Environmentally sustainable design has become a key factor in the Cambridge laboratory market. Laboratories are typically energy-intensive due to high ventilation, equipment use, and environmental controls. Eco-friendly initiatives are regarded as essential to reduce carbon emissions, mitigate the local water shortage and support the green economy.

Here’s an overview of the science parks and labs in the Cambridge area that have the greenest eco credentials, based on their sustainable features, certifications, and initiatives.

1. South Cambridge Science Centre (Due for completion in April 2025)

Key Green Credentials:
BREEAM Certification: The South Cambridge Science Centre, aims to achieve a high BREEAM Excellent rating, a globally recognised sustainability standard. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) measures the building's energy efficiency, water management, material sourcing, and ecological impact. A BREEAM Excellent rating indicates the facility operates in the top 10% of sustainable buildings in the UK.
Energy Efficiency: The development is designed to minimise energy consumption with energy-efficient HVAC systems and natural ventilation.
On-site Renewable Energy: The Science Centre will incorporate solar panels helping to reduce the park's reliance on fossil fuels.
Water Management: Systems are in place to reduce water consumption, using rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling for non-potable uses.
Facts and Figures:
Size: 138,000 square feet of flexible lab space.
Completion: April 2025.
Focus on Labs: Primarily wet and dry lab spaces with flexible design to accommodate various scientific fields, including life sciences and biotech.

2. Cambridge Science Park

Key Green Credentials:
Sustainable Energy: Several buildings on the Science Park use solar photovoltaic panels to generate renewable energy.
BREEAM Ratings: Multiple new and redeveloped buildings within the park have BREEAM Very Good or Excellent ratings, reflecting efforts to reduce energy and water use, and enhance biodiversity.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure: The park has expanded EV charging points, encouraging the use of electric vehicles among employees. A new sustainable transport plan aims to reduce car usage.
Green Spaces and Biodiversity: The park maintains green spaces within the development with landscaping that includes planting native species
Facts and Figures:
Size: Over 1.7 million square feet of office and lab space.
Employees: Home to more than 130 companies, employing around 7,000 people.
Focus on Labs: Wet and dry lab facilities primarily supporting biotech, pharma, and IT companies.

3. Babraham Research Campus

Key Green Credentials:
Sustainability Awards: Babraham Research Campus has received awards for sustainability for its new developments. This includes BREEAM Excellent ratings for various new buildings.
Energy Efficiency: The campus has implemented high-performance insulation, energy-efficient glazing, and advanced HVAC systems
On-site Renewable Energy: Solar energy is harnessed across several buildings. The campus is exploring renewable energy options, including ground-source heat pumps.
Biodiversity Initiatives: Babraham places a strong emphasis on biodiversity and green spaces. Their Landscaping and Ecology Management Plan promotes wildlife corridors and preserves ancient woodland.
Facts and Figures:
Size: 430 acres.
Employees: Around 60 companies and 1,500 staff.
Focus on Labs: Primarily life sciences labs, especially focused on biosciences research, including cell and molecular biology.

4. Granta Park

Key Green Credentials:
BREEAM Excellence: New buildings in Granta Park, such as the Dame Mary Archer Building, have achieved BREEAM Excellent ratings.
On-site Energy Generation: Granta Park has invested in solar power and energy-efficient lighting systems, in newer developments.
Water and Waste Management: The park features rainwater harvesting systems, greywater recycling, and comprehensive waste management practices
Sustainable Transport: There is an emphasis on sustainable commuting including shuttle buses to nearby stations and incentives for cycling, with dedicated paths and bike storage.
Facts and Figures:
Size: Approximately 120 acres.
Employees: Hosts over 3,500 employees from more than 30 companies.
Focus on Labs: A mix of research organisations in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and chemistry.

