Gove in Cambridge to update on doubling the size of city footprint
Gove’s ambition is to make Cambridge the Silicon Valley of Europe despite widespread local opposition and huge infrastructure issues.
Shaun Grady of AstraZeneca, another chief guest at the Life Science lounge opening event, noted that it was AZ’s 10th year in Cambridge, having switched its HQ from Cheshire, and said he was proud of the liaisons the company had made to help the Cluster expand its influence. He congratulated Deloitte for its enterprise.
The Life Sciences Catalyst Business Lounge is designed to be a regional hotspot for startups and world-leading businesses in the BioMedTech sector. It is based within Deloitte Cambridge’s existing office in Station Square and located on the first floor.
The 1,152 sq ft lounge comprises a mix of formal and informal meeting areas across three zones – a touchdown zone, which provides a comfortable and casual space for members to work; a collaboration zone – designed for group discussions and brainstorming sessions – and executive meeting rooms which offer a private and professional space for meetings and presentations.
The new lounge builds on the success of Deloitte Cambridge’s Life Sciences Catalyst – a virtual ecosystem which connects regional businesses with global experts to expediate innovation within the life science and healthcare sector.
Home to nearly 300 people, Deloitte Cambridge is the first office in the UK to offer access to a Life Sciences Catalyst Business Lounge where businesses and individuals wishing to use the space will need to apply for a free membership, which will provide them with full access to all three zones.
Fran Cousins, Deloitte’s practice senior partner for the region, said: “Ways of working are continually evolving and the desire for open office space, which encourages collaboration and flexible working, is in high demand.
“At Deloitte Cambridge we value collaboration with our clients and the wider business ecosystem, and this new facility creates a space for people to use for many different purposes.
“Whether they are dropping in to take a call before getting on a train, hosting a team away day or chairing a board meeting, the lounge is flexible enough to meet a variety of needs.
“Cambridge was the natural choice to be the home of the Life Sciences Catalyst and after developing this offering, we found that there was a need for a dedicated space located in the centre of Cambridge.
“This presented a real opportunity to push the boundaries of collaboration, which is why this new workspace is not only incredibly exciting, but also a way for us to contribute to the growth of local businesses.”
Chris Aylott, Deloitte’s Life Science Catalyst lead partner, added: “Cambridge has a thriving life sciences and healthcare sector, and the creation of the Life Sciences Catalyst Business Lounge will not only further support that ecosystem, but provide a physical area for people to come together and enable entrepreneurs and senior board members access to experts who can address industry challenges.
“Over the coming months we will be hosting a range of events including roundtables, transition labs and a hackathon in the new lounge to continue to drive innovation and growth in the sector.”
• PHOTOGRAPH: Peter Freeman, Chair, Cambridge Delivery Group Cambridge 2050; Chris Aylott, Deloitte’s Partner Lead for Life Sciences Catalyst; Fran Cousins, Deloitte Practice Senior Partner and Paul Schofield, Deloitte Partner. Image courtesy – Phil Mynott.
