 10-year warranty.

FOCUS ON SpACE

More than £100m is being invested in the latest development phase at North-East Technology Park (NETPark), as project director Janet Todd explained to Breakthrough.

Partnership is a concept to which so many pay merely lip service, so it’s heartwarming to see it in practice throughout NETPark’s systems and structures.

It’s perfectly exemplified by Janet Todd’s workplace which, given her role, you’d expect to be a comfy office far from the sprawling site where the latest expansion is underway.

Instead, it’s a distinctly humble portable cabin amidst the construction works, though the unlikely location visibly hasn’t dimmed her cheerful demeanour.

“Kier have been our partner for years and do a wonderful job. We appreciate that they employ modern method construction techniques, re-use and recycle materials on site, and even make sure that the temporary electrical systems are energy-efficient,” says Todd.

“Their regional director, Daniel Doherty, told us it’s the first time they’ve ever worked with a client whose project director is based on their site. We feel part of the Kier family and are right inside the design team.

“It’s great to be here at the centre of everything. It means we get the best out of our construction partner, and they get the best out of us.”

BUILDING UP

As of late-July, the huge build programme is ahead of schedule and on budget, and it’s impossible not to link her on-site presence to those impressive achievements.

However, given the scale of NETPark’s plans, Todd’s clearly going to be there for quite some time longer.

Eleven new buildings will deliver 232,150 sq. ft of lab and scale-up production space, with individual units ranging from 11,500 sq. ft to 35,700 sq. ft, across seven hectares.

A further nine hectares are also scheduled to be developed, and the first element will be a 140,000 sq. ft building for a single company, on which construction should begin early in the New Year.

“Our first two phases have been fully occupied for three years, during which time we had increasing demand for grow-on space from existing tenants, and inquiries from potential ones, so it was decided back in 2021 to begin planning the third phase,” recalls Todd.

“There will be lab space which can be developed into clean rooms, alongside office space. It’s very flexible in design terms, so occupiers can fine-tune it for their specific requirements, and there’ll also be walking routes, cycle paths, breakout areas and rest points.

“Six of the eleven units have been reserved by tenants who need space to expand. We began issuing ‘heads of terms’ agreements’ in early

July, and everything is proceeding very smoothly.

“We started on site in July 2023, construction is scheduled to complete next February, and we’re working very closely with our delivery partner, Clear Futures, and their supply chains, to ensure every stage of the build dovetails with each company’s operational needs.”

It’s an ambitious project, which is reflected in the chunky sums

NETPark tenants have already allocated to fit-out their new space.

“Some companies will be spending between £3m and £4m, and although others won’t be investing so much, it does indicate the scale of their ambition, and their commitment to this park and the wider region,” says Todd.

Once again, as the conversation turns to design of the new units, the theme of partnership comes to the fore.

“We have a long-term relationship with Ryder Architects, who have been brilliant for ourselves and done great work for multiple companies here,” says Todd.

vs supply chain numbers suggests that would create more than 4,000 jobs throughout the North-East.

She also points out that there’ll be a significant secondary benefit for NETPark as the new space is occupied.

“One of the challenges in recent years is that, because our existing occupiers have been growing at such pace, we’ve not been able to service the pipeline of inquiries from potential tenants,” says Todd.

“However, as companies begin moving into the new phase, we’ll be able to re-purpose their space to suit smaller firms who want to be here, such as university spinouts, start-ups and SMEs, who are either from the North-East or have been attracted to the region.”

PO w ER O f PARTNERS h IPS Collaboration and partnership are two sides of the strategic coin, so it’s pleasing to hear Todd explain how NETPark supports its tenants in multiple ways.

Above: An aerial view of the NetPark site where phase three of development will include up to 232,000 square feet of new laboratory, office and production space

“We introduced them to every enterprise which is taking grow-on space, they created initial designs which were well received, and all six have since expressed a desire to work with them.

“Obviously, the main reason is the quality of Ryder’s work, but I’ve been here more than 17 years and we have always enjoyed a high level of trust from our tenants. If we find something or someone works for us, we find they generally agree.”

It’s easy to understand why the initial concepts proved appealing, after looking at both Ryder’s impressive design portfolio and its intriguing heritage.

Its origins stretch back to 1953, when two young architects met in the office of the modernist pioneer, Berthold Lubetkin, before working with two legends of their industry, Le Corbusier and Ove Arup, and then setting up their own practice in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Todd calculates that delivering the new phase should double the park’s employment tally to around 1,500, and the accepted property industry multiplier for direct jobs

“If companies are struggling to access finance from banks or other sources, we can often help them through the North-East Development Capital Fund or the Finance Durham Fund, both of which are managed by Maven Capital Partners,” she says.

“The Durham Business Growth Fund managed by Business Durham is another option.

Companies might come and ask us about a particular piece of kit they need, or when they’ve had an idea, but can’t develop it fully because they don’t have the technology.

