Liverpool City Region innovation heavyweights agree collaboration pact

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Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) innovation district and the Sci-Tech Daresbury national science and innovation campus, incorporating the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) as part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), will work together to identify potential future projects, investment opportunities and access to facilities.

Both locations are key pillars in the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences and Healthcare Innovation Zone. Health and life sciences contributes £5bn to the city region economy, representing 14.2% of GVA (gross value added) – nearly double the average for England. There are 1,800 businesses involved in health and life sciences in the region, with 97,000 health-related jobs and 6,000 in life sciences.

The new memorandum of understanding will also involve hosting visits or delegations, contributing to the city region’s long-term, innovation-led development agenda, and amplifying its profile among external stakeholders.

KQ Liverpool and Sci-Tech Daresbury already share intelligence as part of the Liverpool City Region Innovation Board, while both have also been awarded Innovation Zone funding by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The opportunity for a closer working relationship between the two locations as created by the MOU has the potential to result in major economic and scientific outcomes given the pedigree and achievements to date of both sites. 

Sci-Tech Daresbury’s cutting-edge infrastructure, access to world-class expertise, and highly effective collaborative environment make the campus a leader in transformative advancements in science and technology. It is home to over 160 businesses and has aspirations to bring 8,000 jobs to the campus through its medium-long term expansion

The campus hosts STFC’s internationally renowned Daresbury Laboratory. This brings unparalleled expertise in particle accelerator technology, nuclear physics, high-performance computing, quantum computing and AI — key technologies driving innovation across a range of sectors including life sciences and healthcare, advanced manufacturing, clean technology and digital technologies. 

One of the most significant assets at Sci-Tech Daresbury is STFC’s Hartree Centre, a world-leading facility that leverages advanced digital technologies such as supercomputing, AI, and quantum computing in partnership with IBM Research who have one of their international Research Labs on the campus. This has helped to deliver breakthroughs across a range of sectors including life sciences and healthcare, logistics, energy and advanced manufacturing.

KQ Liverpool is a 450-acre urban innovation district that occupies over 50% of Liverpool city centre. This world-leading innovation district is home to some of the world’s most influential players in science, health, technology, education, music, and the creative performing arts 

It has world-class specialisms in medical research including infection and disease, public health and clinical informatics, surface science and biofilms, materials chemistry, sports science, manufacturing technology, modern methods of construction, immersive technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics. These are brought to life through its world-leading facilities including; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool Science Park, Materials Innovation Factory, Digital Innovation Factory, and CENTRAL TECH, which was recently acquired by KQ Liverpool’s spin-out development company, Sciontec.

The impact of the closer working relationship between the two locations will be instrumental for the future standing of the Liverpool City Region as a science and innovation powerhouse.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:

“From the world’s first passenger railway to breakthroughs that have shaped modern science and healthcare, the Liverpool City Region has always led from the front.

“Today, that legacy continues with two of our biggest innovation powerhouses – KQ Liverpool and Sci-Tech Daresbury – joining forces to drive forward growth and opportunity for our region.

“This partnership is another step on our journey to becoming a genuine science and innovation superpower – and proof that if you want to shape the future, you should be looking to the Liverpool City Region.”

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of KQ Liverpool, said:

“The Liverpool City Region has enormous potential for growth, underpinned by a strong and vibrant knowledge economy. It’s vital, therefore, that Sci-Tech Daresbury and KQ Liverpool, which are at the forefront of that positive change, work together wherever possible to create a robust innovation ecosystem and a compelling narrative for investment. 

“We look forward to collaborating further with Sci-Tech Daresbury, STFC and UKRI to generate even more opportunities and positive outcomes for people living and working across the city region.”

John Downes, chair of Sci-Tech Daresbury, said:

“Sci-Tech Daresbury is a national and international facility and key asset for the Liverpool City Region having STFC’s national laboratory at its centre, and is an outstanding example of public and private open innovation collaboration. 

“We look forward to working closer with the Knowledge Quarter to raise the profile of the city region internationally as an innovation hotspot that is the perfect location for groundbreaking technology businesses to locate.”

