BioQuarter Moves into Building Phase

The start of construction work for the new BioQuarter in Edinburgh at the end of June signalled the next development stage for the specialist three storey Bioincubator building, which is expected to open its doors in 2012. Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, visited to oversee the official site start and learn about the potential of the project The BioQuarter is being funded through £12 million injection of funding from the UK Strategic Investment Fund matched by £12 million from SE, and will become home to some of Scotland’s most promising and ambitious life sciences firms.

The 8,500 sq m facility, which will sit alongside the University of Edinburgh’s Scottish Centre for Regeneration, will provide a specialist mix of office and laboratory accommodation. “The beginning of the ground works for the BioIncubator is an important milestone on our path to realizing our vision for the BioQuarter. It will provide the space, facilities and equipment to enable new life science companies to grow and thrive,” Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said.

“The BioQuarter underpins our commitment to improved benefits for patients, by bringing together some of the country’s best clinicians in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the world-renowned Medical School at the University of Edinburgh, and the Queens Medical Research Institute. The Scottish Government are committed to growing the life sciences sector in Scotland. Life sciences are a vital part of our vision for a thriving Scottish economy, producing long term, sustainable, and resilient growth. It’s also an area where Scotland has a real edge, she added.”