UKSPA Autumn Conference & AGM 2025
We sincerely thank everyone who joined us for our Autumn Conference 2025. It was inspiring to connect, share insights, and discuss the future direction of our organisation.
For those who attended, stay tuned for upcoming resources including speaker presentations and highlights from the event.
We look forward to seeing you at our next event in Spring 2026.
Upcoming Conference Dates 2026
UKSPA Spring Conference 2026 Glasgow City Innovation District
5th and 6th March 2026
UKSPA Summer Conference 2026 Norwich Research Park
2nd and 3rd July 2026
The Latest News
Imperial’s Leap Incubator Attracts Five Innovative Startups in First Month
Leap, the new shared lab incubator space from Imperial Incubator located at ARC West London, has officially opened its doors and demand is already surging. Just one month after launch, five early-stage science companies have moved into the space. The first cohort of...
“Dark labs”: the Future of Science – and the Key to Radical Energy Savings?
Ed Hayden, Partner and Architecture lead for Science and Research at Ridge We are entering a new era of AI-powered “dark labs”, in which built-in robotics, product tagging and intelligent monitoring systems will remove the need for the majority of manual intervention....
IRCA Group joins R&D Incubator at Colworth Science Park
IRCA Group, a global leader in high-quality food ingredients, has signed a lease at Pioneer Group’s new food and beverage incubator, Gastronomica at Colworth Science Park in Bedfordshire. IRCA has taken 405 sq ft of space in the facility, providing the company with a...
Member News
Imperial’s Leap Incubator Attracts Five Innovative Startups in First Month
Leap, the new shared lab incubator space from Imperial Incubator located at ARC West London, has officially opened its doors and demand is already surging. Just one month after launch, five early-stage science companies have moved into the space. The first cohort of...
“Dark labs”: the Future of Science – and the Key to Radical Energy Savings?
Ed Hayden, Partner and Architecture lead for Science and Research at Ridge We are entering a new era of AI-powered “dark labs”, in which built-in robotics, product tagging and intelligent monitoring systems will remove the need for the majority of manual intervention....
IRCA Group joins R&D Incubator at Colworth Science Park
IRCA Group, a global leader in high-quality food ingredients, has signed a lease at Pioneer Group’s new food and beverage incubator, Gastronomica at Colworth Science Park in Bedfordshire. IRCA has taken 405 sq ft of space in the facility, providing the company with a...
Salience Labs to Pioneer Photonic Switches for AI Data Centres at Milton Park
Milton Park has welcomed Salience Labs, a start-up which is pioneering photonic switches for AI data centres. The company, which has raised over $54m (£41m), including backing from Oxford Science Enterprises, builds on decades of research from the universities of...
High quality lab and office space coming to University of Warwick Science Park in £6m refurbishment
The University of Warwick Science Park has announced its ambition to attract some of the country’s most innovative life science companies at the forefront of R&D to the site with a refurbishment investment of £6 million offering a state-of-the-art lab and office...
The EpiCentre Marks Five Years of Innovation and Growth
The EpiCentre, managed by Oxford Innovation Space, has celebrated its fifth anniversary, marking five years of supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups and growing businesses in the East of England. More than 130 guests joined the celebration, reflecting on the...
Sector News
Imperial’s Leap Incubator Attracts Five Innovative Startups in First Month
Leap, the new shared lab incubator space from Imperial Incubator located at ARC West London, has officially opened its doors and demand is already surging. Just one month after launch, five early-stage science companies have moved into the space. The first cohort of...
The Barts Life Science Cluster Launches in Whitechapel, East London
With planned investment of over £800m, the Cluster brings together Barts Health NHS Trust and private investors to unite clinical excellence and commercial innovation. Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “we have ambitious goals for making the UK Europe's leader when...
Green Light for Wootton Science Park’s £44 Million Masterplan for New SME Science and Tech Lab Space and Amenities
Hartwell Plc, the automotive and property development company, has received planning approval for its masterplan to deliver new carbon efficient laboratory and workspace buildings for small and medium sized science and technology companies and amenities at Wootton...
The Crown Estate Acquires Harwell East, Potential for 4.5m sq ft of Lab Space
Next to the renowned Harwell Science and Innovation campus, Harwell East could deliver up to 4.5 million sq ft of laboratory and advanced manufacturing space, plus 400 new homes Project expected to contribute an estimated £2.5bn to GDP and create 30,000 jobs Site is...
Liverpool Named as European Capital of Innovation Finalist
The European Commission has today announced the finalists of the 2026 European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital), celebrating cities at the forefront of urban innovation for over a decade. Supported by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, the...
A Message From Recently Appointed UKSPA Chief Executive, Ruth Hall
It is a privilege to join you, our Board and Executive team, as your new Chief Executive. I’m delighted to step into this role, and I wish to thank you for the warm welcome I’ve already received. I’m looking forward to working collaboratively with you all to deliver...
Association News
Latest Edition of UKSPA News Bulletin now available via LinkedIn. Be sure to subscribe.
Welcome to the latest edition of the UKSPA News Bulletin, your definitive source for updates on UKSPA events, publications and UKSPA member news. In this issue, we bring you all the latest dates for our next four conferences, the latest edition of Breakthrough and...
Forthcoming UKSPA Regional Meetings Announced
The next series of regional meetings for UKSPA Full and Associate Members, and key stakeholders have been announced. UKSPA regional member meetings provide a great opportunity to knowledge share, network with peers and shape the direction of UKSPA’S regional agenda....
Life Sciences: Translating, Scaling and Manufacturing
Andy Williams, chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, led a discussion on translating, scaling and manufacturing in the life sciences sector as part of UKSPA’s 40th anniversary conference at Warwick University. He said: “We do have great science and we're...
Blog
“Dark labs”: the Future of Science – and the Key to Radical Energy Savings?
Ed Hayden, Partner and Architecture lead for Science and Research at Ridge We are entering a new era of AI-powered “dark labs”, in which built-in robotics, product tagging and intelligent monitoring systems will remove the need for the majority of manual intervention....
Wondering How “Sustainable” Your Lab Really is? This Benchmarking Tool Can Help
Phil Kelly, Partner at Ridge, and Deputy Research and Technical Officer at I2SL’s UK chapter How do you define a “sustainable” laboratory? Net Zero, BREEAM, LEED, Ska, WELL, LEAF – the potential metrics go on and on, and each is continually evolving. It’s no wonder...
Cogent Skills: Helping Science Parks Grow and Keep Their Talent
Cogent Skills is a charity with one clear mission: to help businesses in the UK’s science, technology, and manufacturing sectors attract, recruit and manage the people they need to thrive. Strategic Workforce Support Cogent Skills works with businesses to identify...
Data drives the opportunity for the UK science and technology sector to meet the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
By Simon Wyatt, Sustainability Partner, Cundall As an industry so heavily reliant on carbon, suggesting a building is net zero carbon is a big claim. The launch of the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard last September is the most significant advancement the...
Why SMEs Are Rethinking Their Marketing Strategy to Grow in 2025
By Helen Earl, Centre Manager, The EpiCentre, Haverhill The marketing landscape has changed significantly in the past two years, and many SMEs are beginning to take notice. For start-ups and growing businesses focused on R&D, strategy, or business development,...
The 8Cs of Smart Business Expansion: A Simple Framework for Going Big, the Right Way
[Copyright Gary Jennings] By Gary Jennings, Innovation Director, The EpiCentre, Haverhill Expansion Isn’t Just About More Sales It’s easy to assume that business growth is all about getting more customers, selling more products, and making more money. But...
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