Paul Vernon, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory said:

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our shared vision for the Liverpool City Region. Here at Daresbury Laboratory, we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in a range of sectors including science, healthcare and digital technologies. 

“By combining and sharing our resources and strengths with KQ Liverpool, we are able to unlock a wealth of opportunity for growth and innovation.”

New collaboration with Dstl to tackle emerging health threats

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A new collaboration between The Pandemic Institute (TPI) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is set to fund vital research into emerging infectious diseases. The initiative will bring together researchers from both organisations with the aim of strengthening the UK’s ability to detect, understand and combat known and emerging pathogens.

The collaboration will build on a shared goal of both organisations to understand and reduce the risks of known and new infections. Bringing together experts in infectious diseases and pandemic research from different organisations is essential for improving the UK’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from these threats. This collaboration will support several research projects which will draw on the expertise of both organisations, including developing new diagnostic tests, evaluating new therapeutics and using cutting edge technology to better understand viral pathogens.

Nine projects are being funded in total, one of which will use artificial intelligence to predict virus-host interactions, aiding the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics.

Dr Femi Olorunniji, Reader in Synthetic Biology at Liverpool John Moores University, highlighted its potential:

“By applying AI, we can accelerate the process of discovering how viruses interact with human cells, making it easier to develop targeted treatments and stop infections in their tracks.”

Professor Tom Solomon CBE, Director of The Pandemic Institute, emphasised the importance of the collaboration: 

“The recent global health crises have shown us that we must be proactive rather than reactive when dealing with infectious threats. This collaboration with Dstl will ensure that we are at the forefront of scientific innovation, developing tools that could be crucial in preventing future pandemics.”

Dr Stuart Perkins, Programme Manager at Dstl stated:

“This joint programme encourages and supports our scientists to work within national multidiscipline teams and will allow Dstl to access novel tools and products, being developed within academia, that could be utilised within the defence and security arena. It generates value for money and ensures cohesion across defence and academic research. The programme strengthens Dstl’s mission to ensure our armed forces maintain operational effectiveness at all times, even in the event they were exposed to infectious agents”.

The partnership between TPI and Dstl represents an exciting step forward in pandemic preparedness, ensuring that the UK remains at the cutting edge of infectious disease research. You can find a full list of funded projects here.

A memorable March for KQ Liverpool

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We know March can be a busy time for many organisations, but at KQ Liverpool and our spin-out development company Sciontec, it’s been especially action-packed.

The month began with a special In The Know event to celebrate International Women’s Day. The ‘Accelerate Action’ session, hosted at Sciontec’s Garden Suite in Liverpool Science Park, featured a fascinating panel discussion with Professor Ana Bras from Liverpool John Moores University, Jen Fenner of DefProc Engineering and Philippa Glover from Philippa Glover Ltd, emphasising the urgent need to address gender inequalities and dismantle the obstacles that can impede women’s progress.

The following day, our assistant chief executive Emily Robson received a richly-deserved Rising Star award at the Women in Business Awards, hosted by Downtown Liverpool. We also learned that Sciontec’s head of property and operations George Barclay has been shortlisted for Insider’s Young Professionals Awards.

Our KQ Futures Programme – part of the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone – continued at pace, with students from three different local schools and colleges visiting innovation sites within KQ Liverpool and learning more about the incredible range of careers that are available on their doorstep.

Emily joined chief executive Colin Sinclair and head of marketing Sally Bloor at MIPIM, the annual international real estate and investment conference in Cannes, where the team helped to showcase a range of exciting opportunities within KQ Liverpool.

These included updated plans for HEMISPHERE, a pair of £156m laboratory and workspace innovation developments by Sciontec. Located at Paddington Village, HEMISPHERE will offer a unique combination of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator and grow-on space, with some of the world’s most advanced facilities.

