This unique place is helping to fire the next generation of technology across many sectors including the science, space, life science, advanced materials and health-tech sectors.
The Campus’s Diamond Light Source accelerates electrons until they generate a beam that’s ten billion times brighter than the Sun but although this is impressive, it’s the collective group of people here that forms the bedrock of Harwell’s success. Dedicated to improving the lives of others, Harwell’s mission is to improve the human condition.Millions of people globally have already benefited from the innovation and inventions developed here.
Harwell is home to over 60 nationalities, working inside hundreds of organisations, and it’s these people who are at the heart of Harwell’s illustrious history. We are proud of the many world firsts that have occurred here, drawn from fundamental research and applied and commercialised technology, including the discovery of the world’s largest prime number; the building of Europe’s first energy-producing fission reactor; the first transistorised computer; and the first material samples data secured from a comet.
With a history spanning over three-quarters of a century, Harwell is enjoying a new golden age. Private industry, from small entrepreneurial teams to major multinational companies, are now fully woven into the culture of Harwell, alongside UK Research Councils and international universities – over 30 of whom use the Campus on any given day.
Harwell has a genuine ‘public to private’, ‘academia to industry’ and ‘small to large’ ecosystem, which makes it stand out from other science or business parks. ‘Connect Harwell’ events actively encourage shared ideas, open innovation and accelerated technology combined with new product development, giving Harwell a highly competitive edge.
The 710-acres Campus is set to mature to accommodate tens of thousands of people inside millions more square feet of commercial and technical accommodation. Hundreds of new homes will be accompanied by further amenities for the inspirational people who live and work here.
We are excited by the prospect of more innovative developments and world-changing successes emerging from Harwell in the future, and welcome you to join us here. Please get in touch and find out how Harwell can help your organisation.
Harwell Campus is a beacon of the UK knowledge economy, a science and innovation district the size of a small town with outstanding people, world-class facilities and unrivalled access to open source national laboratories and supercomputing resources.
Welcome to the UK’s innovation hub Angus Horner, Director, Harwell Campus
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE GLOBALLY HAVE ALREADY BENEFITED FROM THE INNOVATION AND INVENTIONS DEVELOPED HERE.
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IT’S OFTEN THE INTERSECTION, THE COLLISION OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT TAKES ON PROBLEMS, WHICH CREATES WHOLLY NEW WAYS OF LOOKING AT THINGS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS.Professor Andrew Harrison, CEO,
HARWELL CAMPUS IS AN ESTABLISHED AND IMPORTANT HUB FOR THE VERY BEST OF EUROPEAN SPACE AND SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY. THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY’S DECISION TO BASE ITSELF THERE UNDERLINES THE QUALITY OF THE FACILITY AND SHOWS THE HIGH REGARD THAT THE INDUSTRY HAS FOR HARWELL. I’M DELIGHTED TO SEE IT FIRST HAND AND BE PART OF ITS SUCCESS. IT’S ALWAYS EXCITING TO VISIT HARWELL CAMPUS, I CAN’T WAIT TO BE BACK.
Major Tim Peake, Astronaut
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IF WE WANT TO BE A PROSPEROUS COUNTRY, WE HAVE AN ADVANTAGE IN SCIENCE AND WE CAN’T LET IT GO.
COMMIT TO SCIENCE, INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGE OTHER BUSINESSES TO MAKE USE OF HARWELL.
HRH The Duke of York, Patron of Harwell Campus
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BRITAIN HAS FIRMS AND RESEARCHERS LEADING IN SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING FIELDS OF HUMAN DISCOVERY. WE NEED TO BACK THEM AND TURN RESEARCH STRENGTHS INTO COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.
The Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Prime Minister, United Kingdom, speech to the CBI
BRITAIN’S PROSPERITY DEPENDS UPON THE PIONEERING WORK BEING DONE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS.
THAT’S WHAT MAKES HARWELL, WHICH FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS HAS BEEN LEADING THE WAY IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, SUCH AN ENGINE FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH; AND VITAL TO THE FUTURE OF UK PLC.