“A core element of our work is to make those connections and support them with our contacts throughout this region. It might be finance, or technology, or it might just be knowledge.

“We are a science park, but we’ve also evolved into a cluster of advanced technologies, and there’s a very strong eco-system and support structure here.

“Ourselves, Business Durham, our five regional universities and the colleges work very closely to tailor training courses so companies can recruit the people

they need, which might be apprentices, higher-level trainees or graduates.”

The same collaborative mindset was evident from the moment the county council began planning the expansion, through its ‘Vision for County Durham’ strategy, which Todd says is not simply about creating more jobs, but about delivering better-quality jobs.

With funding of almost £50m coming from the council’s coffers, it is clearly the driving force for the latest phase at strategic and financial level, but other regional partners chipped in.

A grant of just over £5 from the North-East LEP funded construction of the highway infrastructure required to open up the land for development, and the North-East Combined Authority then provided £10.7m, alongside a second tranche (£3.9m) from the LEP.

“Our strategic importance to the region saw us designated as a Growth Site, through the creation of a new regional investment zone aligned to the North-East devolution deal, and it’s great to see so many organisations collaborating so effectively,” says Todd.

INVALUABLE INVESTMENT

The presence of three Catapults, one focused on high-value manufacturing, another on satellite applications and the space sector, and the third on compound semiconductor applications, alongside the Centre for Process Innovation, has proved invaluable.

“It’s always a challenge for companies to discover how they get work in the space industry, but we’ve advised several how to diversify to meet that sector’s requirements, and it’s proving very successful,” says Todd.

“In April, Filtronic signed a strategic partnership and commercial agreement with SpaceX, worth close to £16m just for the initial order, to supply solid-state power amplifiers to Starlink’s satellites which are used to deliver broadband internet around the world.”

The first consignment of the modules, which will send signals between the satellites and Space X’s ground stations, is due for delivery during 2025, and Filtronic says SpaceX has already committed to ongoing orders for the next five years.

It’s an impressive tribute to a company which came to the park a decade ago, and has since steadily increased its revenues, employment numbers and the scale of its operations.

Filtronic’s success owes much to the support from NETPark and Business Durham, not least the £150,000 it received during 2021 from the County Durham Growth Fund towards a £1m capital investment, which it needed to increase capacity and accelerate its growth.

The presence of a space cluster has also attracted the park’s next major tenant, which has commissioned the 140,000 sq. ft build project.

“It’s going to be bespoke space for a business in a space-related sector,” says Todd. “Heads of terms have already gone out to our preferred contractor, and we hope to announce the appointment very soon.”

The North-East has enjoyed a reputation for winning inward investment projects since Nissan came to Sunderland in 1986, and Department for Business and Trade data shows it attracted almost 4,300 jobs during the 2023-2024 financial year.

It would certainly be a fitting tribute to the ambition of the county council, Business Durham, and the NETPark team if the next such project helped unlock the mysteries of space. ■

For more about NETPark, visit www.northeasttechnologypark.com

Above: An artist's impression of the new future look at NetPark

Opportunities to promote your engagement with the innovation sector and celebrate 40 years of UKSpA are available in the next issue 23 of Breakthrough - which will be distributed at UKSpA’s 40th Anniversary Conference at the University of Warwick on 16-18 October. For more information, call Krishan on 07539 321 345 or email krishan@breakthroughdigital.co.uk

Impact

Taking care of your people, places and public perception

JOURNE y of DISCOv ERy

Discovery Park ’s head of innovation and venture development, Renos Savva , guided us along the peaks and pathways of his intriguing career.

Embracing challenges requires a positive mindset but overcoming them also demands deep reserves of commitment and a passionate desire to succeed, and it’s clear that Renos Savva has those qualities in abundance.

In the post-pandemic era, Savva - then a life science research translation-focused academic at the University of London’s evening college, Birkbeck - found that in common with many at academic institutions, the landscape had changed dramatically.

Universities across the country retrenched their resources towards restoring student numbers and promoting undergraduate courses.

After serial rounds in which talented and experienced colleagues accepted voluntary severance or early retirement, Savva opted instead to follow his professional star.

“I relish the challenges and expectations of being in the growth game, of translating research into commercial opportunities and enterprises, and decided to do so in a more enabling setting,” he recalls.

Savva’s professional journey began in the mid-90s, when as a talented and ambitious life scientist, his academic mentor at

UCL indicated that his research into molecular biology showed tangible signs of generating novel outcomes.

With a PhD background in biochemistry and molecular biology at UCL, his resolute desire to see where his experiments might lead, placed him unexpectedly on a path of entrepreneurship, business and mentorship.

He’d invented the Combinatorial Domain Hunting technology in the late 1990s as a junior research fellow in his laboratory at Birkbeck, quickly appreciating that only commercial revenue could subsidise the patent to protect it internationally.