It was announced that HEMISPHERE Two will be home to a new double-height robotics and AI-enabled chemistry  laboratory space on the ground floor to help drive innovation research and develop manufacturing capability. Plans for biology and chemistry labs at HEMISPHERE One are already underway, with work expected to begin later this year, supported by funding from Liverpool City Council’s Strategic Futures fund and the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone. 

Sciontec also confirmed that Morgan Sindall has been appointed as preferred contractor at HEMISPHERE One, with Worthington Owen and Avison Young instructed as leasing agents. Carter Jonas has been appointed as leasing agent for HEMISPHERE Two.

Completing the round of major announcements, it was revealed that Sciontec has acquired CENTRAL TECH, a new 27,000 sq ft urban technology building on Copperas Hill that will open on May 1 following a commitment of fresh investment to create a global hub for innovation in health, life sciences, technology and digitalisation, utilising the ultrafast LCR Connect network. 

Meanwhile, members of the KQ Liverpool team have been active at events across the city region, taking part in meaningful conversations around innovation careers and skills development. 

Among those events were All About STEM’s Experience of the Workplace in partnership with Liverpool City Region Careers Hub at Liverpool Hope University, where our Skills Project Co-ordinator Codi Ellis and Inclusive Innovation Officer Rachel Newman spoke with more than 150 Year 8 students about careers in the Liverpool City Region. 

Our head of partnerships and external relations, Claire Kidman, attended Knowsley Hall to mark 10 years of Club Liverpool. The event celebrated the significant economic impact that conferences bring to the region. Congratulations to all colleagues who were recognised for their outstanding contributions.

We have also engaged with LCR Careers Hub and partner organisations around equalex, a new work experience programme for which LCR is one of four pilot areas. This was in addition to two round table discussions around the green skills agenda and shaping futures for women in science.

So, as April approaches and the weather gradually improves, we will briefly catch our collective breath before embracing the many exciting events and opportunities that are heading our way in the coming months.

National Careers Week: KQ Futures team highlights

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National Careers Week is a one-week celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK. It aims to provide a focus for careers guidance activity at an important stage in the academic calendar, to help support young people develop awareness and excitement about their future pathways.

This year, National Careers Week ran from 3rd to 8th March, and our KQ Futures team were kept very busy, getting involved in a number of events, visits and sessions, to increase awareness, inform and inspire local young people on their career journeys. 

One of the main activities took place on Wednesday 5th March, when we ran a Future Innovators Day, a key strand of our KQ Futures programme, part of the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone. Ten students from Dixons Fazakerley Academy, aged between fourteen and fifteen, were invited to visit the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool innovation district, to experience the range of innovative careers available to them on their doorstep.

The Year 10 students met with local businesses who employ hundreds of people working across the science, technology and engineering sectors, and undertook a tour of their facilities at Sciontec owned Liverpool Science Park.

Guest speakers on the day included colleagues from Liverpool John Moores University’s Astrophysics Research Institute who shared insights into their own career journeys and offered practical advice for routes into STEM careers.

The Future Innovators Day tour also took the students to visit the University of Liverpool, enabling them to explore their state of the art Digital Innovation Facility, where collaborative exploration of emerging research and digital technologies help accelerate innovation.

The KQ Futures team received extremely positive feedback from the students and teachers who attended, with one teacher describing the day as “extremely enlightening” and that “the students gained so much out of it”. Another added that “I most sincerely believe that your innovation day has inspired our students.”

Another key event during National Careers Week was KQ Liverpool’s ‘In The Know’ breakfast, on Thursday 6th March, which had a focus of Accelerating Action thanks to the date also correlating with International Women’s Day.

Over 60 attendees gathered to hear a panel of leading industry experts share their insights into breaking down the obstacles impeding women’s progress and gender inequality, as well as enjoying some informal networking.

Facilitated by Rachel Newman (KQ Liverpool), the expert panel included Jen Fenner (DefProc Engineering), Prof. Ana Brás (Liverpool John Moores University) and Philippa Glover (Philippa Glover Ltd). Key topics discussed included the need for more female founders, skills needed for future careers, and innovative ways to inspire young women to take up careers within health, science and technology right here in the Liverpool City Region.

During National Careers Week, members of the KQ Liverpool team were also invited to a roundtable hosted by LCR Careers Hub to mark the launch of modern work experience pilot, equalex, which is one of four national pilots launched across the UK.  The pilot focuses on introducing meaningful work experience to improve work readiness and employability skills for young people.  Whilst in the programme’s infancy, we were delighted to be involved in discussions on how to shape this programme moving forward and are excited to see how the developments support the future talent pool of Liverpool City Region in the years to come.

A key part of our 2040 Vision is to inspire the next generation of innovators, and getting involved with large scale initiatives, like National Careers Week, is just one way we are delivering our mission to create a place that is both inclusive and inspirational for generations to come, through fostering transformation, raising aspirations and showcasing innovation.

Skills for the Future: Liverpool’s green economy talent challenge

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In a dynamic roundtable at City of Liverpool College, business leaders, educators, and policymakers – including KQ Liverpool’s Inclusive Innovation Officer, Rachel Newman – confronted the region’s most pressing challenge: building a workforce capable of driving Liverpool’s green economic transformation.

Neil Borg-Olivier, Vice Principal for Curriculum Development, set the tone immediately. “Our responsibility is to clearly understand skills priorities and ensure our curriculum is agile enough to respond to rapidly changing industry needs,” he explained. This wasn’t just educational rhetoric, but a strategic commitment to bridging the gap between training and industry demand.

Matt Breakwell from Kimpton, a mechanical and electrical engineering business based in Bromborough, delivered the most passionate intervention. “Employers are sitting in pubs complaining about young people not wanting to work, when we’ve got brilliant students desperate for opportunities,” he argued. His company’s approach demonstrates what’s possible – taking on seven apprentices last year in a 100-person business, with a commitment to growing talent pipelines.

James Cannon from Enspec Power highlighted the critical skills shortage in specialised sectors. “When recruiting senior Power Systems Engineers, 9 out of 10 candidates are from India, Iran, or Pakistan,” he revealed, underlining the urgent need for local talent development.

Councillor Marion Atkinson brought a strategic perspective. “Every conversation with investors starts with skills,” she noted, showing that Liverpool’s economic attractiveness hinges on its workforce capabilities. She also raised a crucial point about diversity, challenging the room to track how many women trained in technical roles actually remain in these careers long-term.

Lisa Cooke from certification business MCS shared an inspiring alternative model. Her organisation has grown from one to 70 employees, with 61% female representation in a traditionally male-dominated renewable technologies sector. “We focus on core behaviors and appetite for learning,” she explained, “not just academic qualifications.”

Jane Gaston from Net Zero North West provided crucial context about the region’s industrial transformation. “We’re not abandoning traditional industries,” she stressed, “but supporting their transition through a coordinated skills approach.”

The discussion revealed complex challenges. Geoff Wainwright from Impact Data Metrics highlighted the massive financial challenge of retrofitting homes to meet net-zero standards – estimating a potential an enormous investment will be needed.

Chris Capes from Peel Waters emphasised the need for a broader skill base. “It’s not just about green jobs,” he argued, “but creating clear career progression pathways that excite and retain talent.”

Colin Salmon from the college was unequivocal about the long-term vision. “This is a generations’ work,” he said, referencing the 2050 net-zero target. “We need immediate solutions, but also a strategic, long-term approach to talent development.”

Rachel Newman from the Knowledge Quarter highlighted the critical role of early intervention.

“We’re working to excite children from primary schools about careers in Liverpool, not London,”

she explained, demonstrating the importance of inspiring future talent early.

The roundtable’s consensus was clear: Liverpool’s economic future depends on breaking down institutional silos, creating transparent career pathways, and fundamentally changing how technical and green careers are perceived and promoted.

As Matt Breakwell succinctly put it: “We need to stop being so British about discussing careers. Talk about the money, talk about the opportunities, and make engineering sexy.”

With ambitious targets, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to innovation, Liverpool is positioning itself as a leader in the green skills revolution.

