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UKSPA Directory 2017
Putting science parks
under the microscope
It is time to t hink of t he UK as a singl e , p owerf ul s cience unit
Kaleigh Haeg
Head of Life Science at
Colliers International
Kaleigh Haeg leads the
life science team at Colliers
International. She has in-depth
knowledge and extensive
experience of the life science
sector, having previously
worked on the commercial side
of the pharmaceutical industry
A
ll too often we become solely
focused on one element of our
business and miss the bigger
picture. When it comes to
commercial property, most
agents will tell occupiers and landlords
to concentrate on finding the right
infrastructure in order to future-proof
their business. For too long, the UK life
science community has applied this
broad brush approach to their real
estate, failing to understand the true
needs of the end user, who almost
always must answer to a more complex
mix of market dynamics in order to
function well and remain competitive.
With Brexit on the horizon, it has
never been more important that we
look beyond infrastructure and shift
our focus to better understanding
local, national, and global market
dynamics and the impact that these
systems have on the ecosystems within
our science parks and innovation sites.
C R E AT I N G A S C I E N C E PA R K
T H AT T H R I V E S
There is no simple formula that you
can use to create a successful science
park. What might work in one location
might be totally inappropriate for
another. As a starting point, however,
a park generally needs to be home
to a mix of SMEs, start-ups, and
established, industry-leading
companies (based both in the UK and
abroad); and a large pharma company
or research institution is hugely
beneficial. But to apply just this rule
overlooks the bigger picture.
To create a science park that
works, the right infrastructure is
certainly important, but only if the
wider market demands are there to
support it. That’s why it is critical
that both science park tenants and
owners understand the market
conditions that affect their park and
tailor a realistic strategy to developing