Yorkshire life sciences campuses step up hunt for occupiers

Nexus University of Leeds and the York BioTech Campus have both picked CBRE to market their vacant laboratory and office space. Nexus is located on Discovery Way in Leeds and comprises 11,821 sq ft of offices, 8,752 sq ft of lab and office suites, and 2,341sq ft of lab space, as well as meeting rooms, co-working and event spaces, a business lounge and a café. The existing community at Nexus includes pet care app operator Vet-AI, robotic colonoscopy systems developer Atlas Endoscopy and digital health platform provider Itecho. The York BioTech Campus sits in 80 acres of parkland at Sand Hutton in York, eight miles from the city centre, and offers 260,000 sq ft of lab space alongside flexible offices. It also has a restaurant, fitness centre, on-site nursery, co-working space, 250-seat auditorium, cycle storage, warehouse and communal space, networking and collaboration facilities, as well as 550 car parking spaces. Jonny Lowe, head of science and technology for the North at CBRE, said: “The UK life sciences sector is being transformed by the rise of AI, digital health and data-driven healthcare, driving demand for advanced facilities and collaborative ecosystems. Yorkshire is at the heart of this shift, with hubs like Nexus and York BioTech Campus nurturing AI-led health innovations which have direct access into NHS England, responsible for digital, data and tech platforms, providing an anchor to the region as a leader in data-driven healthcare. “With venture capital funding and mergers and acquisitions activity into the sector on the rise across the board during the last quarter, there is increased optimism this year with a number of schemes shaping up for delivery.”