The biotech startup Domainex provided the business vehicle, which by 2007 had become a successful spin-out from Savva’s university laboratory, and by 2010 was part of the Cambridge tech ecosystem.

“An alternative would have been to use licensing, where the university paid for no-one knew if the technology I had invented would have value or be useful,” says Savva.

“Along with my co-founder colleagues, we had prove its worth, which was how my journey entrepreneurship However, the real were the institute

offices, particularly at the Institute of Cancer Research.

“Without them, scientific advisers, colleagues, business specialists from the university and elsewhere, alongside the science team, the company couldn’t have existed.

“I learned about business on the job, from a CEO, who was contracted for one day a week although seemed to work seven, and a very-focused business development consultant.

“For several years I accompanied them on business trips and meetings. I showcased the science whilst they concentrated on the business, to make it interesting to pharmaceutical and larger biotech companies.

“I also got involved in the development of commercial documents when the minutiae had been completed.”

DECORATED JOURNEY

Scientific and business plaudits decorated the journey. Savva won London First’s ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2005. Two years later, Domainex was chosen by UK Trade & Investment for its ‘Innovation in Enabling Biotechnology’ award.

Subsequently, Birkbeck invited Savva to develop a postgraduate course to enable others to support science outside academia and understand the entrepreneurial journey as it applied to novel research.

“In collaboration with Prof. Helen Lawton Smith from the management and business school, we evolved a course to benefit from any background interest in science who understand how science businesses,” he recalls. quickly attracted the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral (LIDo). modules, we showed science ecosystem underlined the networking, and most post-doctoral not in labs,” he says.

“I used my experiences to give researchers confidence that they could become entrepreneurs if they wanted - but didn’t have to know everything about business.

“However, they did have to be passionate about why their science was going to make a difference, and importantly, they’d need to build business alliances with people.”

LIDo’s support sustained the weekly industry masterclasses at Birkbeck that detailed the links between science and business.

The most successful startup to have been inspired by the programme was BoobyBiome, a venture established to bridge the gap in infant health by helping more babies access the benefits of the breastmilk microbiome.

Founded by three female scientists, Savva still vividly recalls the enthusiasm of its co-founder and CEO, Dr Lydia Mapstone, for the science, and for the difference she hoped it would make on infant mortality, especially in developing countries.

“She was brilliant and very committed. They took immediate aim at the BioTech YES competition, steamed ahead and never looked back. When I saw them named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024 in April, I couldn’t have been more pleased.”

As he considered leaving Birkbeck, Savva turned to his life science network and identified a notable opportunity.

After several ‘meetings of minds’ with bio-tech veteran and Discovery Park chairman, Martino Picardo, he joined the Kent-based business, science and technology hub.

T h RIVING OPPORTUNITIES

For Savva, it was the appeal of an environment where fledgling science-based entrepreneurs could encounter like minds, receive encouragement to grow, and discover Grade A lab space in which they could thrive, creating opportunity and jobs.

A great attractor to the site was that space for hire, which has potential to house dozens of more sustainable smaller enterprises.

Sealing the deal was its forward-thinking business development team, led by Chief Business Officer Jane Kennedy.

Discovery Park Ventures (DPV), an investment fund targeting ambitious early-stage life science ventures with models based on disruptive innovation, had been launched less than a year before his arrival, so the timing was ideal.

One of DPV’s earliest investments had been into BoobyBiome, which provided another satisfying resonance for Savva’s relocation.

Other early investments of note, having since raised further revenues, were Vitarka Therapeutics, VisusNano and Neobe Therapeutics, among the current total of twelve.

The latest in the fund that is giving early stage and higher risk small tickets a chance is an investment in RS&RS Scientific, with its precision approach to therapeutic intervention in solid tumours.

Savva’s initial aim as head of innovation was to design programmes to enhance founders’ skills, insights and create support networks. To provide tangible form to Discovery Park’s strategic vision by prioritising scientific solutions and innovations for health service provision.

By the close of 2024, his Discovery Spark programme will have assisted three cohorts of founders, accelerating the growth readiness of more than 30 companies in the space of just fourteen months.

Last November, Pfizer announced that redundancy would again impact the site. Its life science and drug discovery operations had commanded the local economy

discovery Park is a vast complex of high quality office space created on the site of the former Pfizer facility in Kent

since 1954, then catastrophically impacted it after a large-scale redundancy round in 2011.

The latest news created urgent work for the BD team and the fund.

“When an international company like Pfizer slashes employment by 50%, it sends out negative signals about the potential future of an area’s economy,” says Savva.

“To mitigate this impact, we wasted no time in running a series of startup bootcamps. As a result, three new ventures and a fourth on the cusp, have been established by some of those made redundant, helping to retain scientific talent in the region.

“Our strategic alignment with an on-site Barclays Eagle Lab enabled us to support business readiness and growth, as well as offer incubator space for techfocused startups.

