The UK's fast-evolving innovation ecosystem is fuelling demand for flexible, high-spec laboratories and workspaces tailored to both established and emerging science-led businesses, Alan Mackenzie, bid director and sector lead for life sciences & commercial at McLaughlin & Harvey, has said.

Since July 2025, the life sciences sector has drawn £3bn in new public–private funding, underscoring continued confidence in the UK's global scientific standing.

Within the Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, 3.3m sq ft of life sciences space is currently being built, with a further 6.5m sq ft consented, highlighting the sector's momentum. McLaughlin & Harvey has already delivered more than 550,000 sq ft of laboratories across the Triangle and has a further 950,000 sq ft in the pipeline, working closely with clients and supply chain partners to advance sustainability targets and raise the bar for delivery quality.

Since 2023, the company has partnered with Breakthrough Properties on two flagship schemes. At Trinity by Breakthrough in Oxford, the ambition was to create one of the world's most sustainable laboratory environments to attract leading biotech, pharmaceutical and genomics organisations. From the outset, the project team aligned around shared priorities—sustainability, quality and commercial performance—enabling a unified approach and the adoption of alternative solutions where they offered clear benefits.

-- Advertisement --

A bespoke raft foundation with a ventilated basement void, the integration of renewable technologies and rigorous design coordination underpinned the project's outcomes. Trinity achieved WELL Platinum, EPC A and BREEAM Outstanding—placing it among the top 1% of new non-domestic buildings. Reflecting confidence in delivery, McLaughlin & Harvey was also awarded, in competition, a full turnkey fit-out for one Studio Laboratories floor, with completion aligned to the main programme.

Building on this success, the contractor is now delivering Vitrum by Breakthrough at St John's Innovation Park in Cambridge—a purpose-built, world-class facility designed to foster collaboration and accelerate discovery across the life sciences.

Trinity by Breakthrough's flexibility, sustainability credentials and coordinated execution were recognised with the Best New Building award at the Construction News & Property Week Life Science, Tech & Research Clusters Awards, while Breakthrough Properties has been shortlisted for Client of the Year at the Building Awards.

"What is essential is to have a good construction partner. On our Trinity development in Oxford, McLaughlin & Harvey was a phenomenal contractor. And, on that basis, we negotiated our Vitrum development with them and again they have continued to be an exceptional partner". — Thomas Renn, Senior Vice President (Acquisitions & Development, Europe), Breakthrough Properties.

McLaughlin & Harvey is also advancing the sector in London at 105 Judd Street, where it is refurbishing and extending a prime office building for Native Land and Ashby Capital to create adaptable lab-enabled and office space. The scheme will be fully let to Life Arc—the UK's largest life sciences letting in 2025—with specifications allowing straightforward conversion of office floors to laboratories to meet evolving tenant needs.

To sustain and broaden sector growth, the company argues the industry must look beyond the Golden Triangle to high-potential locations not yet on the life sciences map. To support this, it has commissioned research resulting in the Alchemy Towns Index, which evaluates 40 UK towns and cities for future development potential.

The report aims to catalyse discussion, translate promising pipelines into viable projects and accelerate the delivery of high-quality facilities nationwide. As the market continues to mature, designing and constructing state-of-the-art, adaptable buildings that can flex over their lifespans will be essential to unlocking the UK's growing life sciences opportunity.