Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, a 50:50 Joint Venture between private sector investor Brookfield (50%) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (50%) has announced the next phase of its expansion across health and life sciences, as global biopharma company, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, confirms plans to build a new 155,000 sq. ft research facility on the Oxfordshire campus.
The announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of Harwell’s Health Tech Cluster and comes just one year after Moderna opened its state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility on the campus.
Since its launch in 2016, Harwell’s Health Tech cluster has grown to over 75 life sciences organisations and 1,400 people.
Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said: “Harwell exists to bring government, academia and industry together to work on the biggest challenges and for the last decade the Health Cluster we initiated on site has been doing just that. This new facility that will develop transformative medicines is exactly the kind of investment we want to see here. It complements our outstanding national labs, strengthens Oxfordshire’s position as a home for world-class life sciences and supports the wider ambition for the UK to lead in science and innovation.”
Harwell’s success in attracting world-leading science and technology companies, from Moderna’s mRNA manufacturing facility to a growing community of space and defence organisations has helped cement its role as one of the UK’s foremost locations for advanced research and innovation.
Jim Stretton, Managing Director of Harwell Campus, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Vertex Pharmaceuticals to the Harwell Campus community. This new facility will further enable the global biopharma company’s research and development teams to bring transformative therapies to patients. Their decision to invest here reflects the strength of Harwell’s health cluster and Oxfordshire’s thriving research and innovation ecosystem.”
The facility will neighbour the new CO:LABS building situated within Harwell’s emerging Accelerator Quarter, an innovation zone designed to support science businesses from early-stage development through to scale-up.
Subject to planning and regulatory approvals, construction is expected to begin in early 2027. The development will support more than 200 jobs across the region during construction.