KQ Liverpool recognised for two top awards

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March has been a fantastic month for KQ Liverpool, with both the organisation and its team being recognised for two industry awards.

On 7th March, over 300 leading business personalities from across Liverpool celebrated the achievements of the region’s leading female entrepreneurs at the Downtown In Business ‘Women in Business Awards’ 2025.

We are delighted to announce that our fantastic Assistant CEO, Emily Robson, was presented with a ‘Rising Star’ award. We see the empowering work that Emily puts into KQ Liverpool on a daily basis, including her impact on our KQ Futures programme, promoting the innovation sector and work with partners in the wider Knowledge Quarter Liverpool Innovation District.

A number of other ‘Women in Business Awards’ were won by stakeholders based in KQ Liverpool, reflecting the immense talent of those working within our innovation district.

Knowledge Quarter Liverpool has itself been shortlisted for the ‘Catalyst Award’, in the Insider Media ‘North West Property Awards 2025’. This recognition highlights the incredible innovation and development happening within our district, and we’re proud to be driving growth, inspiring the next generation and creating a thriving ecosystem within the science, health, and technology sectors.

It is also rewarding to see our Partner, Bruntwood SciTech, has been shortlisted as ‘Flexible Workspace Operator of the Year’, as well as within the ‘Commercial Development of the Year’ category.

Winners will be announced on 15th May, so we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed!

New £10m robotic labs investment for iiCON

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New £10m high-containment Category Three robotic laboratories will be built to support innovative infection R&D activity being delivered through the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine-led Infection Innovation Consortium: iiCON.

The funding is part of Liverpool City Region’s Investment Zone plans, unveiled yesterday, to ‘supercharge’ health and life sciences. Overall, the Investment Zone plans to create 8,000 new jobs and potentially deliver £800m of public and private investment over 10 years.

The new labs, one of 21 funded projects, will be fitted with state-of-the-art robotics, AI and liquid handling equipment to safely study dangerous pathogens. The funding will further enhance iiCON and LSTM’s ability to deliver innovation and life-saving research into new drugs and diagnostics to combat infectious disease. LSTM is already home to the largest number of Category Three laboratories in the North West.

Research in the new labs will focus on iiCON’s innovative R&D platforms led by LSTM: Organoids and its Bio-Actives Library. iiCON and LSTM will also develop RIBA Stage 2 plans for a new facility in Liverpool which will provide increased specialist biotech and high-containment Category Three laboratories to house the expansion of iiCON’s existing R&D platforms.

Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, said:

“We’re pleased to have secured this important funding as part of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Investment Zone programme. This funding is an important next step which will enable us to continue to develop and expand our operational pipeline – opening out our highly specialist offering to industry partners of all sizes to support their innovation and save and improve lives worldwide.

“As a place-based initiative, our location in the heart of the Liverpool City Region’s thriving health and life sciences ecosystem has been key to the success of the programme. The region has world-leading capability in drug discovery, diagnostics, clinical trials, & vaccine manufacturing capability within one of Europe’s largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing clusters and the plans laid out in the Investment Zone prospectus speak to the scale of the ambition within the region.”

Liverpool City Region’s full Investment Zone plans are detailed in a new prospectus, launched yesterday, and include new hi-tech facilities, business and innovation support and initiatives to train the next generation of talent.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said:

“With up to £800m of investment and thousands of quality, high skilled jobs on offer, the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone is an important tool in our arsenal to position our area at the head of UK science and innovation.”

Plans move forward at HEMISPHERE One & Two

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Ambitious new plans have been unveiled for HEMISPHERE, a pair of £156m laboratory and workspace innovation developments by Sciontec, to be located in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool innovation district, at Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site.

HEMISPHERE One and Two will offer a unique combination of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator and grow-on space, with some of the world’s most advanced facilities.

HEMISPHERE Two will be home to a new double-height robotics and AI-enabled chemistry  laboratory space on the ground floor to help drive innovation research and develop manufacturing capability.

