Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), launched through a partnership between BEIS, GSK, Wellcome, and Innovate UK, is a nationally recognised life sciences hub strategically located between London and Cambridge. It brings together academia, biotech, and pharma to drive innovation and collaboration.

SBC is expanding to become one of Europe’s largest life sciences campuses and is now home to the largest cluster of cell and gene therapy companies outside the US. The Elevate Quarter, currently under construction and expected to continue development over the next decade, will address growing lab space demand and is projected to create up to 5,000 jobs.

Since 2012, SBC has supported over 120 companies. Around 45 companies access the Cytiva tech lab and shared facilities, with all campus firms benefiting from more than £1 million worth of specialist equipment. The New Spark building supports 100 jobs, and SBC companies have raised over £4.5 billion in funding.

SBC provides flexible lab and office space, equipment, mentoring, and investor connections to help scaleups grow. Early stage scaling businesses receive six months rent-free space in the ‘Lab Hotel’ facility, which is designed to support pre-seed stage companies launch their innovation. 2025 saw the introduction of Seed Works and Lab Works, the former being a low cost desk space in a shared office to allow businesses to have access to the campus community, and the latter being a low cost lab bench for businesses who have graduated from the Lab Hotel or are able to afford a small space in a shared lab. Both facilities, as well as the Lab Hotel, are now full. In 2026, SBC has plans to expand both Lab Works and Seed Works to meet growing demand for early-stage start-ups. 

On average, companies located at SBC can accelerate their research and product development by around six months, reflecting the efficiency gains achieved through shared facilities, collaborative opportunities, and expert technical support. SBC companies anticipate up to 50% workforce growth within the next 18 months, demonstrating the strong scaling potential and employment impact of the campus ecosystem. Collectively, SBC companies have attracted around £1 billion in new funding over the past year, and by 2040, SBC-based firms are projected to contribute £165 million in net GVA and 2,900 jobs, with over half of this impact in Hertfordshire.

SBC also fosters a strong talent pipeline. LifeArc offers 10–12 sandwich placements and 10–15 PhD CASE studentships and GSK offers apprenticeships. MFX runs summer internships for sixth form and undergraduate students from across Hertfordshire.

SBC accelerator programmes have supported around 50 companies since 2021: 15 in the DATA programme (2021), 10 in Catalyser (2023), 16 in Catalyser (2024), and eight again in Catalyser (2025). These equip founders with commercial and leadership skills and improve access to investment.

In 2025, SBC collaborated with GSK to launch a free one-to-one mentoring programme for start-ups, connecting founders with Big Pharma experts based on site. A new outreach programme, developed by SBC and supported by Stevenage Borough Council’s Skills Support team, now offers mentorship, CV writing, and interview practice for up to 60 sixth form students annually, across six schools and North Hertfordshire College, with plans to include the University of Hertfordshire. Several SBC-based firms – including Complement Therapeutics, Neobe Therapeutics, MFX and TAUC3 – now offer internships to local students.

To support wellbeing, SBC introduced The Corner Room and The Wellbeing Room in the Incubator Building, providing digital free space, board games and jigsaws, a library, Pilates classes, massages, and other wellbeing activities for over 1,000 campus staff. SBC also hosts around 50 annual networking and community events, from CEO roundtables and investor workshops to social and charity initiatives, reinforcing its collaborative and people-centred culture.

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst website