Life sciences were one of the big winners in the chancellor’s spring Budget, with the announcement of tax incentives to encourage research and development, funding to accelerate regulatory approvals and 12 new investment zones for hi-tech industries. But this thriving sector will only realise its full potential if we can solve the UK’s chronic shortage of research space. In Cambridge alone, there is an estimated deficit of over one million square feet.

This unprecedented demand is driving developers to explore new kinds of science facilities, from brand-new vertical campuses to conversions of city centre office towers. In December, Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner submitted a planning application for a 23-storey life sciences tower at North Quay in London’s Docklands, set to be the tallest in Europe. Meanwhile, the shift to hybrid working is leaving a glut of commercial buildings that could be ripe for transformation.