Investor and developer Pioneer Group is close to being chosen for the next stage of Newcastle’s £1.7bn life sciences development ambitions.
The group, which recently teamed up with the Crown Estate to form a long-term life sciences joint venture, is expected to be selected by Newcastle City Council to deliver the development and growth of the city’s health and life sciences commercial cluster over the next 10 years.
The opportunity, launched in May last year, comprises the expansion of the 90,057 sq ft bio-science centre, known as the Biosphere at Newcastle Helix (pictured) and three potential development plots on 1.7 acres of brownfield land.
The existing £25m centre, designed by Ryder Architecture and launched in 2019, provides flexible laboratory and office spaces for life sciences and healthcare companies.
As part of the agreement, Pioneer will lead the next phase of the project and create further city centre commercial lab and office space for spinouts, start-ups, growing and established companies.
Newcastle Helix is a £350m, 24-acre innovation district in the city centre that is home to more than 25 businesses, including the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the National Innovation Centre for Data.
The expansion is set to support the local authority’s ambitions to double the number of jobs and businesses active in the sector by 2030.
The North East’s £1.7bn regional life science ecosystem employs almost 7,000 professionals across 200 companies, which operate globally from the region. Newcastle’s life science, healthcare, and biotech sector has also grown rapidly in recent years, with Pfizer opening its first UK INSPIRE site in partnership with Newcastle University.
Newcastle City Council is being advised by JLL. The North East Local Enterprise Partnership has provided funding for the council.
All parties declined to comment.
Photo from Gary Bell, Elemental Photography
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