What do you get when you mix a real estate investment company, a real estate group and a science-based incubator? The UK’s first nationwide life sciences ecosystem!

US-based Harrison Street and UK-based Trinity Investment Management have announced their joint acquisition of BioCity, a science business incubator. This acquisition will bring BioCity into the fold with Knowledge Factory and Trinity’s network of science parks, creating the all new We Are Pioneer Group (WAPG).

WAPG has already stated that they will create a  £450m business operating across England, Scotland and Wales, increasing the R&D in each of them. They have further identified their goal to be the largest life science ecosystem in the UK, helping to create connections between companies and promote tech transfer between institutions. When R&D is treated like a community, advancements can be made so much faster. 

Right now, The UK government is the second highest spender on health R&D out of the 37 countries in the OECD. But experts have shown the sector needs new lab spaces if it wants to continue to grow. WAPG intends to work on this, providing offices, lab spaces, and promoting the sharing of equipment. With these goals in mind, WAPG will “harness the potential within universities, NHS and healthcare networks to expedite tech transfer on an unprecedented level”.