Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst Development and Leasing Director to speak at Future Cities Forum

Image: Oliver ('Oli') King - courtesy of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst

Future Cities Forum is delighted that the Development and Leasing Director, Oliver King, at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, will be speaking at our 'Science Cities' discussion event in May

SBC was set up to create a world class cluster of excellence that accelerates the translation of innovative science and technology to improve the health and quality of people’s lives.

It has created a globally recognised and vibrant life science ecosystem that brings together academics and entrepreneurs with growing and established healthcare companies in the spirit of collaboration and partnership.

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst has been achieving this by providing networks, support and expertise to enable them to connect, grow and succeed in the development and commercialisation of life changing interventions.

In 2023, planning was approved for UBS Asset Management to build a 1.6mn sq ft science park called Elevate Quarter, set to be one of the largest in Europe, onto the Stevenage campus. This expansion project will provide space for companies to scale and create 5,000 additional jobs over the next decade.

The bustling Campus is home to a range of outstanding organisations including GSK, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult manufacturing centre, LifeArc, Cytiva and Cryoport. There are over 4,000 employees across the site.

There is a vibrant ecosystem of start-up organisations thatbenefit from the supportive environment. With a focus on delivery,these companies have attracted substantial investment for growth.

The Lab Hotel facility is located within the Incubator building. If offers early stage start-ups six months free lab and office space and free access to shared specialist equipment. Businesses also join SBC’s networked and inclusive health innovation community.

Stevenage’s £1bn regeneration will see new public areas and green spaces, improved public transport infrastructure, health and community facilities and 100,000 new homes.

The town has both old and new quarters, boasts 240 acres of woodland and parkland with Fairlands Valley Park featuring 11 acres of boating lakes.

Neighbouring areas include picturesque villages such as Bennington and Codicote, as well as larger market towns St Albans and Hitchin, the latter ranked number 20 in RightMove’s Happy at Home Index 2024.

Stevenage, situated in North Hertfordshire equidistant to London and Cambridge at the heart of the golden triangle, is home to big Pharma and innovation such as GSK, Airbus and Fujitsu.

Elevate Quarter, one of Europe’s largest science parks, is currently being developed on the Stevenage Campus next to SBC and GSK to provide 1.6 m sq foot of office and lab space for scaling life science businesses.

Stevenage also includes The Assembly, a 530k sq ft life science and technology knowledge cluster under development, part of the largest in the OxCamb Arc, and the chosen location for SBC graduate Autolus’ new HQ.