Plans for biology and chemistry labs at HEMISPHERE One are already underway, with work expected to begin later this year, supported by funding from Liverpool City Council’s Strategic Futures fund and the LCR Innovation Zone.

It was also announced this week that Morgan Sindall has been appointed as preferred contractor on HEMISPHERE One, with Worthington Owen and Avison Young instructed as leasing agents. Carter Jonas has been appointed as leasing agent for HEMISPHERE Two.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec, said:

“Building on the growing momentum of HEMISPHERE One, it is also fantastic to share the plans for the unique robotics and AI chemistry labs at HEMISPHERE Two.  Crucially, these developments do not sit in isolation, but rather as part of an ambitious and burgeoning innovation ecosystem within KQ Liverpool.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said: 

“These plans exemplify our ambition to create a life sciences superpower through collaboration and innovation. Not only can it help to improve health outcomes in our communities, but it can also boost economic growth by creating a cluster of clinicians, scientists and facilities that will attract major new investment and co-location from industry, adding more than £1bn of economic impact to the city region.”

Click here to see more about HEMISPHERE One and Two.

 

Sciontec to revitalise Liverpool innovation hub with launch of CENTRAL TECH

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Sciontec has revealed plans to open CENTRAL TECH, a new urban technology building, within the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) innovation district. 

The 27,000 sq ft facility on Copperas Hill, formerly Sensor City, will open on May 1 following a commitment of fresh investment to create a global hub for innovation in health, life sciences, technology and digitalisation, utilising the ultrafast LCR Connect network. 

Located near to Liverpool Lime Street and Central stations, CENTRAL TECH stands adjacent to Liverpool John Moores University’s Student Life and Sport Buildings, which opened in 2021, giving customers access to the university’s facilities, as well as the vibrant retail and leisure offer in the city centre. 

Each customer in the building can also tap into the Academic Support & Knowledge (ASK) initiative, which connects them to a specialist team or expert at the University of Liverpool or Liverpool John Moores University to support their work. 

Professor Mark Power, vice-chancellor at Liverpool John Moores University and chair of Sciontec, said:

“Sciontec has worked closely with the Sensor City company and the key grant funders, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to bring this important facility back to life, with vital new investment. 

“This landmark deal with our Universities, City Council and private sector partner Bruntwood SciTech will mark an exciting transformation in the city’s innovation and technology infrastructure. We are confident that CENTRAL TECH will help to create high value jobs in health, science and technology and bring growth to the City Region.”

Trish Wallace, Strategic Projects and People Manager of Sciontec, said:

“Liverpool City Region is rapidly becoming a superpower in health and life sciences innovation, so we are pleased to announce our plans to reopen the building and invite anyone that would like to see the space for themselves to contact us.”

Sciontec is the Knowledge Quarter Development Company owned by Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council and Bruntwood SciTech, a triple helix partnership committed to growing the knowledge economy to drive inclusive growth.  

CENTRAL TECH will join the growing Sciontec portfolio of innovation facilities, which already includes the three Liverpool Science Park innovation centres, iC1, iC2 and iC3, as well as serviced space offer Sciontec AI at The Spine and the planned HEMISPHERE One and Two labs developments at Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site.

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, said:

“This announcement of new investment is fantastic news for the city’s Knowledge Quarter and a huge vote of confidence in our blossoming life sciences sector. This building will be an amazing facility and builds on the recent multi-million pound boost for our plans to continue the development of nearby Paddington Village. This kind of investment attracts high quality businesses and high skilled, well-paid jobs and I’ll be delighted to see CENTRAL TECH open its doors.”

Sciontec hopes to enjoy similar success to its takeover of Liverpool Science Park (LSP) in 2020, which has seen occupancy levels improve significantly and increased retained profits, with the three Science Park buildings now operating near to full capacity and more than £1m recently invested at LSP in a new entrance and other enhanced customer facilities.

Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said:

“Liverpool has a growing global reputation for digital innovation and CENTRAL TECH has the opportunity to help us shift that dial even further, providing a unique, supportive environment where new ideas can flourish, centrally located in the heart of the city.”

Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood SciTech, said:

“The acquisition of Sensor City marks a significant milestone in ours and Sciontec’s ongoing commitment to further enhancing innovation and growth within Knowledge Quarter Liverpool. CENTRAL TECH will serve as a dynamic hub for health, life sciences, technology and digitalisation, while continuing to drive high-value job creation and contributing to the economic growth in this vibrant region.”

 

Find out more about CENTRAL TECH here.

Sciontec selects Morgan Sindall to deliver HEMISPHERE One

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Sciontec has appointed Morgan Sindall Construction as preferred contractor for its HEMISPHERE One laboratory and workspace development in Liverpool.

The £61m, 117,190 net sq ft development will be located at Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site in the city’s Knowledge Quarter innovation district.

HEMISPHERE One is part of a two-phase project, alongside HEMISPHERE Two, that will ultimately offer a combined net total 216,693 sq ft of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator space, grow-on and commercial lab space. Procurement for HEMISPHERE Two will be managed via a separate tender process at a later date.

Morgan Sindall will support Sciontec in refining the technical design and allow for smooth transition into the construction phase of the project, which is expected to start on site in the Autumn.

The appointment follows a competitive tender process coordinated through the North West Construction Hub High Value Framework. Morgan Sindall previously delivered The Spine, a 160,000 sq ft commercial building which is home to the Royal College of Physicians, adjacent to the site of HEMISPHERE One.

Sciontec, a partnership between Liverpool City Council, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Bruntwood SciTech, has already reached outline letting agreements prior to work commencing at HEMISPHERE One.  Earlier this year, HEMISPHERE One was allocated a £13m funding package from the Government to support completion of the project.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Sciontec, said:

“We are bringing HEMISPHERE One and Two forward to satisfy the rocketing demand for high-quality lab space in Liverpool city centre and support delivery of the city region’s Innovation Zone ambitions.

“The appointment of a trusted and experienced main contractor in Morgan Sindall allows us to now confidently move ahead with finalising the designs and commencing shell and core work over the coming months.

“While we are advancing with pre-let agreements, we also hope that this latest step forward will offer confidence to the wider market and future innovation occupiers that Liverpool can deliver excellent new developments at scale.”

Steven Gregory, North West area director at Morgan Sindall, said:

“It’s an honour to return to Paddington Village to help shape the latest transformational project within the Knowledge Quarter. This is an exciting time for the city region, with the Innovation Zone set to make it a life science powerhouse.

“As such, HEMISPHERE One is strategically important for the City Region and our wealth of experience when it comes to delivering high performance science and technology schemes means we are well placed to take this project forward. The exceptional facilities we will build will create the perfect environment for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, enabling world leading researchers and scientists to deliver work that will result in better patient outcomes.

“We will build on the legacy of our previous work here by continuing to collaborate with educational institutions, employment agencies, and the third sector, to deliver skills and employment opportunities to local communities and ensure this project leaves a lasting economic legacy in the area for decades to come.”

The Paddington Village development was enabled with the help of a £12m Liverpool City Region Combined Authority grant to pay for infrastructure work, including demolition and bringing services to the central 8.4 acres of the 30-acre site.

HEMISPHERE One is set to also receive up to £13m from the UK Government as a result of the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel and a £1.5m allocation from the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone, part of the Government’s Investment Zone programme.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“The development of HEMISPHERE One isn’t just another building project – it’s a clear demonstration of our region’s determination to be at the forefront of global innovation and life sciences. This cutting-edge facility will not only house world-leading research but foster a culture of collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. By creating spaces where brilliant minds can come together, we are setting the stage for breakthrough discoveries that will benefit not only the Liverpool City Region but the world.

“As we continue to invest in the future, developments like HEMISPHERE One are clear demonstrations of our ambition: to make the Liverpool City Region the best place to grow a business, lead in health and technology, and drive forward the next generation of innovation.”

Worthington Owen and Avison Young have been appointed as agents for HEMISPHERE One.