The university-owned incubator is set to expand next year, after the ground floor reached capacity while demand for space has continued.
BioHub Birmingham, the incubator owned by University of Birmingham, will expand with the addition of a second floor next year to cope with continued demand for space.
Opened in 2015, the BioHub currently operates a shared laboratory space on its ground floor aimed at pre-revenue life science businesses. The additional space will be geared towards companies that require self-contained laboratory and adjacent offices.
The incubator has been operating at capacity since early 2016 and has a waiting list for potential tenants, including companies based overseas. Construction on the second floor will begin in early 2018 and finish within the year.
The university is investing £606m ($813m) in its infrastructure to further foster collaboration between the academic, clinical and commercial sectors in the region. The institution’s aim is to make Birmingham a prime destination for the life science industry.
James Wilkie, chief executive of Birmingham Research Park, the part of campus where the BioHub is located, said: “Birmingham is increasingly visible as a destination for early stage medical and life science companies.
“In the last months alone, we had more than 10 enquiries from overseas companies who are looking seriously at Birmingham as the location for their UK operations.”
Global University Venturing previously took an in-depth look at the BioHub Birmingham and the university’s commercialisation activities in April 2016.
