British Land and AustralianSuper have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with King’s College London aimed at establishing a dedicated science and technology innovation campus at Canada Water.
The MoU, which is effective for five years, establishes a framework for collaboration between the joint venture partners and King’s, supporting growth and education in science and technology innovation industries within the local area.
Canada Water is already home to The Paper Yard (pictured), which comprises 33,000 sq ft of fitted and lab-enabled modular workspace.
Mike Wiseman, head of workspace leasing, innovation and life sciences at British Land, said: “Canada Water is undergoing a major transformation that will see trailblazing corporate occupiers drawn to the campus to participate in its exciting growth story; our strategic partnership with King’s marks a critical step in accelerating the prosperity of science and technology innovation, reinforcing our dedication to supporting these industries within our community. Collaboration and the exploration of growth opportunities is central to this memorandum, and we look forward to working together and creating a hub of innovation at our Canada Water campus.”
Victoria Stanley, investment director at AustralianSuper, added: “AustralianSuper seeks to invest in critical regeneration projects, such as Canada Water, which not only benefit the fund’s members but also the residents, businesses and communities in which we invest. The nexus of innovation and higher education, supported by public and private investment has been identified as a key driver of future UK economic growth, so it’s vitally important we support this sector by not only creating the appropriate spaces for businesses to occupy, but also establishing strategic partnerships which encourage and facilitate opportunities.
“We are delighted to be partnering with King’s to accelerate the establishment of a dedicated creative and innovation hub at Canada Water which will generate exciting growth and development opportunities within science, innovation and technology.”
Professor Bashir M Al-Hashimi, vice president innovation and research at King’s, said: “King’s has ambitious and innovative plans to scale up our research commercialisation, spinouts and industry collaboration in health, science, and engineering. We are delighted that this partnership with British Land and AustralianSuper will help us to deliver this plan through a collaborative and mutually beneficial approach.”
