Wilton Centre tackles North East lab space shortage
The Wilton Centre could provide the answer for ambitious companies who are frustrated by the lack of commercial laboratory space in the North East.
That shortage has been highlighted in a study of the region’s Life Sciences sector carried out by the Centre for Process Innovation and Square One Law.
The North East Pharma, Health Tech & Life Sciences Landscape Survey found that although the future looked optimistic, the lack of lab space “hinders the development and expansion of the region’s science and technology sectors” and addressing this gap “is crucial for fostering a thriving environment for research and development.”
Following the publication of the report it emerged that nearly 6,000 sq. ft of laboratory space - with 2,000 sq. ft of office accommodation alongside - has become available at Wilton Centre, which is located between Middlesbrough and Redcar.
The site is owned by leading developer of life science ecosystems, Pioneer Group, which integrates infrastructure, investment, and venture support across its 12 sites in the UK and Ireland. As well as enjoying the quality of Wilton Centre’s labs, science businesses based there benefit from half a century of know-how and an infrastructure geared up to serve their needs.
Over the years that combination has seen a number of university spin outs choose Wilton Centre as the ideal place to develop and grow. They have come from some of the UK’s top educational institutions, including London’s Imperial College, Manchester and nearby Durham.
Absolute Antibody, founded in Oxford 13 years ago, opened its manufacturing facility at Wilton Centre in 2014 and then transferred its headquarters there. The company - which in 2021 received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade for its work during the pandemic – now has customers in 65 countries and sells to 14 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Another occupier, the global company Sappi, has just acquired a second lab in order to develop new products.
In addition to pulp, paper and packaging, Sappi and its Process and Application team at Wilton Centre are always looking to develop new uses for the constituent parts of a tree - cellulose, lignin, and sugars - underlining the company’s objective to “use every part of the tree to make every day more sustainable.”
The products under development in the new lab at Wilton Centre include fibrillated cellulose-based additives for face creams and moisturisers. “They’re green, of course, because they’re not petrochemical based, and they’re renewable because they’re made from trees,” said Sarah Marsden, the Sappi Wilton Centre Manager.
Loughborough University spin out Micropore Technologies relocated to the Centre nine years ago. “As the company expanded, Wilton Centre helped us identify additional lab capacity,” said Micropore’s Technical Manager Dave Palmer. “Wilton helped us grow at the time we needed the extra space. The integrated services have also been a significant help, especially when compared to our previous premises where we had to look after everything ourselves.”
Wilton Centre Leasing & Assistant Asset Manager Claire Morton said:
Although laboratory space is at a premium, we always work with businesses here to try to find a solution for their needs. That’s particularly the case for companies such as Absolute Antibody which began with one lab and has needed more because of its rapid growth. We always find a way.
Like many of its occupiers, Wilton Centre is also looking to expand. It has submitted a planning application to build 180,000 sq. ft of new manufacturing space, laboratories and offices on neighbouring land, inside the boundary of the Teesside Freeport.
As well as the newly-available laboratory, two spaces – 4,800 sq. ft and nearly 4,000 sq. ft – have been freed up in the Wilton Centre’s Technical Development Area.
