UKSPA Spring Conference 2026
We thank our hosts, attendees, speakers, event partners and exhibitors for their vital contributions
in making the spring conference such a success
Presentations
Date for your Diary
UKSPA Summer Conference 2026
Norwich Research Park
2nd & 3rd July
The Latest News
The EpiCentre is to Support Haverhill Science Festival 2026 by hosting a series of events
The EpiCentre will be supporting this year’s Haverhill Science Festival, taking place from Monday 20th to Saturday 25th April. Returning after the inaugural event in 2024, the festival brings together local schools, businesses, and community organisations to promote...
Final Development Plots Released at Bristol and Bath Science Park
Commercial property firm Avison Young has announced the release for sale of the final phases of development land at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, acting on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council. The newly available plots range from approximately 1.05 acres to...
Philip Macdonald, UKSPA Board Director and Managing Partner of Oberlanders Architects Reflects on the UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow
We’re a few weeks on and reflecting on a hugely successful UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow, where it was especially nice to have welcomed the national community back to Scotland. The atmosphere across both days reflected a sector keen to reconnect, collaborate and...
Member News
The EpiCentre is to Support Haverhill Science Festival 2026 by hosting a series of events
The EpiCentre will be supporting this year’s Haverhill Science Festival, taking place from Monday 20th to Saturday 25th April. Returning after the inaugural event in 2024, the festival brings together local schools, businesses, and community organisations to promote...
Final Development Plots Released at Bristol and Bath Science Park
Commercial property firm Avison Young has announced the release for sale of the final phases of development land at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, acting on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council. The newly available plots range from approximately 1.05 acres to...
Philip Macdonald, UKSPA Board Director and Managing Partner of Oberlanders Architects Reflects on the UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow
We’re a few weeks on and reflecting on a hugely successful UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow, where it was especially nice to have welcomed the national community back to Scotland. The atmosphere across both days reflected a sector keen to reconnect, collaborate and...
Industry calls for a National Blueprint to Unlock the Commercial Potential of UK Science
Senior figures from across industry, academia, investment and government met yesterday (Thursday 26 March 2026) at the House of Lords, for a roundtable hosted by The Lord Ranger of Northwood, to discuss the findings of a new report commissioned by Pioneer Group and...
Shipping Company Relocates Within Southampton After More Than Half a Century
A shipping company spanning three centuries at the port of Southampton is the latest business to berth at a thriving hub for maritime businesses. Founded in 1889, Wainwright Bros & Co moved into an 824 sq ft office for up to 14 people at Ocean Village Innovation...
Discovery Park Ignites Sixth Spark Cohort with New Wave of Innovative Startups
Discovery Park has launched the sixth edition of its Discovery Spark accelerator programme, welcoming 11 startups to its campus in Sandwich. The business growth programme has already supported 50 companies and 76 founders, with alumni securing £5.5m in UKRI funding...
Sector News
Industry calls for a National Blueprint to Unlock the Commercial Potential of UK Science
Senior figures from across industry, academia, investment and government met yesterday (Thursday 26 March 2026) at the House of Lords, for a roundtable hosted by The Lord Ranger of Northwood, to discuss the findings of a new report commissioned by Pioneer Group and...
UKSPA Partners with London Lab Live 2026
London Lab Live 2026 event is set to bring together visionaries, thought leaders, and professionals from various lab industries (pharma, chemicals & materials, food & beverage, FMCG, academia, biotech, real estate, and many more) to explore, collaborate and...
Plans for 100,000 sq ft Lab Space at 1-12 Magdalen Street Approved
Oxford City Council approves plans for life sciences, innovation and technology space at site of former Debenhams in Oxford The Crown Estate’s plans to transform the former Debenhams in Oxford city centre, located at 1-12 Magdalen Street, into a new 100,000 sq ft home...
UKSPA Partners with the UK Business Tech Awards 2026
The UK Science Park Association is delighted to partner with the UK Business Tech Awards 2026, a national celebration of organisations and innovators transforming industries through technology. The awards recognise the companies, teams, and individuals who are...
British Science Week, run by the British Science Association, is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, featuring entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK for people of all ages. British Science Week 2026 runs from...
UKSPA Welcomes Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park as a New Member
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park began in 2015 with development led by Legacy Park Ltd, a not-for profit company, in collaboration with developers Scarborough Group International. The Park is backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City...
Association News
Latest Edition of UKSPA News Bulletin now available via LinkedIn. Be sure to subscribe.
Welcome to the latest edition of the UKSPA News Bulletin, your definitive source for updates on UKSPA events, publications and UKSPA member news. In this issue, we bring you all the latest dates for our next four conferences, the latest edition of Breakthrough and...
Forthcoming UKSPA Regional Meetings Announced
The next series of regional meetings for UKSPA Full and Associate Members, and key stakeholders have been announced. UKSPA regional member meetings provide a great opportunity to knowledge share, network with peers and shape the direction of UKSPA’S regional agenda....
Life Sciences: Translating, Scaling and Manufacturing
Andy Williams, chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, led a discussion on translating, scaling and manufacturing in the life sciences sector as part of UKSPA’s 40th anniversary conference at Warwick University. He said: “We do have great science and we're...
Blog
Philip Macdonald, UKSPA Board Director and Managing Partner of Oberlanders Architects Reflects on the UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow
We’re a few weeks on and reflecting on a hugely successful UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow, where it was especially nice to have welcomed the national community back to Scotland. The atmosphere across both days reflected a sector keen to reconnect, collaborate and...
How Dark Labs Will Influence the UK’s Science Sector
Author: Andrew Somerville, Partner, Cundall There has been a recent resurgence of interest in dark labs within the UK. They can be key to some very niche, but important, breakthroughs in science. The fascination, however, lies in how the buildings exist and operate....
Philip Macdonald, Managing Partner, Oberlanders Architects and UKSPA Board Director Looks Forward to the Forthcoming UKSPA Spring Conference in Glasgow
The UKSPA Spring Conference is one of the standout moments in the sector’s calendar and an event I look forward to every year. It’s a brilliant opportunity to reflect and build on the vital role our science parks and innovation districts play in sustaining the UK...
“Dark labs”: the Future of Science – and the Key to Radical Energy Savings?
Ed Hayden, Partner and Architecture lead for Science and Research at Ridge We are entering a new era of AI-powered “dark labs”, in which built-in robotics, product tagging and intelligent monitoring systems will remove the need for the majority of manual intervention....
Wondering How “Sustainable” Your Lab Really is? This Benchmarking Tool Can Help
Phil Kelly, Partner at Ridge, and Deputy Research and Technical Officer at I2SL’s UK chapter How do you define a “sustainable” laboratory? Net Zero, BREEAM, LEED, Ska, WELL, LEAF – the potential metrics go on and on, and each is continually evolving. It’s no wonder...
Cogent Skills: Helping Science Parks Grow and Keep Their Talent
Cogent Skills is a charity with one clear mission: to help businesses in the UK’s science, technology, and manufacturing sectors attract, recruit and manage the people they need to thrive. Strategic Workforce Support Cogent Skills works with businesses to identify...
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