BDP appointed to Bio Hub design team | ONE

The £40m investment project is set to double the number of life sciences companies in North East Scotland and help the sector to collaborate, innovate and commercialise the next generation of therapies and healthcare solutions.

The Bio Hub will be a focal point for sector growth and is backed with £20m of capital funding from the UK Government and Scottish Government through the Aberdeen City Region Deal (CRD), a partnership between Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils and private sector led economic development body Opportunity North East (ONE). ONE has committed an additional £3.6m of its own funding over seven years to operate the hub and deliver the bespoke support activity that will make Aberdeen one of the most dynamic environments to create and grow life sciences businesses.

The project has been developed by the ONE Life Sciences sector board, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, NHS Grampian and Scottish Enterprise and the ONE team is leading its delivery.

The innovation hub will be located on the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen – one of Europe’s largest integrated clinical, research, teaching and commercial health sites. The 69,000 sqft new-build facility will include accommodation for spin-outs, start-ups and established companies; collaboration space; and shared facilities for events, small conferences and networking. Sector-specific support programmes in the hub will include incubation, acceleration, mentoring, commercialisation and growth planning. The hub will also be a catalyst for international collaborations and investment into research and companies.

The target is to have the first phase of the hub open in 2021.

The project was formally launched to an audience of partners, life sciences companies and industry stakeholders in November 2018.

Prof Stephen Logan, Chair of the ONE Life Sciences sector board, said: “This is an exciting project for the region and we are now beginning the formal planning approval process for the hub with the local authority. It draws on the significant assets in and around the Foresterhill Health Campus and will realise the opportunity we have to bring forward the next generation of medical therapies and products and grow our company cluster. Our target is to double the number of life sciences here by 2027. The hub will accelerate company creation and growth, anchor growing businesses and high-value jobs here long term and be a focal point for innovation and collaboration. This is a transformational project of national significance that supports the regional economic goal of diversification and will contribute to the national ambitions for life sciences as a driver for health and wealth.”