£40m hub drives health innovation and life sciences company growth in Aberdeen

The Bio-therapeutics Hub for Innovation in Aberdeen will be a focal point for sector ambition and growth and has secured £20m of capital funding from the UK and Scottish Governments 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, which has led the development of the project with partners, 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 supports the goals of regional economic diversification, growing the Scottish sector to £8bn turnover by 2025, and creating a globally-unique and internationally competitive life sciences ecosystem in the UK with collaboration across industry, the NHS, academia and research funders delivering health and wealth.

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.

A design team has been appointed to support the delivery of the project with a target of opening in December 2020. A planning application for the hub will be submitted in spring 2019 and construction is scheduled to start later that year.

The project was formally launched to an audience of partners, life sciences companies and industry stakeholders yesterday (21 November 2018).

Prof Stephen Logan, Chair of the ONE Life Sciences sector board, said: “Creating the innovation hub for new, early-stage and established life sciences and healthcare businesses is at the heart of our ambition to build a dynamic company cluster. It draws on the significant assets in and around the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen. The hub will realise the opportunity to collaborate and innovate to bring forward the next generation of medical therapies and products and our target is to double the size of the company base 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.”

The significance of the project for the sector and its role in economic diversification was highlighted by the project partners and life sciences industry.

Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, Chair of Opportunity North East, said: “The innovation hub is a transformational project for our life sciences sector. It builds on our strengths and opportunities, including in biologics and digital healthcare, where we have the specialisms to be at the forefront of health innovation. The Scottish and UK Governments are backing our vision through the Aberdeen City Region Deal. In co-creating, developing and now delivering this project, ONE is accelerating transformational change for the sector and region. ONE’s commitment to its success is supported by the £3.6m that we will provide over seven years to run the hub and deliver support programmes. We have the talented people in the sector and now they will have the right environment and support to translate ideas and research into new diagnostics and treatments. Great credit is due to Prof Stephen Logan and the ONE Life Sciences board members, who have developed this concept into a project in delivery.”

Professor John Harper, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Robert Gordon University, said: “Each of the partners involved in the hub shares an ambitious vision to make the North East a thriving and dynamic environment for innovative life sciences businesses. RGU plays a key role in the scientific and economic development of the region and this is an important step in continuing our contribution. I personally look forward to our close collaboration with partners across the city.”