Railpen has appointed Emma Goodford to lead life sciences and innovation leasing across its Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor portfolio.
Goodford, who spent more than 35 years at Knight Frank in a number of different roles, including head of life sciences and innovation, will support the growth of Railpen’s ‘innovation cluster’ in the area.
Railpen currently has 11 commercial assets worth £782m in Cambridge and is poised to invest a further £1.5bn to deliver 1.9m sq ft of high-quality space in the area. In Oxford, Railpen has secured consent to redevelop Eastpoint Business Park into a 200,000 sq ft life sciences campus.
Matthew Howard, head of property at Railpen, said: “Emma’s appointment is a key step in realising our ambition in the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, where we are creating a series of best-in-class assets that support the national economic and social growth agendas. Emma brings a wealth of experience and, most crucially, an unparalleled focus in her understanding of occupiers that will ensure we create a thriving ecosystem across our assets over the coming years.”
Goodford added: “Railpen’s vision and ambition are transformative, but that requires an elevated and innovative approach to leasing strategy. While there will be a tactical focus on individual assets as they are developed, it will be important to take a holistic view of what is being created. By doing so, we can accommodate evolving occupier needs and, as the portfolio gains critical mass, establish new benchmarks for experience and quality. Having spent so long working in the sector, the time is right for such an approach, and I am very excited to be part of what Railpen is seeking to achieve.”
