COMMENT The Labour Party’s “A Prescription for Growth” plan for the life sciences sector, published in February, now has a chance to be realised.
Life sciences could bring billions more to our economy while transforming the care that our country can provide to NHS patients. As stated in its plan, if Labour restored the UK’s share of global life sciences R&D to its 2012 level, by 2028 this could mean an extra £10bn R&D investment in the UK per year, with high growth rates supporting an extra 100,000 jobs by 2030.
What could transform the landscape for savvy developers is also the new government’s commitment to bringing laboratory clusters within the scope of the nationally significant infrastructure regime in England. Faster approvals, boosted confidence and capital inflows from both domestic and international investors will drive up property values as businesses and employees seek to locate near centres of innovation.
Here in Cambridge, the face of the city is evolving at a remarkable pace. Over the past 12 months, our practice has been appointed to deliver five life sciences-related development projects. However, for various reasons, these projects have experienced only intermittent progress.
Sustainable and scalable
While sustainable design in life sciences buildings is paramount in modern research facilities, wise developers brief designers for scalability. Indeed, research facilities that make the best use of natural daylight and fresh air circulation attract the best investment (and talent) because smart people are happier working in healthier environments. But to get your returns, you must consider how your laboratories are able to efficiently expand their capabilities to handle larger volumes of work, more complex experiments or an increased number of users.
There is the physical side of it: scalability can be achieved through automation, modular design, cloud-based solutions and advanced data management systems. Scalability allows research facilities to quickly adapt to changing demands, such as pivoting to new lines of enquiry or responding to public health emergencies.
Then there is the academic side of scalability, with universities acting as an added “engine room” of research and innovation. These institutions serve as pivotal hubs for talent growth, shaping the next generation of thinkers, researchers and leaders, and the property industry is catching on. Property company Bruntwood developed Bruntwood SciTech, a collaboration with the University of Manchester and Manchester Science Partnerships, to transform Alderley Park near Macclesfield into a leading life sciences campus. It developed state-of-the-art labs and research spaces, leading to the campus attracting a mix of biotech start-ups, pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers.
Symbiotic relationship
The life sciences sector and universities have increasingly become dependent upon one another. Universities find a reliable partner in the life sciences sector, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted normal campus life. The symbiotic relationship allows universities to stabilise financially and operationally while contributing to advancements in research. For the life sciences sector, universities provide a continuous stream of talent, research capabilities and innovative ideas, creating a robust ecosystem that drives growth and innovation for both sectors.
Selecting the right architect for scalable and adaptable labs and spaces requires careful consideration. Get one with experience designing in both sectors, if you can.
Kitchen chemistry
Life sciences and higher education are both particularly well-suited to sustainable principles due (often) to mission-driven innovation and progressive mindsets, as well the demand from their tenants for the best environments for the environment. But sometimes the smaller details count: the “kitchen chemistry” is just as important as that found inside the laboratory – advocate for control to open windows and get a well-designed tea point.
James Watson and Francis Crick frequently discussed their ideas in informal settings, including the tea room at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory. These casual conversations purportedly allowed them to piece together the double-helix structure of DNA, drawing on insights from X-ray diffraction data provided by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. The informal setting facilitated the sharing of ideas, which might not have occurred in a more formal context.
Further from home, at Stanford University in the US, Larry Page and Sergey Brin met through their frequent, informal interactions around campus, and they began collaborating. This led to the development of the PageRank algorithm and the founding of Google. Their meetings, often in dining halls and other communal areas, were crucial in the exchange of ideas that sparked their partnership.
More than getting a good return on investment via a well-located plug socket and a decently positioned (openable) window, every pound spent on public R&D generates an average of £7 in economic benefit, according to a 2021 report by the Office for National Statistics. Quick maths tells me that £1.5bn could potentially generate £10.5bn in economic returns at a time when the UK needs to generate as much value as it can.
A change in government has opened doors to hope and promises. Let’s ourselves hope that with the right investment we can all breathe a little more easily soon.
Hien Nguyen is an associate director at MCW Architects
Photo © MCW Architects
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