The Rt Hon David Cameron, Prime Minister, United Kingdom 2010 – 2016
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Where innovation thrives
The power of clustering
Brilliance every day
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Contents
Your science base
16World class science
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Investment & business support
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A unique heritage
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Driving research excellence
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Success stories
18A location for now and the future
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Work with experts
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Connect & collaborate
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Future growth
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Inspiring the next generation
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Life at Harwell
38Superb travel links
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Visit us
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1940s1945 RAF hands over site to Ministry of Supply
1946 The Atomic Energy Research Establishment is founded
1947 GLEEP test reactor generates nuclear energy for first time in Europe
1947 Harwell’s first tenant, Medical Research Council (MRC), sets up its Radiobiology Unit
1950s1953 Harwell’s Electronics Division assemble CADET, the world’s first transistorised computer
1954 The world’s first experimental ‘fast’ reactor, ZEPHYR, is housed at Harwell
1957 Rutherford Laboratory (now Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, RAL) is established to handle high energy physics work
1960s1961 Dr Mary Lyon, working with the MRC, discovers X chromosome inactivation
1963 Work by the MRC Harwell Radiobiology Research Unit leads to ban on the atmospheric testing of atomic weapons
1970s1975 Frozen Embryo and Sperm Archive is established by researchers at MRC
1973 Dr Martin Wilson and team start manufacturing ‘Rutherford Cable’, now world famous and a fundamental component inside Large Hadron Collider at CERN
1980s1985 MRC researchers discover genetic imprinting in mice
1990s1990 Major nuclear research projects finish at Harwell
1992 Computer scientists at Harwell discover the world’s largest prime number
2000s2000 Harwell Innovation Centre opens with support from the UK Atomic Energy Authority
2004 RAL Space engineers the Ptolemy instrument for the Philae lander on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta expedition
2005 ISIS Neutron Source conducts the first experiment to develop glass to replace bone transplants
2006 Science and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury announces £26 million Government investment in construction of a new Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH)
2007 Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is founded, taking control of RAL
2007 The £260 million Diamond Light Source Synchrotron produces its first user beam and is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II
2008 ISIS Neutron Source discover a new family of high-temperature superconductors
A unique heritageIn the 1940s Harwell Campus was a site dedicated to atomic energy research, medical work and high energy physics. Since then it has expanded and evolved into the dynamic and diverse campus it is today. 2010s...
2010 MRC researchers discover that the FTO gene leads to obesity
2012 Student wins international prize for proving that non-invasive biopsy technique discovered at STFC’s Central Laser Facility is viable for diagnosing breast cancer
2012 Diamond Light Source Synchrotron allows British researchers to engineer new synthetic foot-and-mouth vaccine without relying on the use of a live virus
2013 The University of Oxford and Harwell formalise a partnership for discovery and innovation
2013 Active laser facilities at STFC’s Central Laser Facility reach five: Vulcan, Astra Gemini, Artemis, Ultra and Octopus
2013 Inauguration of ESA’s first UK facility – the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT)
2013 The Satellite Applications Catapult is established by Innovate UK
2014 ESA’s Rosetta mission is first to rendezvous with a comet and lands Philae probe on its surface
2015 ESA ECSAT building is opened by Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
2015 R100’s Space Test and Integration Facility opens, the largest vacuum test chambers in UK and Europe
2016 The Advanced Manufacturing Lab opens, a partnership between ESA and RAL that adapts 3D printing technologies to be used for application in space
2016 Professor Bill David, Senior Research Fellow at Harwell and a member of the team that invented the lithium ion battery, becomes a Fellow of the Royal Society
2016 RAL Space form part of the international LIGO gravitational waves project, proving that Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity was correct
ZEPHYR Reactor, 1955Experimentation in
synchrocyclotron, 1962
Open Day, 2015
RAL Space:
GLEEP reactor construction, 1947
Professor Bill David at Harwell becomes
tours Harwell, 1954Sir Winston Churchill
110 inch diameter
visits Harwell, 1973Margaret Thatcher
The Power of Lasers
a Fellow of the Royal Society, 2016
space test chamber 1, 2016
Laser beams used in laser isotope separation,1986
ISIS Neutron Source user, 2016
Research Complex at Harwell opens, 2006
CEO of Diamond Light Sourceaccompanied by Gerd Materlik,
Image courtesy of Diamond Light Source
Diamond Light Source in 2007, Queen Elizabeth II opens
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Where innovation thrivesHarwell is at the core of the UK’s knowledge economy, acting in concert with leading research-led universities.
Commercial edgeHarwell offers support for companies across all growth phases, from start-ups to multinationals.
Harwell boasts cutting edge offices, laboratories and production sites. With plenty of space for growth, you can even create your own bespoke development here*.
Situated just south of Oxford, Harwell benefits from the economic powerhouse that is the county of Oxfordshire, with all the right conditions and connections to support the array of organisations based at the Campus.
Harwell’s exceptional environment fosters innovation, in which start-ups, SMEs, research bodies and major UK and international businesses from different sectors produce outstanding work side by side. Each one harnesses the benefits presented by the exceptional combination of on-site national science laboratories, a highly talented local workforce, regional investment and opportunities for multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Harwell was the location for the world’s first transistorised computer, it held Europe’s first nuclear reactor and was the location where Mary Lyon discovered X Chromosome inactivation. The quality and variety of innovation is unparalleled.