“We believe in the organic repopulation of our space with a new generation of SMEs. We actively support the translation of top-tier scientific research with the University of Kent at Canterbury, to showcase and encourage commercialisation-potential exploration, particularly from their UKRI Impact Accelerator Account (IAA) awardees.

“By working with the Barclays Eagle Labs ecosystem, and other specialists from the local authority and Innovate UK, we add weight to our tailored advice, ensuring comprehensive support for these new ventures.”

EVOLVING STRATEGY

Reflecting both the park’s evolving strategy and his new responsibilities, Savva’s title was expanded to become head of innovation and venture development in July.

“If, in the next five years, we can help multiple companies establish sustainably, it will ultimately have a greater impact than a giant company employing very large numbers, but with no direct interest in the local area” he says.

“We also work with local universities and support PhD programmes like LIDo and SoCoBio to assist students in considering business thinking.

“The Discovery Start suite of individually tailored commercial readiness workshops has already assisted several entrepreneurial PhD and IAA university groups during early 2024, and an autumn cohort following.

“Discovery Start equips scientists with commercial and transferrable skills awareness via diverse approaches. We’re also working alongside key colleagues in the NHS to create meaningful commercial conduits for innovative health offerings.

“The second cohort of founders in Discovery Spark, specialising in closing the health equity gap in Women’s Health, was an early fruit of this alliance, supporting novel solutions aimed directly at underserved health service provision.

“Research in the life and medical sciences is costly, requiring expensive infrastructure and equipment, plus haulage of chemicals, single use plastics and other consumables which need specialist sites and carbon and waste mitigation.

“The site generates its own electricity via biomass, and treats all its wastewater, returning it to the environment via natural reedbeds, so it’s a more sustainable model that was ahead of its time.

“There is enormous construction of lab space, in London particularly, but our buildings are already here, so that carbon debt has been mitigated over decades.”

A partnership between Discovery Park and Canterbury

Christ Church University (CCCU) was unveiled in July, under the CoLaB brand which, as the name implies, offers shared access to lab and bench space.

“Would-be entrepreneurs can de-risk their science adjacent to the CCCU Community-lab. The resident technician is employed equally between us and the university, and on hand to assist enterprises with equipment needs,” says Savva.

“Furthermore, CCCU and Discovery Park have another strategic alliance around shared data lab resources for digital innovations to take root and add value to healthcare.”

DPV’s fund intends to attract investor support to spread its risk more widely, aiming to grow the value of its holdings to £25m over the next five years, mirroring the term of the new government.

Savva admits he and his colleagues were pleased to see Sir Patrick Vallance appointed as the minister for science.

“He understands how Big Pharma works, his knowledge of scientific research is evident, so hopefully he will stay for longer and have an impact which his many predecessors didn’t.” ■

For more information about Discovery Park Ventures, please visit: https://discovery-park.co.uk/ investment-discovery-park-ventures

Above: based at discovery Park, Algaecytes is a revolutionary biotechnology company harnessing the incredible potential of algae

S PONSOR e D CONT e NT

Monmouth Scientific’s sales director, Julian Mussett, explains how it uses innovative filtration technologies and techniques to deliver environmentally friendly clean-air solutions.

C lean air C redentials

ith a client list ranging from the NHS to the MoD, from F1 racing teams and nuclear power stations, and from major educational establishments to science parks, Monmouth Scientific’s credentials are clear for all to see.

Mussett joined the company, based on Bridgwater’s Peninsular Business Park, in January 2023, and even after 40 years in the clean air industry, which he joined after gaining a degree in environmental science, his passion for protecting both the environment and laboratory staff still burns bright.

“Monmouth was established in 2004, and subsequently acquired by the SDI Group, which is quoted on AIM, and has a portfolio of companies specialising in the design and manufacture of scientific and technology products across diverse global sectors,” he says.

“We have just over 60 staff, in 6,000 sq ft of purpose-built space, which includes a sizeable manufacturing area so we’re future-proofed in terms of our current scale and aspirations.

“We have the capacity to handle everything from the initial inquiry, through the purchase process, equipment design, manufacture and installation, and our support team operates nationwide to carry out future visits for maintenance, calibration and certification.”

The company employs two core air-purification technologies, activated carbon filters and high-efficient particulate air (HEPA) filters.

Put simply, the former absorb contaminants from the air, typically gases, odours, volatile organic compounds and other chemicals, whereas the latter remove a very wide range of airborne particulate material, including powders and micro-organisms.

Mussett says some clients choose one technology for their solution, whilst others will choose the other, and some require a combination.

“We have three broad product ranges, ductless fume cabinets, biological safety cabinets and modular clean rooms, with an extensive sub-set of products.

“Traditional clean air systems take the air in a room or lab through a cabinet, and then release the air and airborne contaminants into the external environment.

“We believe that approach is increasingly at odds with growing environmental awareness and the need for sustainable solutions.

“However, all our systems are built around fully recirculating products, which capture contaminants are point of use, are easy to install (essentially, they are ‘plug and play’), and have low operating costs throughout their lifespan.

