The science and innovation hub, Harwell Campus, recently secured £110m funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial. The funding will allow for further expansion of the campus, allowing it to enter its next 400,000 sq ft phase of development. Harwell Campus’ growth will exceed 1 million sq ft in under eight years; the campus is planning for a total of 5.5 million sq ft development.
Harwell caters to science and technology organisations at every stage of development, from Seed or Series A and throughout their lifecycle. This development will swell Harwell’s unique portfolio of hybrid buildings, offering flexible space including offices, laboratories and high-tech manufacturing facilities.
Harwell houses Europe’s largest collection of open access scientific facilities, worth over £2bn. They offer support to companies looking to grow rapidly or explore new markets. Businesses can advance their research, validate and test their technology, and tap into the valuable knowledge and skills of the 5,500 people strong science and tech campus community.
The director of Harwell Campus, Angus Horner, said, “Harwell is on a mission to stimulate innovation in the science and tech industries, drive economic growth in the UK and boost our place in the global market.
“With a combination of private companies, startups, investors, government organisations, and academics all in one place, it is environment with unique opportunities for collaboration.”
Oxford and Cambridge are estimated to need 2.5 million sq ft of laboratory and research space to accommodate predicted growth, according to a recent report. Meeting this target will contribute £2.8bn to the UK economy according to current productions. With this most recent development at Harwell Campus, the UK is well on its way to meeting this target.
William Cooper, partner in the joint venture at Harwell Campus, said: “Having Santander alongside us puts Harwell in a strong position for continued growth in order to meet the pent-up demand for 2.5 million sq ft of research labs in Oxbridge alone.”