Rooted in the local community, the Campus is international in composition and outlook. Over 60 nationalities call Harwell Campus their professional home and over 30 universities have a presence here. This creates a fascinating and diverse community, linked by a common commitment to research, academia and excellence.
The Campus is located less than forty minutes from Heathrow Airport, close to the Thames Valley Corridor.
HARWELL IS A PLACE WHICH MATTERS GLOBALLY. IT’S A PLACE WHERE THE IMPACT OF WHAT HAS BEEN DISCOVERED COULD MATTER FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.Magali Vaissiere, Head of the European Space Agency’s ECSAT
WE CHOSE TO LOCATE OUR GLOBAL INNOVATION CENTRE AT HARWELL CAMPUS BECAUSE WE NEEDED A LOCATION WITH A LEADING REPUTATION THAT WOULD GIVE US ACCESS TO A HIGH-TECH TALENT POOL; PLACE US CLOSE TO OUR ACADEMIC PARTNERS FOR INNOVATION AND ENSURE OUR CENTRE WAS HIGHLY ACCESSIBLE FOR VISITING GLOBAL PARTNERS. WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO EXPAND OUR OPERATION HERE.Siobhan Duffy, Executive Director, Element Six - Global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond super-materials
*Subject to planning permission
Dr Andrew Taylor (Executive Director of the National Laboratories) and Professor Liu Conqiang (Vice President of the National Science Foundation of China),
Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding,
Royal Greenwich Naval College, London 2015
Image courtesy of Element 6
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• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Big data
• Biotech
• Chemicals
• Consumer products
• Cryogenics
• Electronics
• Energy
• Engineering
• Environment
• Food
• Healthcare
• Life sciences
• Materials
• Medical science
• Molecular research
• Nano and microscience
• Pharmaceuticals
• Satellite applications
• Sensors
• Space
• Supercomputing
Exceptional workforce• Over 5,500 skilled people work on-site, which is expected
to rise to tens of thousands
• Half the working age population in Oxfordshire is educated to degree level and upwards; well above the national average
• Around 43,000 people employed in local high technology firms
• 1 million people live within 45 minutes of the Campus
Multi-sector presenceHome to over 200 organisations in important sectors adding technical advantage to the UK and global economies, including:
Thriving location• 710 acres in South Oxfordshire,
part of the UK’s Golden Triangle
• Located in Science Vale UK, a UK Enterprise Zone, and Oxfordshire’s Knowledge Spine
• Cost effective, with low rental costs
• Quick, easy access to Oxford, London, Bristol, Heathrow Airport and the surrounding area
• High quality of life and international community
Your science base
Collaboration & advantage• Supportive business and
investment environment
• Critical mass of businesses and scientists
• Cross-campus events and open days
• ‘Hackathons’ and ‘inventorthons’
• Peer group forums
• Targeted, co-located support for SMEs and start-ups
• Regional networks
• Research Institutes and universities willing to collaborate
• Major investor awareness
Leading Europe & the worldHarwell has been the location for numerous discoveries and world firsts in:
• Nuclear energy
• Genetics
• Understanding radiation
• Satellite development
• Medical devices
• Computer science
• Physics
• Materials science
• Imaging and sensors
Image courtesy of Gatsby Foundation
Expanding world-class facilities• Buildings for all uses,
with millions more square feet planned
• Open access science labs and supercomputers
• On-site amenities including cafés and restaurants
• Sports and recreation facilities
• Affordable, bespoke new homes scheduled
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Success stories
The Electrospinning Company The Electrospinning Company uses an innovative technology to design, develop and manufacture materials for use in regenerative devices and 3D cell culture products, which can help direct the growth and repair of soft tissues. By improving the affordability and availability of treatments, the use of these novel materials in the repair of joint and eye damage has the potential to improve millions of lives.
Cobalt Light Systems Cobalt Light Systems was the UK’s fastest growing SME exporter in 2015. Its products enable non-invasive, sub-surface chemical analysis across a range of applications. Their instruments can identify materials hidden inside objects or through opaque barriers, such as plastic, coloured glass and skin. They can also measure the concentrations of materials in mixtures, with a high degree of accuracy.
Application of their products includes pharmaceutical quantitative analysis and airport security screening. In 2015 Cobalt Light Systems was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade. The Queen’s Award is the UK’s highest accolade for business success.
Oxford Space Systems To meet the modern challenges of space agencies and businesses, OSS designs satellite structure solutions that are lightweight, less complex than those of established competitors and made from high strength materials.