“Equally importantly, especially for companies operating on science parks and in innovation districts where almost all buildings will be leased, our systems have minimal impact on the surrounding infrastructure.

“We sell to a broad client base, with a high percentage of repeat and long-term customers, but do focus particularly on the life science, pharma and healthcare sectors, as well as on academic research and the aerospace industry.” ■

For more about Monmouth Scientific, visit monmouthscientific.co.uk

Making the most out of Biodiversity Net Gain

Veronica Flemming, Director at ASA Landscape Architects, delves into the requirements and implications associated with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has gathered considerable attention lately, marking a pivotal shift in environmental policies as it took effect for major developments on February 12th and smaller sites as of April 2nd. This approach, enshrined in England's Environment Act 2021 and a pre-requisite for planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act, aims to leave the natural environment in a better state than before a development took place.

Developers are tasked with assessing the current biodiversity value of habitats on-site, devising a plan and corresponding metric to achieve a measurable 10% or more increase in biodiversity postconstruction, managed for a minimum 30-year period. This strategy ensures that ecological losses are compensated for by gains elsewhere, reflecting a concerted effort towards sustainable development.

w h O wILL IT Aff ECT ?

• Major developments as of 12th February 2024.

• Smaller sites as of 2nd April 2024, ie.

• Residential developments between 1-9 or if the site is less than 0.5 hectares.

• Commercial development where floor space is less than 1,000 sq. m, or total site less than 1 hectare.

• Nationally significant infrastructure projects from late November 2025.

Local Planning Authorities may set higher net gain targets than the statutory minimum, as reflected in their local plans. Kingston Upon Thames and Tower Hamlets, for instance, are poised to implement ambitious policies requiring a minimum 30% net gain. However, these policies, have not been officially adopted yet.

D EVELOPERS A ff ECTS

Developers must try to avoid loss of existing habitat on a site, look to enhance existing habitat to improve its condition (if possible) and/or look to create habitat either on or

off-site. As a final resort, there is opportunity to purchase statutory credits from the government. Developers can combine all three options, but must follow the steps in order, this is called the biodiversity gain hierarchy.

The following steps should be followed:

• Measurement & Assessment Developers are required to assess the biodiversity value of a site by an Ecologist before development (and preferably design) has commenced.

The Ecologists should use the Statutory Biodiversity Net Gain Metric (by DEFRA) which helps to standardise the measurement (biodiversity units) and assessment process, providing a common framework for developers, planners, and regulators. This establishes a baseline biodiversity value which is used as a reference point to measure biodiversity changes over time.

• Calculating Net Gain

Working with the design team, including Landscape Architects, Architects, Engineers and Ecologists, a development design is created, from which Ecologists can calculate the Net Gain, with the aim to ensure a positive outcome for biodiversity. This outcome (the Biodiversity Gain Plan) will be required for submission to the Local Planning Authority.

MAKING BNG

RE q UIREMENTS w ORK

There is no getting away from the fact that integrating BNG requirements into a development

Above: Wildflower planting supporting invertebrates on Milton Park

can cost an investor more time and money, potentially reducing the scale (therefore impact) of the development on the existing site biodiversity. Furthermore, there is a requirement that on-site or off-site habitats are secured and managed for at least 30 years via conditions, planning obligations or conservation covenants. However, successful developments can look to ensure on-site mitigation and enhancement (the most cost-effective route) work as hard as possible to support the development. Bringing on-board a Landscape Architect from the outset, can ensure that habitat creation/enhancement provide a

cgi of

Below: the bee house, Milton Park – retrofitting SUds features such as bioretention planters and bee hibernacula’s at the front entrance

host of other benefits to the development, in an attractive way that sets your development apart, including:

• Landscape Features and Credentials: Helping to create a more attractive offer to potential occupiers; outdoor seating areas, walking routes are increasingly popular. Furthermore, when well designed and managed landscape assets can contribute towards UK recognised awards ie. Green Flag, Biodiversity Benchmark, Fitwell etc. supporting a site’s ESG messaging.

• Drainage: Integrating Sustainable Urban Drainage features, ie. planted swales, green roofs, as well as wildlife ponds can contribute towards on-site attenuation and drainage calculations.

• Urban Greening Factor (UGF): Some areas of the UK ie. London and Oxford have adopted this planning policy tool to evaluate the quantity and quality of urban greening. Areas that contribute towards on-site BNG can also contribute to UGF rating for a site too.

• Biophilic Design: More frequently occupiers are more aware of the importance of connectivity to the natural environment and the benefits this has on wellbeing, productivity, and happiness, supporting that ‘feel-good’ factor in the workplace.

A fINANCIAL A SSET

Working with ecological consultants, landowners can plan and manage their land in a way to enhance biodiversity, creating a valuable income over the 30-year period, or to offset against future development through the creation of Biodiversity or Off-set Banking.

