Former major Covid testing lab put on the market
The 236,231 sq ft Rosalind Franklin Laboratory has been placed on the market, following its major PCR testing drive during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once employing more than 600 staff, the state-of-the-art facility in Leamington Spa was the largest diagnostic testing laboratory in the UK when it opened in 2021.
It was purpose-built by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to enable the processing of up to 8.5 million PCR tests during the pandemic but has since been scaled down by the UK Health and Security Agency.
Avision Young has been appointed to market the fully fitted CL2 facility – comprised of nine flexible lab lines and associated logistics, office and amenity areas. The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory is available on a leasehold (or potentially to purchase) basis, with opportunities available for startups, scaleups, SMEs or large corporations to occupy all or part of the facility.
In the West Midlands alone, the life sciences economy is worth more than £10bn – with a £4bn bio-pharma sector, a £1.7bn medical technology sector, and over 600 healthcare and life sciences businesses.
Jonathan Lowe, director at Avison Young UK, commented: “Bringing this facility to market, set in one of the country’s most exciting innovation districts, presents an unmissable opportunity for organisations in the life sciences sector, both in the Midlands and further afield.
“A facility of this size, and developed to this specification, are not easy to come by. RLF provides the opportunity to help fill the supply gap in the market currently, for a number of uses including precision medicine, high throughput testing, diagnostic testing and genomic sequencing alongside a host of other R&D functions.
“As such, we’re very pleased to be working with UKHSA to take the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory into the next stage of its life – unlocking its potential as an enabler of continued innovation for the sector.”
