Pharma giant GSK has revealed it is closing its Stevenage site and opening a global research and development centre being built by development partner Prologis at Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
GSK Discovery Drive
The 300,000 sq ft HQ at Discovery Drive on Cambridge Biomedical Campus will house GSK’s R&D operations in the UK, representing a £400m investment commitment by the company.
The firm will move around 1,000 staff to the new facility and close its site in Stevenage, which it has occupied for 50 years.
Cambridge Biomedical Campus is one of the largest campuses of its kind in Europe with over 22,000 people working in life sciences, with pharma competitor AstraZeneca among those based on the site.
The new centre will comprise three interconnected buildings: 2000, 3000 and 4000 Discovery Drive. Construction is under way on 2000 Discovery Drive, while 3000 Discovery Drive has full planning permission and 4000 Discovery Drive recently received planning committee approval.
“GSK’s decision is a powerful endorsement of Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the unique ecosystem that has been created here,” said Andrew Blevins, senior vice-president, life sciences at Prologis.
“Prologis invested ahead of demand at Discovery Drive because we believed global life-sciences organisations would continue to choose Cambridge.”
Prologis added that GSK’s commitment was a milestone in the expansion of the campus, with phase two of the project now fully pre-let.
Jonathan Reynolds, secretary of state for business, innovation, science and trade, said: “This announcement from GSK is yet another vote of confidence in the sector and demonstrates the success of the government’s Industrial Strategy in unlocking vital private investment into the UK, one year on from the launch of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.”
Prologis is working in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council to develop phases three and four, with the potential to create a further 2.4m sq ft of life-sciences space.
Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “GSK’s expanded presence is another vote of confidence in our region and demonstrates the continued appeal of Cambridgeshire as a place where global organisations choose to innovate and grow.”
Kevin Bonavia, the MP for Stevenage, said it was “disappointing news” for the town.
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