Ben Gardner, Director of Ecology by Design and Founder of Civity (left), explains: “Developers needing to achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity may not always be able to achieve it on their own land; and it’s rarely viable for developers to buy land just for BNG. Developers will therefore pay landowners to create and manage specific habitats on their behalf. The opportunity therefore exists for landowners to unlock a significant financial opportunity on their land: 30+ years of funded habitat creation and management works. Landowners who create these offset sites can either create habitats in advance and then sell the biodiversity units, or wait until they are approached by developers and create specific units to demand. Working with biodiversity offset brokers can help link interested landowners up with developers looking for a financial solution to their biodiversity net gain requirements.” ■

For more about ASA Landscape Architects, please visit: asalandscapearchitects.co.uk

Above:

grove business Park –developed with biodiversity Net gain in mind (credit: oUem)

TRANSFORM + R ENEW

Making life science and pharmaceutical buildings in the UK fit for a low carbon future

Addressing the climate emergency is a social imperative for us all, but particularly for the built environment sector, which is responsible for around 40% of all carbon emissions.

If the UK is to reach net zero carbon by 2050, retrofitting – that is, “the retrospective upgrading of a building to enable it to respond to the imperative of climate change” must be a central part of that strategy. The UK has some of the leakiest building stock in the world, and we are wasting tonnes of carbon each year heating these buildings.

According to the Committee for Climate Change (CCC), heating UK buildings accounted for more than a fifth of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021.

It has been estimated that around 50% of the world’s raw materials are consumed in the development of buildings. We therefore need to radically

Non-domestic buildings are responsible for

23% of operational carbon emissions from UK building stock

reduce the amount of embodied carbon in the buildings we are creating, through retaining and repurposing as much of a building as we can and re-using and recycling materials.

Enhancing the energy efficiency of our Life Science and Pharmaceutical buildings and changing the way we build to ensure we are using less carbon for the whole life cycle of a building can help address these issues.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is tasked with the challenge of reducing energy consumption from households and businesses by 15% by 2030. To achieve this level of reduction in energy demand, a serious strategy around retrofit is needed.

While a great deal of attention has been paid to decarbonising homes, reducing carbon across non-domestic properties like Life Science and Pharmaceutical Buildings does not appear to have entered public or political consciousness in the same way. Even the most recent Powering Up Britain paper was predominantly focused on domestic retrofit, as opposed to commercial or public sector estates.

There are approximately 1.75m ‘non-domestic’ properties in England and Wales, totaling around 13% of our building stock but accounting for 23% of UK operational carbon emissions from buildings. More than a quarter of these were built before 1900 and almost two-thirds before 1970.

Failing to address the operational and embodied carbon across this estate would seriously impact the UK government’s ability to achieve net zero.

K EY CONSIDERATIONS

Retrofitting a building into laboratories and science facilities offers several benefits, making it an attractive option for many organisations.

1

A RC h ITECTURE The layout and design of the building must support the functional requirements of a laboratory. This includes considering the floor plan shape and ratios.

2

ENGINEERING

The building’s infrastructure must be able to support laboratory equipment and systems. This includes evaluating the load capacity, structural design, and vibration stability. Modern technology, like active vibration damping, can overcome structural issues that previously made buildings unsuitable for sensitive laboratory equipment.

3

SA f ETY Laboratories must adhere to strict safety standards. This includes assessing and upgrading the building’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, fire and safety conditions, and ensuring there is sufficient space for safe laboratory operations.

Above: Paul Sharp, director - research, lifesciences and health, Mace, is at the forefront of Mace’s quest to deliver best-in-class science and research buildings.

CASE STUDy

SOUTH LONDON INTEGRATED PATHOLOGY SERVICES, LONDON

Mace recently completed a Laboratories retrofit scheme in Central London that encompassed all of these elements.

The 1980s Friars Bridge Court in Blackfriars Road was first occupied by British Rail and until recently served as the base for a number of train operating companies. During the COVID-19 crisis Friars Bridge Court was refurbished by its former owners Kennedy Wilson Real Estate and had been due to open as a WeWork serviced office building.

Munich-based international life sciences firm Synlab replaced WeWork as the tenant and employed Mace to convert the building into one of the largest purpose-built pathology laboratories in the UK, capable of processing around 70 per cent of all pathology activity in the region.

4

f LEXIBILITY Science and technology are rapidly evolving, so the laboratory design should allow for easy reconfiguration to accommodate new processes and equipment.

5

SPEED-TO-MARKET Prioritise the conversion process to meet the demands of the market quickly, which may involve accepting and working through existing infrastructure shortcomings.

6

END USER NEEDS Understand the specific needs of the end users, including the types of research and experiments that will be conducted in the laboratories.

7

COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES Design spaces that encourage collaboration between scientists, which is essential for innovation and problem-solving.

