Scotland's flagship life sciences project, Edinburgh Bioquarter, aims to position Edinburgh as one of the world's top ten hubs for life sciences research and development.

The £600 million Edinburgh Bioquarter project is a collaboration between Scottish Enterprise, the University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council and the world’s leading life-science property specialist, Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.

It combines an internationally renowned university and medical school, a 900 bed hospital with a world class clinical trials centre, and a commercial research campus that will house some of the world’s leading biotech companies.

By combining world-class academia, industry and clinical practice in one location, Edinburgh BioQuarter will:

Offer a "bench to bedside" approach to biotech research and development: a centre of excellence for translational medicine.

• Act as a magnet to attract and retain world-leading academics, researchers, clinicians and global companies to locate in Scotland
• Create a hub for academia, industry and clinicians to work together to enhance commercialisation activity of Scotland’s world class academic and research strengths in life sciences, leading to more spin outs and more start up businesses
• Bring together public healthcare, academic research and extensive commercial laboratory space in one location to accelerate translational medicine and facilitate large scale life science collaborations 

 Key facts

Edinburgh BioQuarter will:

• generate £250 million of private sector investment in the commercial research campus by 2022;
• create 6,500 new high value jobs for Scotland;
• generate an additional £350 million per annum to Scotland’s GVA by 2030;
• cover 100 acres and offer almost 1.5 million square feet of life sciences accommodation - 500,000 square feet for academic research space and 900,000 square feet for commercial research based companies;
• be unmatched in scale in the UK and help Scotland join the elite club of top world-wide locations for life sciences investment such as Kobe in Japan, Novum Biocity in Stockholm and Mission Bay in San Francisco;
• provide a focal point for the commercialisation of Scottish research and enable Scotland to nurture and grow the life sciences businesses of the future; and
• host the new Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine (SCRM), headed by Professor Ian Wilmut, who created Dolly the sheep.  The SCRM alone will create 561 new jobs and generate additional annual GVA of £18 million for the Scottish economy.

 Latest developments

• Aug 2010
  SE concludes complex negotiations involving over 100 legal contracts with 19 public and private organisations to expand the Edinburgh Bioquarter and unlock investment for the wider area’s regeneration.
• Jun 2010
  Nicola Sturgeon, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing attended the official site start of the new £24 million BioIncubator building.  The 8,500 sq m facility will provide a specialist mix of office and laboratory accommodation for a range of specialisat life siciences companies and encourage growth through Scottish research and development.
• Mar 2010
  Dr Michael Capaldi, scientist and life sciences entrepreneur was appointed director of commercialisation.
• Aug 2009
  Professor Simon Best, OBE, FRSE, was appointed chair of Scottish Enterprise and University of Edinburgh's £12 million commercialisation strategy for Edinburgh BioQuarter.  The strategy will help support the creation of companies spun out of the University’s world class research base to locate to the new facilities at Edinburgh BioQuarter.
• Dec 2008
  Work begins on the first building on-site – the £60 million Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine - funded by the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government. 
• May 2007
  Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (ARE), the world’s leading life sciences property specialist, is appointed as the development partner for the commercial research campus.  ARE will establish its European HQ in Scotland as a result of the deal.
• Nov 2006
  Initial infrastructure works on the commercial research campus, funded by Scottish Enterprise, is completed.
• 2004
  Land adjacent to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh acquired by Scottish Enterprise for future development.
• Aug 2002
  The University of Edinburgh’s £40 million Chancellor building, home to the university’s medical school, opens adjacent to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
• Jan 2002
  The new £190 million Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh opens at the Little France site.  The hospital is one of Scotland’s leading teaching hospitals with more than 900 beds.

Useful links

Edinburgh BioQuarter Film
Edinburgh BioQuarter
Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.
The University of Edinburgh