Real estate duo plan rail-side TechBio hub after £12.8m Cambridge swoop

They have joined forces to buy two income producing laboratories let to Alchemab Therapeutics and Constructive Bio, as well as two adjoining industrial warehouses totalling 38,500 sq ft, with a view to reconfiguring these units into best-in-class, fitted laboratory space.

The site was acquired through Barwood’s Regional Property Growth Fund V and is located 6.2 miles south of Cambridge city centre in the heart of the South Cambridge Science Cluster.

It is positioned near other established science parks including the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Babraham Research Park, The Wellcome Genome Campus and Unity Campus, making it one of Europe’s leading BioTech and life sciences clusters.

The units also adjoin Whittlesford Parkway mainline train station, two stops from the new Cambridge South train station at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Both buyers say that the new TechBio hub benefits from excellent road connections, being near junction 10 of the M11, as well as providing quick access to the A505, A10 and A1.

The news follows the Government’s announcement of £400 million investment to expand the UK’s life sciences sector, providing a boost to cutting edge medical research and looking likely to create a rise in demand for R & D facilities.

‘Invest 2035’ was launched in October aligning life sciences as one of the eight key growth sectors prioritised in the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy. Already contributing £108 billion to the UK economy, the life sciences industry drove £800m in foreign direct investment into the UK in 2023 and supports around 300,000 jobs up and down the country.

Jonathon Ellerington, Investment Director at Barwood, said: “The acquisition provides an excellent opportunity to reconfigure underutilised properties in a key, strategic location, and in a sector which is underpinned by strong underlying tailwinds.

“In addition to the quality of the existing laboratory space, this is an excellent opportunity to reconfigure additional units into sustainable, best in class laboratory space in the leading BioTech and life sciences cluster.

“The refurbishment and reconfiguring of these units will also serve to improve the area and provide employment opportunities. It will also support life sciences businesses to grow through providing exceptional laboratory space at a time when the market is starved of supply.”

Daniel Sterling, Co-Founder of Gen Two Real Estate, added: “Teaming up with Barwood is a fantastic step forward for our business, allowing us to create a new TechBio hub at Whittlesford Parkway Station.

“Providing high quality self-contained units located in the heart of the South Cambridge Science Cluster attracting occupiers from surrounding world leading science parks.

“Since developing The Recodery back in 2023 for Constructive Bio it has been very satisfying to see the team grow into the space as well as successfully completing a Series A funding of $58m in September 2024.”