Ambitious new plans have been unveiled for HEMISPHERE, a pair of £156m laboratory and workspace innovation developments by Sciontec, to be located in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool innovation district, at Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site.
HEMISPHERE One and Two will offer a unique combination of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator and grow-on space, with some of the world’s most advanced facilities.
HEMISPHERE Two will be home to a new double-height robotics and AI-enabled chemistry laboratory space on the ground floor to help drive innovation research and develop manufacturing capability.
Plans for biology and chemistry labs at HEMISPHERE One are already underway, with work expected to begin later this year, supported by funding from Liverpool City Council’s Strategic Futures fund and the LCR Innovation Zone.
It was also announced this week that Morgan Sindall has been appointed as preferred contractor on HEMISPHERE One, with Worthington Owen and Avison Young instructed as leasing agents. Carter Jonas has been appointed as leasing agent for HEMISPHERE Two.
Colin Sinclair, chief executive of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec, said:
“Building on the growing momentum of HEMISPHERE One, it is also fantastic to share the plans for the unique robotics and AI chemistry labs at HEMISPHERE Two. Crucially, these developments do not sit in isolation, but rather as part of an ambitious and burgeoning innovation ecosystem within KQ Liverpool.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, said:
“These plans exemplify our ambition to create a life sciences superpower through collaboration and innovation. Not only can it help to improve health outcomes in our communities, but it can also boost economic growth by creating a cluster of clinicians, scientists and facilities that will attract major new investment and co-location from industry, adding more than £1bn of economic impact to the city region.”