5. Chesterford Research Park

Key Green Credentials:
BREEAM Very Good: Several buildings are designed to meet BREEAM Very Good standards, with a focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable materials.
Green Spaces: The park’s landscaped grounds, include walking trails, ponds, and green areas designed to enhance biodiversity.
Energy Efficiency: The park’s newer developments incorporate low-energy heating and cooling systems, and energy-efficient lighting and insulation to lower operational carbon emissions.
Facts and Figures:
Size: 250 acres.
Employees: Home to around 25 companies.
Focus on Labs: Primarily biotech and pharmaceutical labs, supporting companies in drug development and life sciences.

6. Melbourn Science Park

Key Green Credentials:
Sustainable Building Materials: The Park’s newer buildings are constructed using sustainable materials, including recycled steel and timber
Energy Efficiency: Energy-efficient HVAC systems, along with smart building technologies, are used to monitor and reduce energy consumption.
EV Infrastructure: The site has a number of electric vehicle charging stations, supporting sustainable commuting for employees.
Green Transport Options: Melbourn encourages cycling with dedicated bike storage and improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
Facts and Figures:
Size: Around 22 acres.
Focus on Labs: A mix of labs and offices, focusing on electronics and life sciences.

Conclusion

The science parks and laboratories around Cambridge are making significant strides in sustainability incorporating renewable energy, with many achieving high BREEAM ratings.

Facilities like the South Cambridge Science Centre, and Babraham Research Campus are leading the way, ensuring their operations meet the growing demand for lab space and contribute to the region’s sustainability goals.

The biopharmaceutical industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors globally, and nowhere is this more evident than around Cambridge, UK. The combination of the world-renowned Cambridge University, cutting-edge research organisations, established pharmaceutical giants including Astra Zeneca, Pfizer and Bayer and the highly regarded Addenbrook’s Hospital has led to the development of a major science and technology hub in the region. In turn, this hub continues to attract early stage and start-up biopharma and life science businesses from all over the world.

Facilities like the Cambridge Science Park, established in 1970, have long been instrumental in attracting biotech and pharmaceutical firms. The park boasts a range of state-of-the-art wet and dry labs, office space, and other infrastructure crucial for biopharma research. Other significant developments include the Babraham Research Campus, Granta Park, and Chesterford Research Park. Each offers a blend of office space, wet labs—specially equipped laboratories for biological and chemical research—and dry labs, which support computational and theoretical work.

Despite these existing facilities, demand continues to outstrip supply, largely due to the influx of new companies, the expansion of existing firms, and the long lead times required for new facilities to be constructed. The shortage is further exacerbated by Cambridge’s geographical constraints.

According to Bidwells' Summer 2024 Cambridgeshire Databook, there is a striking gap between demand and supply for new laboratory space. As of mid-2024, occupiers in the biopharma and related life science sectors were searching for approximately 690,000 square feet of lab space, versus only 128,400 square feet of availability. This shortage represents a significant challenge for companies aiming to establish or expand their presence in Cambridge, leading to heightened competition and the risk of slowing innovation.

The availability of high-quality lab space around Cambridge has been a concern for several years, but Bidwells’ latest data shows the issue has reached a critical level. The result is fierce competition for the few available spaces, with some companies being forced to look further afield or delay their expansion plans. The scarcity of lab space is also playing a pivotal role in driving up prices, making it harder for early-stage companies to secure an affordable expansion.

There is, however, some positive news on the horizon. Several new facilities are currently under development which should help alleviate the short-term and medium-term pressures on Cambridge’s lab space. One of the largest developments is Phase 1 of the South Cambridge Science Centre which is set to complete in April 2025. This new facility will provide 138,000 square feet of flexible wet and dry lab space and is situated close to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Other developments at sites like the Genome Campus, additional phases at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, redevelopment of the original 1-21 building cluster at Cambridge Science Park and further development phases at the South Cambridge Science Centre are all expected to add capacity over the next few years. However, these projects take considerable time, and the current bottleneck means that, for now, businesses will have to compete for a very limited amount of high-quality lab space.

Environmental credentials in Cambridge science parks

Relentless demand for new Laboratory Space in Cambridge