York Biotech Campus (YBC), a leading Yorkshire science park, has become a major contributor to the region’s fast growing bioscience sector in recent years, and has continued to drive this forward in 2023. This has included welcoming two new organisations to the campus alongside a series of occupier expansions.
York Biotech Campus provides lab and office space for a variety of organisations in the bioscience industry, from start-ups to established companies across the public and private sectors. Organisations currently based at the hub include Abingdon Health, Labcorp, Defra and UKHSA.
Earlier this year University of York joined the science park, taking on 2,750 sq ft of space to conduct research that aims to control mosquito-borne disease. The announcement signified a major collaboration between the two scientific institutions within the region. York Biotech Campus worked closely with the university to modify the laboratories to the requirements necessary for the research to take place.
Cargill Bioindustrial, which is part of Cargill, a provider of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products to customers around the world also joined the campus this year. York Biotech Campus worked flexibly with Cargill Bioindustrial to create bespoke workspaces which included the modification of 3,000 sq ft of laboratory space and 5,000 sq ft of office space for 50 employees.
The new additions follow a £1m investment from long-term occupier Fera Science. This financial backing allowed the development of the first insect research laboratory specialising in insect bioconversion – the process of feeding insects waste to create additional materials, such as protein or fertiliser – in Europe. The insect laboratory saw Fera Science’s presence at York Biotech Campus grow by 2,000 sq ft.
FPCR, the leading design and environmental practice, has also taken more office space at the campus to create a new multipurpose breakout and collaboration room. FPCR’s uplift in demand for its services in the region has led to the company opening a second Yorkshire office in Sheffield.
On the success of the campus this year so far, Liz Cashon, Innovation Campus Manager at York Biotech Campus, commented: “We’re proud to be one of the leading destinations for science research and discovery, so we couldn’t be happier to have not only grown our community with two incredible new occupiers, but also helped existing ones to expand.
“The life sciences sector has experienced rapid growth in the last decade, especially over the past five years because of the pandemic, which has meant there’s been an increase in demand for laboratory space across the country. This market influx combined with organisations looking to relocate outside of the South East has helped establish YBC and Yorkshire more widely as a hub for bioscience.
“Businesses in the sector are identifying all the opportunities Yorkshire has to offer such as great transport links and a pipeline of fresh talent from world-class universities in the North, which is great for both the region and the economy.”
York Biotech Campus is also home to a purpose-built Lakeside Conference Centre which has been in high demand post-covid, hosting some of its biggest events to date, including the International Commission for Plant-Pollinator Relationships Bee Protection Group’s 15th Symposium. The symposium brought 129 delegates from global organisations across 17 countries to the region, which included visits to nearby Castle Howard and The Guildhall.
