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Aberdeen’s ONE BioHub, has officially launched to provide a new focal point for life sciences commercialisation in northeast Scotland.
Located at Foresterhill Health Campus, ONE BioHub is contributing to the continuing diversification and transformation of northeast Scotland’s economy by providing a new home for spinout, startup and scaling businesses in the high-growth life sciences sector.
The £40million 10-year investment provides an iconic new location for life sciences entrepreneurs, founders and business leaders. It acts to inspire discovery and innovation, giving scientists skills and knowledge to turn their research into businesses, and supporting their entrepreneurial journeys.
Photographer: Niall Hastie
BDP’s design for the building comprises of a triangular building form, with laboratories placed on the building perimeter, wrapping around a serviced core. This provides the right kind of physical infrastructure to grow businesses and enable natural connections between academics and health researchers.
A choice of adaptable spaces add value to ONE BioHub. High quality laboratory space, together with offices, research and development areas, and a range of collaborative spaces cater for different functions. These act to support not only work requirements, but wider social and lifestyle choices.
The site topography also allowed BDP to develop a stepped section and double height atrium, providing a social heart at the entrance of the building that includes a range of collaboration spaces, meeting rooms and a cafe. The prime working spaces situated on the edge of the building have the benefit of generous natural light and stunning views across Aberdeen, creating a pleasant working environment for all.
Conceived as a sustainable life sciences facility, the building delivers 10% on site renewables generated through rooftop photovoltaic panels and integrates air source heat pumps to generate hot water for space heating.
Photographer: Niall Hastie
In addition, the surface water mitigation interventions in the soft landscaping and the large attenuation tank below the car park ensure the building meets an EPC rating of A+.
Christoph Ackermann, Principal at BDP, commented: "The BioHub is the built manifestation of ONE’s mission to drive transformational change and to diversify northeast Scotland’s economy.
“The building form, innovative workplace design and the integration of specialist labs creates an exciting, collaborative environment and a place that works to support scientists commercialising next generation solutions. The sustainable design supports life science innovation and the drive to achieve Scotland’s net zero carbon target.
“It is a beautiful new symbol of new discovery and research in the sector and we have no doubt it will help organisations to co-locate, to collaborate and to achieve amazing results.”
Photographer: Niall Hastie
Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, chair of Opportunity North East (ONE), said: “ONE BioHub will be the transformational place in the northeast of Scotland for the entrepreneurial life sciences community and growth sector to meet, share, learn, start up, innovate and grow. It will be a new game-changing technology and business cluster in Aberdeen, accelerating life sciences commercialisation, translating research into solutions in the market, improving health and wellbeing, creating high-growth businesses and high-value jobs, and harnessing the potential of science, technology and innovation to diversify the economy. This adds an exciting new business dimension to our economy.”
Deborah O'Neil, OBE FRSE, chairs the life sciences board at ONE and ONE BioHub and is CEO of Aberdeen biotech company NovaBiotics. She added: “Northeast Scotland is serious about its life sciences opportunity. The region is home to world-class research and innovation in the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and NHS Grampian, a thriving community of 2,500 life scientists and a cluster of dynamic biotech, medtech and healthtech businesses. ONE BioHub will make more of all these strengths, assets and talented people. It will inspire the next generation of bio-entrepreneurs to commercialise innovation in the city, solve health challenges and create lasting economic value.”
Photographer: Niall Hastie