8

PRESERVATION O f CULTURAL VALUE Retrofitting can breathe new life into unique spaces, preserving buildings with cultural or aesthetic value.

87% of non-domestic buildings need upgrading in some way

9

f LEXIBILITY IN LOCATION

Retrofitting allows for the utilization of buildings in strategic locations, such as city centers close to universities, hospitals, and skilled workforces.

10

LOGISTICS As with any building retrofit the ability to safely access and deliver the works needs to be carefully considered. This is even more important when there may be existing building users or neighbours nearby. Site access requirements and removal/delivery of components will all factor into the logistics plan. ■

For more information, please visit: www.macegroup.com

Spanning 10 floors flooded by natural light, the hub has been designed to meet the needs of modern-day healthcare services, delivering major benefits for clinicians, patients, those who work there and the NHS overall.

The comprehensive facilities within this integrated pathology services project encompass Containment Level 2 and 3

Laboratories, a specimen triage and reception area, science support spaces, write-up and reporting spaces, meeting rooms, staff amenities, and reception areas. The retrofit also involves significant upgrades to the host-building’s servicing, plant, and structure, all aimed at establishing an efficient and high-quality working environment for the facility’s users.

On 2 April 2024, at the start of a carefully phased, 12-month transition, the hub laboratory received and processed its first live samples. Once the transfer of services is complete, the hub will house infection, tissue and blood sciences, as well as reference chemistry and specialist services such as toxicology and immunology. ■

international life sciences firm Synlab employed Mace to convert the Friars bridge court building in london into one of the largest purpose-built pathology laboratories in the UK

Trends

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the innovation ecosystem

PASSIo NATE and PU r P oSEFUL

Catherine Johns, well-respected for her work with the science park community in the UK and internationally, talked to Breakthrough about her intriguing career.

Polymaths are a rare breed, and self-effacing ones even more so, but then there’s nothing about Catherine Johns which could be shoehorned into any mould.

A whirlwind of passion, enthusiasm and mindful musings for sure, but also pleasingly quick to pay tribute to the talent and contribution of others.

Johns is currently executive director of Newcastle-based Dance City, a member of the British School at Rome’s council, a mentor for Creative UK, and a trustee and board director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE).

Their collective load, combined with a board position for a Washington DC-based program looking to accelerate the transition of research into workplace policies and protocols, would seem almost impossible to bear.

However, Johns remains indefatigable and attributes the demanding schedule to neverending curiosity.

“It’s about making things fun.

I’ve always believed that everyone needs that five-second ‘lightbulb’ moment. I’ve known so many people who wouldn’t have enjoyed the career they’ve had without that realisation,” she says.

“You could be a dance artist, astronomer, research scientist or anything, but if you don’t have that moment, you won’t be as aware as you could have been of the opportunities which are available.”

Her latest role came via such a moment which occurred when, whilst studying ancient history at Newcastle University in the early 90s, she attended the British School at Rome (BSR) Summer School.

Johns was hugely impressed that even its most senior academic would happily converse with an unknown student, and it made a lasting impression.

In January, she was invited to join the BSR Council, allowing her to welcome others to the intellectual and cultural powerhouse, as she herself had been 30 years earlier.

Johns appeared on the science park scene in 2005 and became innovation director for Business Durham (then County Durham Development Company), which had founded the North-East Technology Park (NETPark).

The local MP and Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had performed the official opening a year earlier, and it was very early stage: just the research institute, part of Durham University, and the incubator, two buildings amid acres of grass.

“It was built on the site of Winterton Hospital, established in the mid-19th century, which closed

in 1996. The county council suddenly had a lot of land on its hands and wasn’t sure what to do with it, but then thought they could set up a business park,” she recalls.

“However, Professor John Anstee, from Durham University, Stewart Watkins, MD of the County Durham Development Company, and other influential individuals suggested they should build a science park.

“My role was to accelerate its growth, and the approach which I took - to develop business space alongside support services - was echoed by One North East, the wonderful Regional Development Agency we had at that time.

“They also agreed that engagement with the local community was crucial, not least to highlight potential employment opportunities at the park.

“We secured £20m of funding to develop new space for companies to grow, create a significant business support network, and fund community outreach programmes.

“The county council was, and remains, pivotal because of its commitment and long-term belief in the economic and employment power of a science park.

“A science park takes so much longer to develop than a business park because there’s a much narrower focus in terms of the companies that locate there, which are R&D-led and innovation-led.

“However, the impact of those companies in terms of higherthan-average salaries, indirect jobs, supply chain growth and future prosperity, is enormous.

“Many of the original enterprises which took space in the

incubator are still around, which is unusual, and the star of the show is Kromek, which was spun out of Durham University in 2003, and is now an international technology group doing amazing things in multiple sectors.”

BEACON O f h OPE

NETPark was the first science park to create a network allowing tenants to connect with the wider science and technological communities, of which Johns remains rightly proud.

