Oxford Nanopore seals multi-million-pound expansion deal

The DNA sequencing technology company will occupy a new, 34,500 sqft high-tech manufacturing facility at Harwell, Oxfordshire.

As reported, the new facility at Harwell represents a significant increase in Oxford Nanopore’s manufacturing capabilities, including high specification clean rooms, laboratories, office space and logistics areas.

Nanopore Technologies said that the site will be used to manufacture and distribute the DNA/RNA sequencing products in one purpose-built facility.

Gordon Sanghera, chief executive of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, commented: “This facility at Harwell Campus represents a significant increase in our capabilities and reflects growing demand for our products across more than 70 countries.

“Building on existing facilities at Harwell, we will continue to access world leading testing facilities, be part of a unique ecosystem of people dedicated to science and innovation and take advantage of the Campus space and development capabilities to create a high-tech bespoke facility.”

With 400,000 sqft of development space completed and the next application of 750,000 sqft of commercial accommodation being submitted in the first half of 2018, Harwell Campus has the scale and capabilities to provide world-leading companies such as Oxford Nanopore with the footprint, scale and quality of build they require to support massive expansion.

With a total of 5.5 million sq t of planned development and 1.5 million sqft to be developed by 2025, Harwell Campus is set to be the largest regeneration and commercial property growth project ever seen in the region.

In 2017 Harwell let 160,000 sqft of new speculative Grade A space, which equals 40% of the total Oxford region. This is described as the largest combined commercial take-up and development of new space ever seen in Oxfordshire.