Real estate expert joins Harwell Campus to speed its growth

By Nicky Godding

29 June 2021

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Harwell Campus, Europe’s leading science and innovation campus has appointed David Williams as Commercial Director to its management team, he has moved from his previous role as a director at Bidwells.

David will drive the continued expansion of Harwell’s real estate portfolio, fast tracking the delivery of the five million sq. ft masterplan, as demand for space on the campus continues. David’s appointment is another strategic hire by asset managers Brookfield, which has doubled the size of the team since April 2020.

With more than 1.5 million sq. ft of active enquiries, development of the campus is happening fast. 200,000 sq. ft of development is already underway and due to be delivered by the end of 2021 with a further 1.5 million sq. ft of new lab, advanced manufacturing and office space due for completion by the mid 2020’s.

David will work with the business development team, to identify and attract large knowledge economy occupiers, both domestically and internationally, to sit alongside the 200 life sciences, energy, space and quantum organisations already on Campus.

Stuart Grant, Chief Executive Officer at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, said: “I’m delighted David is joining the team, as we accelerate the expansion of our portfolio. His wealth of market experience built over a 30-year career and in-depth knowledge of the Arc region will allow us to realise our ambitious growth plans, cementing Harwell Campus as a world-leading centre for science, technology and innovation.”

David Williams added: “The Campus’ unique blend of national facilities, academia and innovative organisations, means that Harwell plays a key role in driving UK economic recovery and growth. I’m looking forward to welcoming national and international knowledge-based businesses, looking to grow at pace, that will benefit from our specialist property portfolio, unique estate and collaborative cross-sector culture.”

Harwell’s national facilities are also growing. The £105 million National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF) being built by STFC’s RAL Space on behalf of the UK Government, will be operational from 2022 and the National Quantum Computing Centre due for completion in 2023, will place the UK at the forefront of this transformative new technology, bringing together academia, business, and government.

Most recently £4 million of funding was announced to advance the next generation of science facilities. The funding, from UKRI’s Infrastructure Fund, will allow the UK to plan the successors to the current world-class ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and Diamond Light Source. This will allow scientists at Harwell to continue answering the key scientific questions with enhanced imaging techniques and applications.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.