A Decision Framework for Founders & Investors
Cambridge has evolved into one of the most significant life sciences clusters in the world. Its concentration of research excellence, translational infrastructure and capital has positioned it at the centre of the UK life sciences industry, with a global reach that extends across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and digital health. For founders and investors alike, however, this success has made location decisions increasingly complex. The question is no longer whether to locate in Cambridge, but where within Cambridge best supports capital efficiency, scientific progress and long-term value creation.
This article sets out a practical decision framework for choosing a location for a biotech or life science business in Cambridge. It considers the needs of companies operating across the life sciences sector from early-stage pharmaceutical biotech and platform discovery companies to clinical-stage ventures, medical technology firms and global pharmaceutical groups and positions South Cambridge Science Centre (SCSC) as a coherent, credible option within that framework.
Importantly, SCSC is presented not as the focal point, but as an example of a newer generation of purpose-built assets offering strong value while remaining within practical distance of Addenbrooke’s and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
1. Cambridge’s Role in the Global Life Sciences Industry
Cambridge occupies a unique position within the global life sciences ecosystem. Anchored by the University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and a dense network of research institutes and innovation campuses, the city supports hundreds of companies operating across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and digital health. Collectively, these organisations span the full value chain from fundamental research and discovery through to clinical trial execution, regulatory development and early-stage manufacturing.
The cluster’s importance is recognised at a national level. The UK government consistently positions Cambridge as a cornerstone of the UK life sciences sector and a critical driver of global medical and global pharmaceutical innovation. This “Golden Triangle” positioning alongside London and Oxford has helped attract sustained international investment, partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies, and the establishment of world class R&D facilities.
For founders and investors, this means Cambridge offers not only local opportunity, but direct integration into global life science supply chains, capital markets and commercial networks. Location choices within the city should therefore be evaluated in terms of how effectively they connect a company to this broader global reach.
2. Understanding the Cambridge Life Sciences Geography
Despite its relatively compact size, Cambridge is not a single homogeneous market. Instead, it is composed of several distinct but interconnected sub-clusters, each with different strengths across the life sciences industry.
South Cambridge Science Centre Local Area
Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke’s
The Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC), anchored by Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Royal Papworth Hospital and AstraZeneca’s global R&D headquarters, is the epicentre for clinically led innovation. It is particularly attractive to companies focused on clinical trial activity, diagnostics, medical devices and translational research requiring frequent interaction with clinicians and patients.
However, space on and immediately adjacent to the CBC is both limited and premium-priced. For some biotech and medical technology companies, the strategic value of being on-campus justifies the cost. For others, proximity rather than direct adjacency is sufficient.
The South Cambridge Life Sciences Cluster
South of the city lies a powerful research-driven cluster that includes Babraham Research Campus, Granta Park, the Wellcome Genome Campus and a growing number of new developments. This geography is particularly strong in pharmaceuticals biotechnology, genomics, immunology and platform science, and is home to both early-stage ventures and established global medical organisations.
South Cambridge Science Centre, located in Sawston, sits within this southern arc. While not a hospital campus, it remains within a practical commuting distance of Addenbrooke’s, making it relevant to companies that require periodic clinical access without needing to be embedded on the CBC itself.
Northern and Eastern Cambridge
The northern and eastern areas, including Cambridge Science Park, St John’s Innovation Centre and emerging life science schemes, offer a more mixed-use innovation environment. These locations can be relevant to companies working at the intersection of biotech, digital health and data science, where access to both biological and computational talent is critical.
3. A Decision Framework for Founders and Investors
Selecting the right location should be approached as a structured, multi-factor decision rather than a purely real estate-driven choice. The following framework highlights six core dimensions that are particularly relevant across the life sciences sector.
3.1 Scientific and Clinical Adjacency
The first question is strategic: what type of adjacency truly matters to your business model?
Companies developing therapeutics, diagnostics or medical devices that are entering or running a clinical trial may benefit from being close to Addenbrooke’s and associated NHS infrastructure. Conversely, discovery-led pharmaceutical biotech companies may derive more value from proximity to academic research campuses such as Babraham or the Wellcome Genome Campus.
South Cambridge locations, including SCSC, offer an intermediate position: close enough to the CBC to support clinical engagement, yet embedded in a research-dense environment more closely aligned with early-stage science and platform development.
