Pharmaceutical giant GSK is to relocate around 1,000 research and development staff to a new facility at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus as part of a £400m investment in its UK R&D network.
The new Cambridge site, which is currently under construction, will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and infrastructure supporting research into oncology, respiratory disease, hepatology, vaccines and HIV.
GSK said the move would place its R&D operations "in the heart of the UK's life sciences Golden Triangle" and help accelerate the development of new medicines.
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is already home to more than 22,000 people working across life sciences, bringing together pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology businesses, universities and healthcare organisations.
GSK said the campus offers significant opportunities for collaboration, with existing partnerships including the Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, the Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration, the Cambridge-GSK Metabolic Science Collaboration, Cambridge Immune Ageing and the GSK-Teichmann Lab. The company also operates a clinical unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
The campus is home to AstraZeneca, while Addenbrooke's and Royal Papworth hospitals are located alongside the research and commercial facilities. Construction is also under way on the new Cambridge Cancer Hospital.
Tony Wood, chief scientific officer at GSK, said Cambridge had developed "one of the world's best life sciences ecosystems", combining leading universities, hospitals and biotechnology companies.
"The campus provides exceptional opportunities for collaboration," he said. "With our existing connections and experience, we see this move as a catalyst for faster, bolder medicines discovery by accelerating the science that matters most for GSK's next wave of medicines."
The relocation will take place in phases, with staff expected to begin moving to Cambridge as the new facility becomes operational.
GSK said it expects most employees currently based at its Stevenage R&D site to move to the new Cambridge location, supported by direct rail connections between Cambridge and Stevenage following the opening of Cambridge South station.
The company will also invest in upgrading its existing R&D laboratories in Ware, Hertfordshire, with some employees moving to that facility.
GSK's Cambridge investment forms part of a wider UK R&D network that includes collaborations with institutions such as the University of Oxford, King's College London, Imperial College London, the University of Manchester, Wellcome and the Francis Crick Institute.
The move represents a significant expansion of GSK's presence within the Cambridge life sciences cluster and further strengthens the city's position as a centre for pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and biomedical innovation.
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GSK's new global research and development centre at Cambridge Biomedical Campus will become home to GSK’s R&D operations in the UK. Image credit: Prologis
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