Campus diaries: what’s next for bioscience in Yorkshire
A new year means a new Campus Diaries from Liz Cashon, our Estates Manager at York Biotech Campus (YBC). In this edition, Liz reflects on the exciting opportunities ahead for YBC in 2025, along with the key trends that are expected to shape the bioscience property market.
Prospects for 2025
“We’re pleased that the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is recognising the importance of the bioeconomy in the region and YBC’s role in this, which will have a positive impact on growth in 2025. Invest in York and North Yorkshire’s commitment to attract more business investment in agritech and industrial biotechnology is bolstering the region’s growth in the sector, and we expect it’s only going to get better.
“YNYCA is committed to providing start-ups and SMEs help as they launch, grow and thrive, and we see YBC as playing a vital part in this business support landscape. For instance, recognising the challenges start-ups and SMEs face in securing lab space, we are also evaluating ways to better support these organisations. One solution we’re exploring is the creation of shared lab spaces, enabling us to foster research and development within the region.
“Overall, the demand for lab space in the region remains significant and shows no signs of slowing down. As a result, we are actively exploring how to adapt our onsite space to meet this demand. This includes conducting feasibility studies to transform existing office spaces into state-of-the-art laboratories.
“Sustainability will remain a key priority for us in 2025. In 2024, we welcomed our new Head of Campus, Victoria de Kock, who has been instrumental in developing our new sustainability strategy. The coming year will see the launch of several critical projects as part of our commitment to achieving Net Zero.
“Additionally, we’ll continue to focus on enhancing facilities for our occupiers, with plans to upgrade our fitness centre and restaurant, ensuring we provide an exceptional experience for everyone on campus.”
Key trends in 2025
“Sustainability will continue to dominate conversations in 2025, with more organisations prioritising alignment between their ESG strategies and the buildings they occupy. Collaboration between landlords and occupiers will be essential. Understanding energy consumption, setting realistic targets, and working together to achieve them will be key to success’.
“We anticipate sustained demand for lab space outside of the Golden Triangle, but meeting this demand will remain a challenge due to limited availability. This also poses a challenge in retaining existing businesses in the region as they expand and require additional space.
“Given the high cost of new construction, we expect retrofitting and the conversion of unused or underutilised spaces into laboratories to become increasingly common in 2025. This approach offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to address the growing demand for lab facilities.”