Bruntwood SciTech has unveiled plans to deliver a new £200m commercial innovation facility in the Imperial WestTech Corridor in West London as part of a new partnership with Imperial College London.
The circa 200,000 sq ft innovation centre in London’s White City will provide world-class lab and workspace for deep tech start-ups, scale-ups and global businesses.
Located within the established ecosystem at Imperial’s White City Deep Tech Campus and the growing network of the Imperial WestTech Corridor, the new workspace will connect businesses with more than 110 early-stage companies and world-leading academics, researchers and clinicians.
Construction of the new centre, which will be net zero carbon in construction and in operation in its communal spaces, is expected to commence in 2026.
The new innovation centre will form part of Imperial’s £2bn investment commitment at the campus, of which a third has already been delivered. Once complete, White City Deep Tech Campus will span 23 acres and offer 3.8m sq ft of academic, commercial, R&D, clinical, residential, retail and leisure space.
Peter Kyle, science and technology secretary, said: “This partnership demonstrates the potential that can be unlocked when we combine the expertise of world-leading academics and researchers with the private sector. Working together, they can bring more advanced technologies from the lab to the market and turn more bright ideas into fully-fledged businesses.
“The innovation hub will be a great addition to Imperial’s White City Campus, which I have seen first-hand, with state-of-the art facilities that will cement the UK’s place as a top destination for businesses to grow. With the best resources, the researchers here will unlock new job opportunities and strengthen our economy, building on the investments showcased at the International Investment Summit.”
Dr Kath Mackay, chief scientific officer of Bruntwood SciTech, which is a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund, added: “Having the opportunity to partner with Imperial to deliver the next phase of their world-leading science and technology campus is a tremendous accolade. It is also testament to our work over the last year to deliver on our commitments to driving forward the UK’s innovation economy through our existing work in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Cambridge and buoyed by momentum from our half a billion pounds investment, coupled with the strength of our ongoing partnerships with leading educational and public sector institutions.
“The White City Campus is a hugely ambitious project that will help propel the UK to the forefront of innovation. Having worked to become deeply embedded in the knowledge economies of the UK’s leading regional cities and creating successful city-wide innovation ecosystems, it is now the perfect time for us to expand into London. This new, joined up approach between the capital and the UK’s fastest growing regional cities will enable businesses to harness the power of the collective and encourage companies of all sizes to consider the UK as their first choice for future investment.”
Professor Hugh Brady, president of Imperial College London, said: “This new facility will connect world-leading discovery research with incubators, accelerators, start-ups, scale-ups and industry, and be a place where researchers and entrepreneurs work together on the rapid translation of ideas to impact.
“It is an important investment in our vision for the Imperial WestTech Corridor, a new globally competitive deep tech innovation ecosystem in West London that will act as a powerful engine for investment, inclusive economic growth, and job creation at a local, regional, and national level.”
Stephen Cowan, leader of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, added: “This landmark £200m investment from Bruntwood SciTech in the White City Innovation District is another huge vote of confidence in our transformative science, technology, engineering, maths, medicine and media (STEM) industrial strategy. Bruntwood SciTech has a formidable track record in delivering key technology infrastructure projects. Their team includes dedicated science officers with a deep understanding of the UK’s research, academic and government sectors and their infrastructure needs.
“Since launching our unique Industrial Strategy with Imperial College in 2017, H&F has attracted more than £6bn of investment. To provide context, that’s more than all the rest of West London combined. We set out to bring our residents and their children the best new STEM jobs in the industries of the future. This investment is another indication that our strategy is working – and we’re just getting started.”
Bruntwood SciTech was advised by JLL and Addleshaw Goddard and Imperial was advised by Eastdil Secured, CMS and Freshfields.
