The Biosphere at Newcastle Helix

A unique opportunity for an investor-developer to partner with Newcastle City Council and accelerate growth in an established life science ecosystem.

Newcastle City Council is seeking to appoint an investor-developer partner with a shared vision and ambition to expand and enhance the laboratory facilities at Newcastle Helix. This includes both the ownership of the income-producing 8,366 sqm (90,050 sq ft) Biosphere laboratory facility and development of the available Biosphere expansion plots.

Location:

The site is located on the established 24-acre Newcastle Helix innovation campus, in Newcastle city centre.

Investment type:

Capital investment - real estate

Sector:

(Real estate, Healthcare and life sciences, Science & innovation)

Project promoter:

Newcastle City Council

Scale:

£70 million

Planning status:

Phase 2 Planning obtained; outline for Phase 3

Time to Final Investment Decision (FID):

0-6 months

Sector and market

Life Sciences continues to grow as a UK sector and is reflected in the government’s new Science and Technology framework. Newcastle and the North East Region is highly ranked for its clinical trials activity, has 3 twice rated CQC ‘Outstanding’ hospital trusts, and contributes 33% to the UK’s pharmaceutical GDP. Newcastle is also home to 4 National Innovation Centres.

Location

This opportunity is located in the established Newcastle Helix innovation district in the heart of Newcastle city centre and it a partnership with Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University. Demand for lab-space is high and there is no other competing commercial lab space in the city.

Connectivity

Newcastle Helix is a 10-minute walk from the mainline train station. Over 30 trains travel daily to London in as little as 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Newcastle International Airport connects to 80 destinations worldwide.

The site is well-connected to both transport links via Metro and public buses.

Local talent and skills

Newcastle Helix is located in close proximity to Newcastle and Northumbria Universities as well as Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest trusts in the country.

Durham, Sunderland and Teeside Universities are within an hour’s drive. The area has the highest proportion of STEM students in the UK (52,000 across the region), and a population of over 100,000 students.

Life Sciences strengths include healthy longevity, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, cancer and rare disease. There are over 200 relevant businesses with a presence in the region.

Research and Expertise

There are numerous buildings within the Newcastle Helix innovation district producing ground breaking research and innovation. This includes The Catalyst, which houses the National Innovation Centre for the Ageing and the National Innovation Centre for Data. Both innovation centres support businesses working within Health, Life Sciences, tech and beyond.

The National Innovation Centre for Data helps business analyse and understand their own data to improve efficiencies and profitability.

The National Innovation centre for the Ageing helps business tailor products to aid healthy longevity.

Further details

Newcastle Biosphere offered 9000 square meters of mixed-use laboratory and office space. It opened in November 2018 and is fully occupied, with further demand for space. The chosen investment partner will manage this existing facility, along with developing and managing up to 22,000 square meters of new Life Sciences Real Estate on Newcastle Helix.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) highlights

The entire site is powered by the District Energy Centre which uses modern heat exchange technology, acting as an independent power source for the site. This allows buildings on the site to operate much more efficiently, with some averaging 7 tonnes less of carbon emissions each week.

Promoters and partnerships

The promoter is Newcastle City Council who have been involved in the redevelopment of the Newcastle Helix site since its conception.

The Council has successfully developed and managed the first phase of a commercial lab space, The Biosphere, to anchor a Life Sciences cluster in the region.

Local & National Government Support

Newcastle Helix is in line with the UK government’s ‘Science Superpower’ ambitions and sector support for Life Sciences.

Other opportunities

Tyne Clean Energy Park

An exciting opportunity to invest in the North East’s most versatile clean energy park at the Port of Tyne.

Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS)

Investment at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) focuses on re-energising Scotland’s local manufacturing base. Development opportunities include advanced manufacturing, aerospace and commercial offices. Investment opportunities include joint-venture partnerships.

Howbery Business Park in Wallingford, Oxfordshire

Creation of a centre of excellence for water, the environment and climate change, providing opportunities for collaboration across research, innovation and industry

Brent Cross Town

Brent Cross Town will be a new 1 million square metre (10 million square foot) mixed-use neighbourhood spanning 180 acres, with 50 acres of open space, parkland and playing fields.

Fawley Waterside

Fawley Waterside aims to be one of the first net zero smart towns in Europe; spread over 400,000 square metres, it will sit inside the proposed Solent Freeport.

Cardiff Central Quay

A 200,000 square metre mixed-use regeneration scheme adjacent to Cardiff’s Central station, in the heart of the capital city of Wales.

Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire

Bicester Motion is a 444-acre branded commercial and leisure destination, strategically located at the heart of the UK’s mobility and tourism industries.

Newtown Works in Ashford, Kent

A mixed-use town centre regeneration project offering world-class film studios, apartments and commercial space at a heritage site next to Ashford International Station.

Gravity

An immediate investment opportunity in a data-driven commercial development that’s focused on sustainability and clean growth.

Arden Cross in the Midlands

Arden Cross is a global destination for innovation, business, learning and living, across more than 140 hectares in Solihull in the West Midlands.

First Street in Manchester

A high-profile opportunity to invest in net zero commercial office space in the heart of Manchester City Centre.

