As the UK’s life sciences sector continues to grow, businesses are increasingly looking for environments that offer more than just laboratory space. Access to talent, specialist infrastructure, research expertise and opportunities for collaboration are becoming critical factors in supporting innovation and commercial success.
A thriving bioscience cluster is bringing those elements together at the North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Durham.
At NETPark, businesses can access the facilities, partnerships and room to grow needed to take ideas from research and development through to commercialisation and manufacturing.
Space to grow
One of the defining advantages of NETPark is something increasingly valued by bioscience businesses: space to grow.
NETPark offers companies the ability to start, scale and commercialise within a single connected campus environment. From early-stage laboratory and innovation space through to bespoke cleanrooms, specialist technical facilities and advanced manufacturing space of up to 35,000 sq. ft., the campus is designed to support businesses at every stage of growth without the disruption of relocation.
Importantly, that environment is matched by the infrastructure businesses need to innovate and scale. With the completion of a £100 million expansion, NETPark has added 285,000 sq. ft. of new flexible, high-specification laboratory, cleanroom, manufacturing and office space, significantly increasing the campus’s capacity to support high-growth science and technology businesses.
Rather than offering rigid, pre-fitted facilities, NETPark provides companies with the freedom to create bespoke technical environments tailored to their exact operational requirements, whether that involves specialist laboratories, cleanrooms or advanced testing facilities.
The expanded campus now gives companies the opportunity to scale within the same connected innovation environment, from early-stage R&D and spin-out space through to advanced manufacturing facilities. This “grow-on” capability enables businesses to continue expanding at NETPark while retaining access to the partnerships, talent and specialist support that help drive long-term innovation and commercial growth.
Importantly, by enabling companies to scale on campus, NETPark is also helping retain highly skilled talent, technical expertise and specialist capabilities within the region. Over time, this has created a strong, resilient innovation community and reinforces the campus’s reputation as a destination for science and technology careers.
People and talent
At the heart of NETPark’s success is its people.
Durham University continues to produce highly skilled graduates, researchers and PhD talent across disciplines including biosciences, chemistry, physics and advanced engineering, creating a strong foundation for innovation-led businesses.
This talent pipeline exists at a regional scale too. Across the North East, more than 55,000 students are studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects, creating a significant pool of future scientific, technical and engineering talent. Durham University alone is home to more than 21,000 students, with nearly 5,000 studying STEM-related disciplines.
Combined with the region’s quality of life, affordability and growing science and technology community, this is helping create a long-term skills ecosystem that supports business growth, innovation and commercialisation.
Research and innovation partnerships
Another key strength of NETPark is the collaborative ecosystem that surrounds it.
NETPark is one of the UK’s leading science and technology campuses, bringing together innovative businesses, academic expertise and specialist facilities within a connected innovation environment. Home to a growing bioscience community working across drug development, diagnostics, research services, advanced materials and health technologies, the campus is designed to support the full lifecycle of innovation, from early-stage research and spin-out activity through to commercialisation and advanced manufacturing.
Partnerships with Durham University and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) provide businesses with access to cutting-edge research, facilities and expertise that help accelerate innovation and commercialisation.
That connection between research and real-world application is particularly important in bioscience, where collaboration between academia, industry and healthcare is critical to bringing new technologies and therapies to market.
Importantly, businesses at NETPark also benefit from being part of a wider regional life sciences ecosystem built around collaboration between industry, academia and healthcare.
Collaborations with organisations including BioNow, Health Innovation North East, the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the Centre for Life help strengthen sector networks, business development opportunities and supply chain connections. Combined with the region’s NHS and clinical research strengths, these relationships create valuable opportunities for companies to collaborate, test, commercialise and scale new innovations.
Across the North East, more than 8,000 people are employed within a health and life sciences sector worth around £1.7 billion, supported by nationally recognised research, healthcare and innovation assets.
Innovation in action
The impact of this ecosystem can already be seen in the businesses choosing to grow at NETPark.
Recent success stories highlight the strength of the innovation pipeline and the growing national recognition of the region’s life sciences capability. An example is Nevrargenics, a Durham University spin-out based at Orbit at NETPark, which recently received a BioNow award recognising its pioneering work developing Ellorarxine™, a potential new treatment for Motor Neurone Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia.
Magnitude Biosciences is another example. From its base at NETPark, the company is transforming how researchers study ageing, health span and disease through advanced biological models and testing platforms that support pharmaceutical and biotech innovation globally.
Alongside this, HFR plays a vital role in the bioscience ecosystem through its expertise in complex chemical development and manufacturing, supporting pharmaceutical and biotech clients worldwide.
Together, these businesses demonstrate the breadth of capability within the NETPark cluster, from early-stage research and diagnostics through to commercial application and manufacturing. More importantly, they demonstrate that this is not an emerging cluster in its infancy. It is already established, already delivering and already making an impact.
As the UK life sciences sector continues to evolve, it is clear that future success will depend on a broader network of innovation locations beyond the traditional centres.
Durham, and NETPark in particular, is part of that future.
For bioscience businesses looking to innovate, collaborate and scale, success no longer depends on being based in the traditional hotspots. Increasingly, businesses are looking for something different – space to grow, access to talent and a connected innovation ecosystem designed for long-term growth.
Be part of one of the UK’s most exciting and fast-growing science and technology communities. With flexible specialist space available now, NETPark offers bioscience businesses the opportunity to innovate, collaborate and scale within a connected campus designed for long-term growth. Find out more about the region’s growing life sciences sector and explore opportunities at NETPark.
