GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced plans to build a new flagship global research and development centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus as part of a £400m investment aimed at expanding its UK life sciences presence and accelerating the development of new medicines.
The new 300,000 sqft facility will house more than 1,000 scientists and become the company's primary UK R&D hub.
The hub will support research across key therapeutic areas including oncology, respiratory disease, hepatology, vaccines and HIV, while placing GSK alongside leading academic institutions, hospitals and biotechnology companies within Cambridge's established biomedical cluster.
According to GSK, the investment is intended to strengthen collaboration between its researchers and external partners, helping to accelerate scientific discovery and the translation of research into new treatments.
The site in Cambridge is being developed by Prologis and will serve to link GSK to a wider network of academic institutions and emerging biomedical organisations, including the University of Oxford, Kings College London, Imperial College, the University of Manchester, Wellcome and the Crick institute.
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is currently home to more than 22,000 people working in life sciences, and over 470 biopharma, biotech and AI companies are located there.
"Cambridge has built one of the world's best life sciences ecosystems, with leading universities, hospitals and biotech companies. The campus provides exceptional opportunities for collaboration,” said Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer of GSK.
Alongside the Cambridge development, GSK said it will continue investing in its existing R&D laboratories in Ware, Hertfordshire.
The company expects to vacate its Stevenage R&D site by 2029 as research activities transition to the new Cambridge facility and upgraded Ware laboratories.
The announcement coincided with GSK's wider strategic update, which includes a programme to generate annual cost savings that will be largely reinvested into research and development to support future medicines and vaccines.
The company will retain its global headquarters in London, and said it will continue to invest over £6bn in R&D every year of which more than £1.5bn is in the UK.
Is GSK still expanding in the US?
As GSK continues to move forward in investing in UK operations for biomedical research, the company has entered into the sale of some of its US investments.
In January, GSK entered into a $280m agreement with Samsung Biologics America for it to acquire its Human Genome Sciences facility in Rockville, Maryland.
Although GSK is divesting from the manufacturing unit, the company said it will continue to invest heavily in R&D and production in the US.
Last year, GSK announced plans to invest $30bn in R&D and manufacturing in the US over the next five years, with a new $1.2bn investment announced in September in manufacturing, AI and advanced digital technologies.
