COMMENT Life sciences is undoubtedly one of the highest growth sectors in the UK, which can make it tempting for developers and landlords to want to take advantage of the opportunities the market presents. However, businesses in the life sciences sector are unlike any other commercial tenants.
They carry out specialist work with specialist equipment, and with that comes special requirements ahead of occupation.
Being a landlord of a science facility isn’t easy – keeping it operational is more than just collecting the rent. It requires continuous management. But delivering and readying the space for the initial occupation also takes special skills, knowledge and planning.
It does not matter whether the tenant is doing the fit-out themselves or using external project management teams; landlords will inevitably end up involved in the process of delivering operational readiness.
Approach with caution
Getting lab space and equipment ready for use touches on aspects that fall within the landlord’s demise.
Operational readiness for life sciences businesses covers a wide variety of elements, such as IT and power supply as well as emergency systems, quality assurance and specialist cleaning.
It is easy for elements to be overlooked or not given the necessary gravitas, which can cause delays in occupation and issues with the management of the laboratory and its operation.
Lab equipment is expensive and needs specialist handling, connections and systems. It requires a particular approach to commissioning and qualification, which means some systems installed by the landlord must be operational, qualified and ready before the tenant moves in.
The qualification period of the lab equipment is a long and complex process – and for good reasons, given the nature of the work being undertaken. It requires sufficient quality assurance staffing levels assigned to the appropriate timeframe. It also requires the right alignment with the facility’s standard operational procedures.
Without the right number of staff to check and release equipment for use, there is a risk that the qualification process will become a bottleneck and cause delays. It is a process of steps that must be carefully mapped and is not something that can be an afterthought.
Equipment requirements during operations can also differ from tenant to tenant. Some equipment may require an internet connection, which would need to be defined and identified. Responsibility for the connection, firewalls and protection of the system, as well as automation, are crucial for tenants who require it. Like any system, considerations of resilience and maintenance of service come into play.
Call for back-up
Another key landlord consideration is the need for uninterrupted power to some equipment.
Depending on the processes, equipment may require backup power in the form of a UPS, whether centrally located by the landlord or on an equipment-by-equipment basis.
The landlord building management system may also need to communicate or provide data to the tenant’s system.
Planning and mapping out these details require the involvement of various stakeholders and contractors beyond the official project management team.
Management regime
Then there is the ongoing management of the facility once it is occupied. As a landlord, you will need to make sure you have identified your own management regime of the facility.
For example, who is responsible for taking out biological waste and who books them? Where do sharps go, and who picks those up? Who is delivering the carbon dioxide and keeping supplies stocked up?
Standard operational procedures need to be carefully drawn up. Given that labs can be a 24-hour-a-day operation, is there an out-of-office contact if an alarm goes off or equipment fails at night-time? And what happens in the event of a fire or a biological agent leaking?
Cleaning is an important consideration. Typically, tenants are responsible for the lab cleaning, but who does the deep cleans, how are they booked and how often?
These are just a few of many considerations for delivering operationally ready life sciences facilities and ongoing facilities management.
It is a specialist undertaking for specialist businesses, which requires meticulous planning and a deep understanding of the occupier’s needs. Without it, there are increased risks of delays in occupation and business disruption for the tenant.
Tes Adamou is chief executive of EEDN
