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Slough Estates clones its biotech expertise in the UK


	With its extensive investments in the biotech property market, Slough Estates is ideally positioned to meet occupiers’ needs on both sides of the Atlantic.

It used to be said that what is happening in America today will be happening here tomorrow. In the cutting edge field of biotechnology, it’s more likely to be happening simultaneously, thanks in no small measure to international developers like Slough Estates, which specialise in creating biotech business environments on both sides of the Atlantic.

Cambridge Research Park, Slough Estates’ flagship development in the UK, is in many respects a clone of the company’s biotech projects in California, USA. For example, Torrey Pines, a 39-acre site near San Diego, is a ‘cluster’ of purpose-designed buildings, strategically located in close proximity to the University of California.

The site is designed to accommodate the exponential growth of biotech companies such as Genentech, which has a policy of spinning off its executives to form their own companies. Some of these become large biotech companies in their own right, while others are purchased by increasingly acquisitive pharmaceutical companies. Here in the UK, Cambridge Research Park, a 112-acre site to the north of the city, was also selected for its proximity to one of the world’s greatest universities and the quality of its high-tech and R&D skills base.

Dannio Labs, a cutting edge drug discovery company, is typical of the Park’s occupiers. A spin-out of Cambridge and California Universities, it was established with commercial assistance from the Cambridge University Entrepreneurship Centre. It is a textbook example of the new spate of technology-transfer partnerships which are attracted to these biotech hubs.

As Slough Estates’ Chairman, Sir Nigel Mobbs, is quick to point out, building for the biotech sector is a highly specialised undertaking. “Slab-to-slab distances, the space between the concrete floor and the ceiling, need to be far higher than for traditional office space, and the wider floor spaces must accommodate upgraded air conditioning and sophisticated plumbing systems.

“Bearing in mind the fast growth potential of biotech companies, it’s also necessary to be flexible about leasing”. says Sir Nigel. “The trickiest part of lease negotiations is the high proportion of alterations required. Customers need cold rooms, essentially large walk-in refrigerators, and HazMat Rooms where hazardous materials are handled. Such familiarity with the industry does not come easily. It’s all about our connections and contacts with customers.”

Clearly, the company enjoys a close working relationship with its accupiers and, with its impressive track record in the States, its development of biotech clusters here in the UK is set to keep pace with the growth of the international industry.