3.2 Talent and Organisational Growth
Cambridge’s talent base is one of its defining strengths. Scientists, engineers, clinicians and commercial leaders move fluidly between academia, start-ups and global pharmaceutical organisations. Location influences not only recruitment, but retention and organisational culture.
Southern cluster locations often appeal to experienced hires commuting from villages and towns along the M11, A11 and surrounding corridors. Adequate parking, lower congestion and modern facilities can be meaningful differentiators, particularly for scaling companies building stable, long-term teams.
From an investor perspective, access to world class talent is directly correlated with execution risk and long-term enterprise value.
3.3 Purpose-Built Versus Retrofit Infrastructure
One of the most critical and frequently underestimated criteria is the nature of the physical laboratory infrastructure. Across the UK life sciences industry, demand for high-specification lab space has outpaced supply, leading many companies to occupy retrofitted offices or light industrial buildings.
Retrofits can work, but they often introduce constraints: limited floor loading, insufficient mechanical and electrical capacity, compromised containment and higher long-term operating costs. They can also delay occupation, which directly impacts scientific timelines and capital efficiency.
Purpose-built developments, by contrast, are designed from the outset to support biotech and medical uses. South Cambridge Science Centre exemplifies this approach, with facilities planned to accommodate modern laboratory requirements, flexible lab-to-office ratios and future reconfiguration as companies grow or pivot. For many founders and investors, this “designed for purpose” characteristic is increasingly a decisive factor.
3.4 Capital Efficiency and Total Cost of Occupancy
Headline rent alone is a poor proxy for value. Investors now expect management teams to model total occupancy cost, including fit-out, energy, maintenance and the cost of future relocation.
Prime sites on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus command premium pricing and often require substantial tenant capital expenditure. Purpose-built less central locations in the southern cluster can offer a more attractive balance: high technical quality with lower total cost over a typical investment horizon.
SCSC positions itself squarely in this space, aiming to deliver best-in-class facilities while supporting capital discipline; an increasingly important consideration in a funding environment where runway and efficient deployment of capital matter as much as speed.
3.5 Scalability and Optionality
Life science companies rarely grow linearly. A successful data readout, regulatory milestone or partnership with a global pharmaceutical company can rapidly change space requirements.
Locations that offer phased development, adjacent expansion space or a wider sub-cluster of compatible sites reduce the risk of disruptive relocations. South Cambridge’s concentration of interconnected campuses provides this optionality, allowing companies to scale while remaining within a familiar ecosystem.
3.6 Connectivity, ESG and Quality of Life
Finally, practical considerations matter. Transport connectivity, logistics for specialist equipment and samples, on-site amenities and sustainability credentials all influence day-to-day performance.
Modern developments increasingly reflect ESG priorities aligned with investor expectations and, in some cases, UK government policy objectives around sustainable growth in the life sciences sector. High-quality working environments are no longer peripheral; they are integral to productivity, recruitment and long-term resilience.
4. Positioning South Cambridge Science Centre Within the Framework
Within this decision framework, South Cambridge Science Centre emerges as a prominent and credible option. It is particularly well suited to biotech and medical companies that:
Require purpose-built laboratory space without the complexity and risk of major retrofits
Operate within pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices or digital health, but do not need daily on-campus hospital access
Value proximity to Addenbrooke’s and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus while prioritising cost efficiency and scalability
Seek to embed themselves in the South Cambridge research ecosystem alongside world class scientific institutions
SCSC should be understood as part of a broader southern cluster proposition that is complementary to, rather than competing directly with, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus or long-established parks.
5. Conclusion: Making a Defensible Location Decision
For founders and investors in the life sciences industry, location is a strategic lever with long-term consequences. Cambridge offers unparalleled advantages in scientific depth, global reach and connectivity to the global pharmaceutical and global medical ecosystem. However, value is maximised when location decisions are aligned with a company’s specific scientific, clinical and commercial trajectory.
By applying a structured decision framework grounded in scientific adjacency, infrastructure quality, capital efficiency and scalability companies can make informed, defensible choices. Within that context, South Cambridge Science Centre represents a modern, purpose-built option in the southern cluster that merits serious consideration alongside more established locations, particularly for those seeking to balance ambition with pragmatism in a world class life sciences environment.