Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The developers of Cambourne Business Park to the west of Cambridge are submitting plans within a month for a Cambourne Research Quarter.

They aim to fast-track completion of the first speculative building by Spring 2004.

ERBI, the Eastern Region Biotechnology Initiative, believes the scheme could help stop mature, second-stage bio businesses drift abroad.

And it is calling on more developers to dedicate space to bio so start-up ventures don’t get left behind.

Dr Mark Treherne, chairman of ERBI, said the Research Quarter scheme was a shot in the arm for local Life Sciences.

“There is a chronic shortage of the right space and this project answers one of the pressing needs for more mature biotech companies.

“Now I hope other developers take care of the early-stage start-ups because they also need dedicated, specifically designed facilities.”

ERBI and the East of England Development Agency are currently working on a scheme to nurture the bio babes in new-style incubators.

Dr Treherne said: “The East of England bio community hasn’t caught up with Boston in the US but we are dominating the industry in Europe and have to build on that lead.

“We have a remarkably mature bio community locally with companies producing real products out of local research.

“We are beginning to make a difference because medical and healthcare breakthroughs enhance people’s lives - new drugs are not short-lived commodities like mobile phones.

“We welcome Cambourne Research Quarter; now our message to prospective developers of space for bio start-ups and also to overseas biotech companies desperate to commercialise their IP by relocating to the East of England is to join in this region’s boom or get left behind.”

Jon Hutt, a director of FPDSavills said: “There has been a take-up of more than 500,000 sq ft of laboratory property in the last 18 months and the main sites have now been snaffled.

“Cambridge Research Quarter”s timing is impeccble given the deliverability difficulties of other sites.”

In the test tube: an image of the new lab quarter in Cambridge