• New research ranks UK cities and towns for life sciences development potential, creating the first ‘Alchemy Towns’ Index
• While London, Oxford and Cambridge sit squarely at the top, the Alchemy Towns Index indicates growing development opportunities in places such as Stevenage, Milton Keynes, Slough and Luton, and cities such as Nottingham and York, all of which rank in the Index’s top 20 alongside towns and cities better known for life sciences development

The future of UK life sciences development could expand beyond the best-known towns and cities as technology changes the market and factors such as access to housing, talent, infrastructure and favourable planning conditions become increasingly important.

London, Cambridge and Oxford remain the UK’s three strongest locations for life sciences development, but other areas show growing potential.

Within the life sciences ‘Golden Triangle’ in the south of England, Stevenage, Luton, Milton Keynes and Slough all rank within the top 20 places in the Alchemy Towns Index. Like London, Oxford and Cambridge, these places benefit from proximity to the UK’s largest concentration of life sciences anchors, investors, universities and hospitals. But the data analysed for the Alchemy Towns Index indicates that these areas’ other advantages, for example, the affordability and availability of housing for life sciences staff, or these areas’ impressive digital infrastructure, suggest they have the potential to support more intensive life sciences development.

The findings come from the new Alchemy Towns Index, produced by built world communications and research consultancy ING and commissioned by construction and civil engineering company McLaughlin & Harvey. The Index ranks 40 UK towns and cities by eight conditions that can support future life sciences development. These include housing availability and affordability, catchment for talent, digital infrastructure, and the efficiency of the local planning regime.

Beyond lab take-up: the wider ingredients underpinning life sciences growth

Recent market uncertainty has prompted questions about the outlook for UK life sciences property, as occupiers take longer to commit and investors apply greater scrutiny to new schemes.

The Alchemy Towns Index finds that current laboratory activity and take-up offer only part of the picture. Future growth also depends on whether a place can provide access to talent, suitable housing, digital infrastructure, an effective planning system and commercially viable property.

At the same time, changing occupier requirements could widen the range of locations able to support life sciences growth. AI-led research, robotics, advanced manufacturing and dry-lab uses are increasing demand for flexible, digitally capable space alongside traditional wet laboratories.

Alan Mackenzie, Lead for Life Sciences and Commercial at McLaughlin & Harvey, said:

“The UK’s leading life sciences locations remain world-class, but scientific excellence will not be enough on its own to determine where the sector grows next. Places that can combine talent with homes, infrastructure and viable development opportunities are ideally placed to accommodate growing businesses and attract investment.”

The research was informed by a roundtable discussion about the future of life sciences development with contributions from leading experts across the UK.

Andy Williams, Chair of the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board, said:

“We welcome research that looks at the wider conditions needed to support growth across the Oxford-Cambridge region. Cambridge and Oxford hold extraordinary concentrations of scientific and commercial expertise. Stronger links between them, and the towns around them, can help growing businesses access mentors, skills, infrastructure and investment across a much larger area, while allowing more places to share in the region’s growth.”

Natalia Gospodinova, Associate Director at Linesight, said:

“Location strategies are becoming increasingly important, with organisations looking beyond cost alone to assess long-term growth potential. Access to skilled talent, supportive local policies, and a business environment that encourages investment are key considerations. The most attractive locations also offer a strong return on investment, the capacity to scale, a smooth and predictable planning process, reliable utility infrastructure, and the availability of suitable land and development sites.”

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