ONE BioHub, UK  

Life sciences growth

ONE BioHub will support start-up, spinout and scaling life sciences businesses, tackling modern health challenges with incubator laboratories and offices, with fully customisable grow-on space, commercialisation and growth programmes, and access to mentors, expert networks and investors. 

The industry innovation hub is a focal point for action and investment to diversify the economy and maximise the impact of science and technology from within life sciences companies, the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and NHS Grampian. It will accommodate up to 400 bio-entrepreneurs at full occupancy. 

An Aberdeen City Region Deal innovation project, ONE BioHub is led and co-funded by private sector economic development catalyst Opportunity North East (ONE), with funding from the UK Government, Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. The University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian are strategic partners and have provided the site for ONE BioHub.

Adaptable design for flexible use

Located in the Foresterhill Health Campus in Aberdeen, the 6,000 m2 hub spans five floors and includes offices, laboratories, meeting rooms, a café, seminar space, central cold room to preserve precious samples and shared specialist equipment facilities, plus incubation and collaboration spaces.  

The design is flexible in use and adaptable to meet the evolving needs of tenants. The building includes a range of networking spaces, bookable hot desks and state-of-the-art AV-enabled meeting spaces. It also features custom fit-out accommodation and extra spatial capacity to provide optional office and laboratory space for the future. 

Collaboration is key

From the project's outset, our specialist team were appointed as project manager, the role complemented by by our digital and safety, health and quality expertise. 

Working closely with the client and wider stakeholders, we helped to deliver the project locally from our Aberdeen office while leveraging our UK-wide knowledge and experience in the life sciences sector. 

Together, we have supported the development of the project brief, managed delivery and overseen construction of this high-quality building which will develop to meet the ever-evolving needs of the life sciences sector. 

Creating opportunity

Despite the many difficult challenges throughout the project, ranging from the impact of COVID-19 to industry insolvencies, our team played a central role in in bringing the client’s ambitious vision to life and delivering the project on budget. 

The building was delivered within a live healthcare campus, which required careful consideration around traffic management and keeping disruption to a minimum for the other fully operational health facilities on site. 

We worked alongside the designers to ensure the design was developed with limited direct interfaces that would impact operations, as well as with the campus stakeholders during construction. 

Now fully open and accessible, ONE BioHub will create opportunity for up to 400 bio-entrepreneurs, bringing new treatments, therapies and technology to market.

Jennifer Craw, CEO of Opportunity North East (ONE), said:

"There was a very clear vision for ONE BioHub – to create an iconic focal point for commercialisation and growth in the heart of the life sciences ecosystem in Aberdeen. The project partners and life sciences sector wanted an innovative place where people would come together, share, learn, innovate and create and scale high-growth businesses."

Turner & Townsend and the design team shared the ambition and addressed the project challenges, including the site topography and building through the pandemic.

"They understood the purpose of the industry innovation hub, stayed true to the vision from initial design concepts to project completion, and brought it to life by creating a building that is a striking statement of ambition.”