Purfleet-on-Thames

An opportunity to invest in a £1.3 billion development along the Thames Estuary – a creative hub and new town centre providing homes, film and TV studios and community and transport infrastructure.

Perth West in Scotland

A strategic opportunity for debt, equity investment, co-investment or development funding to develop a net zero eco innovation business park and city expansion.

Clyde Gateway Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID) in Glasgow

Thinking globally, acting locally. Clyde Gateway's GRID integrates real estate and climate resilience in a '20-minute neighbourhood' near central Glasgow.

210616_1527-BelfastTransportHub_V15-with MSCP 1.png

Weavers Cross transport-led regeneration project in Belfast

Located alongside the largest integrated transport hub in Ireland, Weavers Cross is a 121,000 square metre regeneration project of mixed-use space.

Teesworks in North East England

Teesworks is a significant brownfield regeneration opportunity in the UK, with the largest and most connected industrial zone and diverse, sustainable and low-carbon activity.

Biomanufacturing in Tees Valley

Tees Valley is driving UK clean growth, converting sustainable feedstocks into high-value biopharmaceuticals, food and feed, biofuels and biochemical products.

Tissue regeneration and wound care in Leeds City Region

Develop and commercialise new tissue regeneration and wound care technologies and access a rapidly developing market within the health and medical technology sector.

The Waterside in Belfast, Northern Ireland

An opportunity to invest in a prime waterfront location in central Belfast – something that’ll cater for the office, hotel, serviced apartments, residential and private rental sectors.

18 Central, Corporation Street, Belfast,

A substantial build-to-rent project in Belfast city centre, with a chance for early participation via different finance options - including equity share and traditional funding.

Harlow Innovation Park

This is an opportunity to forward fund or acquire future assets at the developing 10-hectare Harlow Innovation Park on an individual or multiple plot basis.

A new higher education institute in Milton Keynes

A chance to invest in MK:U, a new higher education institute for the digital economy, created with business and for business.

Kings Hall Life Sciences Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland

An opportunity to invest in the next two phases of regeneration of Kings Hall Life Sciences Park. This project is a significant economic driver in the life sciences sector and has already attracted government funding; the first phase of construction is complete and 40,000 square feet fully occupied by Life Sciences tenants.

MIRA Technology Park, South Site in North Warwickshire

A £260 million funding opportunity for occupier-led investment in the industrial sector with potential for a multi-phased development approach. The scheme provides rare, strategic and advanced manufacturing facilities with associated links to the extensive research and development infrastructure at MIRA.

Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Comprising of 75 hectares or 185 acres of prime waterfront land, this project is one of Northern Ireland’s most important regeneration enterprises.

The Sixth, Royal Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland

An opportunity to invest in a mixed-use, 250,000 square feet space that will serve the Grade A office, creative and technology sectors.

A new high-speed terminus in Birmingham Curzon

Several major investment opportunities exist around the development of a new high-speed terminus station in Birmingham city centre.

Norwich Union House, Belfast, Northern Ireland

A chance to invest early in a 160,000sq ft mixed-use, 7-storey building primarily for Grade A offices in Belfast. Full planning permission is already in place. A variety of finance options are available including equity share or traditional funding.

GatewayEast in Doncaster

A chance to invest in a world-class destination for research, innovation and living, where sustainable environments and international connectivity create an opportunity for communities to thrive.

Interchange Commercial District in Wolverhampton

A chance for developers and investors to get involved with the Interchange Commercial District area in Wolverhampton, via a range of investment and delivery structures.

Vaccine development and manufacture in Liverpool City Region

Develop and validate new vaccines and vaccine technologies that will improve the quality of life for people around the globe.

Cell and gene therapy in Hertfordshire

Design, develop and supply transformative advanced therapies, all from the largest cell and gene therapy cluster outside the USA.

Healthy ageing and longevity in the North East

Exploit the growing national and international demand for new products and services that support health and independence into older age.

Precision biomarkers and diagnostics in Northern Ireland

Launch your biomarker journey and develop advanced precision diagnostics in Northern Ireland.

Diagnostics and early intervention for healthy ageing

Meet the growing demand for digital and molecular diagnostics innovations, and smart, assistive technologies, to support early intervention in ageing diseases

Data analytics and artificial intelligence applications in Leeds City Region

Transform society, our lives and your business by exploiting the growing demand for data analytics and artificial intelligence.

Data-driven health innovation in the West Midlands

Meet the growing demand for data-driven, patient-centred healthcare solutions with applications in diagnostics, devices and digital applications.

Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

A public-private partnership bringing South Yorkshire’s most innovative organisations in health, sports and wellbeing together in an actively managed ecosystem, to advance health outcomes and economic growth. Opportunity to invest in 4 foundation buildings as part of a 92,092 sqm (1m sqft) masterplan.

Queen's Parade, Bangor

The project has the dual advantage of being situated within the heart of Bangor city centre but also with direct access to an attractive coastline and marina environment. Its importance is such that it has been awarded significant Levelling Up funding which will contribute to a high quality of public realm within the project itself. It is a project capable of 4 phases. The total project value is around £83 million. Consideration will be given to both funding and equity options.

Speak to us

The government is identifying new projects across the whole of the UK. Investors who are interested in our projects can find out more by contacting us.

Get in touch

Cookies on great.gov.uk