“I had to say to people that whilst it’s great having this beautiful out-of-town science campus, but what about all the companies not based here, so we created NETPark Net to connect all the innovative high-tech researchfocused engineering companies throughout the region.

“We also realised that we needed to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, so we created Project C, our community outreach programme.

“We engaged with over 40,000 people over three years, and people in the local villages still talk to me about our annual science festivals at NETPark. We even brought astronauts to the region to make everyone realise what amazing careers there are in science.

“NETPark remains important in itself, of course, but I think its value is as a beacon of hope and inspiration because the innovative products and services developed there have a massive influence all over the world.

“I always loved talking to youngsters about the space industry, when they’d say that it was all in Florida, and that this country didn’t do space technology, but I’d then point out that elements of the Hubble telescope had been designed right here on their doorstep.

“Equally, we always stressed to potential tenants that they wouldn’t just be by themselves, working in an office or a lab, but would part of a much bigger community, which enabled us to attract people who embraced such a philosophy.”

NETPark’s expansion and growing profile led Johns to join UKSPA, and she was its vice-chair for six years from 2010.

Her involvement with the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) began when its annual conference was held in the North Carolina city of Raleigh, following a visit to nearby Durham which was twinned with its UK namesake.

“I still remember it vividly, there were maybe 2,000 people from the international science park community, sharing best practice, helping each other and there was such a feeling of camaraderie and collegiality,” says Johns.

“Everyone was genuinely looking to learn how to do their own jobs better, how to work more closely with their community and how to have a greater impact.

“I realised that if NETPark was going to become globally significant we had to become a member of this network, I started going to IASP conferences and events, and presenting papers. I recall thinking that it was like a United Nations of innovation.”

Johns was later elected to the IASP board, and two years later, at its annual conference in Beijing, had another ‘lightbulb’ moment.

“I listened to presentations by women from Pakistan and Iran and one of their themes was about female representation in their countries,” she says.

“It was an interesting point, but with wider significance, as although the science park industry had a good gender balance overall, when we did the benchmarking and analysis, like most industries, when it came to leadership and C-level positions, it was mainly men.

“I proposed that ‘Women in IASP’ was created as a sub-group in the network, to share experiences and knowledge, and everyone bought into the idea.

“I remember the launch, and just being in the same room as so many brilliant women, really was empowering and uplifting.”

Above and below: Stargazing can be breathtaking at the Kielder observatory in Northumberland - a location where catherine Johns served as ceo for four years

PUTTING INTO PRACTICE

She became increasingly interested in challenge-based innovation, and noticed that Kielder Observatory was looking for a CEO.

“Until that point, I had absolutely no intent to take a C-level role, but everything about it was just so interesting. I’d been preaching about innovation and scale-up strategies for the best part of 20 years and thought this was a chance to put everything into practice.

“I was appointed and everything which followed was such a huge privilege. Just getting to the observatory each day was certainly part of the experience.

“I went there with such huge ambition, thinking I was going to really grow and scale this amazing organisation, but then six months later, we walked into a pandemic and were then closed on and off for most of the next two years.

“We had to quickly adapt and then grow in very different ways. When I joined, its primary function was to be a public access observatory and it reached 20,000 people a year.

“When I left, it was working across the North-East, in many different settings, through multiple new programmes, including one for vulnerable prisoners, with hundreds of schools, tens of thousands of students, sanctuaryseekers and many other groups.

“I always kept in mind that Kielder’s connection with the dark sky was something which very few people have these days because of light pollution.

“However, that connection with the cosmos had been an integral element of our history for millennia, and that we all needed to re-connect.

“I’m very proud that I was able to consolidate, stabilise and grow that organisation. It’s a year so since I left, but I know they’re continuing to do grand work.

“The observatory is only a tiny charity, but it’s punching well above its weight in terms of brand awareness and profile.”

Again - as with UKSPA, IASP and NETPark - Johns highlights the pivotal importance of establishing and growing an organisation’s network, engaging with others of like mind, and reaching new audiences through outreach programmes.

“The Association for Science and Discovery Centres and CaSE were probably the most influential, but there were many others who helped us to lift our eyes above the horizon,” she says.

“The thread through my career is that I’m endlessly curious about what works and what doesn’t, and equally, I think it’s important to leave a place with a positive legacy behind you.

“I really enjoyed my time at Business Durham, was there for almost 14 years, and was fortunate that they gave me the space and time to implement some of my ideas, which continue to impact both them and NETPark, but then it was time for change.”

“I’m proud of what I achieved at Kielder during some of the most challenging times, but equally, the opportunity to hand on the legacy and start again at a different organisation came at the right time.

“Dance City is equally a privilege to work in, ensuring that everyone feels they can participate in movement and dance, which are also fundamental elements of our human spirit.” ■

BUILDING LABORATORY SOLUTIONS

iFLEXX 1200 - 1500 - 1800 BENCHES iGANTRY SERVICE MODULE iTILE SERVICE MODULE