The firm has already received recognition from international organisations such as the European Space Agency and won the Grand Prix ‘winner of winners’ trophy at the 2015 UK British Engineering Excellence Awards.
BEING ON HARWELL CAMPUS PROVIDES US WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT TO MEET THE HIGH DEMANDS REQUIRED OF PRODUCTS DESIGNED FOR HUMAN IMPLANTATION.Ann Kramer, CEO, The Electrospinning Company
British Engineering Excellence Awards 2015the Start Up of the Year trophies at the UK
used at airportsChemical analysis scanner
LOCATING OURSELVES AT HARWELL CAMPUS ALLOWS US TO COLLABORATE WITH LEADING SCIENTISTS AND BUSINESSES TO MAKE OUR SATELLITE STRUCTURES WORLD CLASS.Mike Lawton, CEO and co-founder, Oxford Space Systems
on a joint UK & Algerian Space Agencies missionSuccessful deployment of AstroTube™ Boom
the Grand Prix ‘winner of winners’ and Oxford Space Systems was awarded
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Investment & business supportHarwell Campus is attractive for investors looking for new, innovative places and teams.
It is also a designated Government Enterprise Zone, giving reduced Business Rates and other benefits.
Close investors
• Woodford Investment Management including Woodford Patient Capital Trust
• Lansdowne Partners
• Wellcome Trust
• Oxford Sciences Innovation
• Longwall Venture Partners
• Rainbow Seed Fund
The Harwell Campus Management Office can offer advice on capital raising options and provide access to a comprehensive suite of national and global sources of funding.
Support
Harwell has longstanding links with key contacts at the Oxford Universities and with support bodies including:
• Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP)
• Invest in Oxfordshire
• Oxford Business Support
• Chambers of Commerce
• UK Government and regional support groups
• Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Innovate UK
• Horizon 2020
• Universities
• Multiple Research Councils
Oxsensis LtdOxsensis Ltd manufactures optical pressure sensors to Aerospace quality standards for Flight Systems, Power Generation and Oil & Gas applications. Located at Harwell Campus, they have recently expanded into a new, light industrial building on site. Formed in 2003 as a spin-out from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxsensis’s sensor technology is based on the micro-machining of super resistant materials such as
single-crystal sapphire together with innovative fibre optic interrogation techniques that give high sensitivity and immunity from electro-magnetic interference effects that are commonplace in turbo-machinery such as gas turbines. The company has partnerships with major OEM’s (Own Equipment Manufacturers) including GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce and Parker Aerospace.
Image courtesy of ISIS
sensor equipmentTesting using optical
imaging & diffraction instrumentFirst users of IMAT neutron
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE EXPANDING OUR FOOTPRINT AT HARWELL, A UK GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE ZONE. OUR PRESENCE HERE GIVES US CONTINUED ACCESS TO WORLD-CLASS EXPERTS AND WE VALUE THIS AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW. OUR NEW SPACE WILL ALLOW US TO MEET ADDITIONAL DEMAND FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.Ian Macafee, CEO, Oxsensis Ltd
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Driving research excellenceHarwell Campus boasts brilliant people, along with unbeatable national science labs and computing services. By affording proximity to these services, Harwell makes it simpler to progress with innovation and development.
A highly talented workforce
Businesses and research organisations realise the benefits of locating in an area with a hugely talented local workforce. The 45-minute commuter belt offers a large catchment area comprising over 1 million people, many of whom are highly skilled and attracted to Harwell by the quality of life offered by the Campus, a world leading environment.
• 49% of Oxfordshire residents hold a degree level qualification or above (compared with the national average of 36%)
• 59% of the county’s population work in management, professional or technical jobs (compared with 44% for the UK)
Harwell works ‘hand in glove’ with the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London (including Imperial College and UCL) – all three are ranked in the top ten universities in the world. In September 2016, The Times Education World University Ranking list named the University of Oxford as the world’s leading university. Harwell also benefits from Enterprise Zone status, meaning investment is set to continue.
The University of Oxford and Diamond Light Source have several formal collaborations for discovery and innovations. This partnership has led to work on a new vaccine technology developed for the foot-and-mouth disease virus. Their students, along with those from many other universities, have been instrumental in furthering research at Harwell Campus.
Universities at Harwell
Over 30 university teams from across the world are on-site at Harwell at any time, with many fully integrated here, including:
Brilliant people
Oxfordshire boasts extensive strengths in key sectors including life sciences, electronics, automotive (including Formula 1), digital and space-related industries.
Many world-leading, blue chip organisations are based in or near Harwell, and Oxfordshire itself is home to 35,000 business operations, generating a Gross Added Value (GVA) of £20.5 billion per annum. GVA growth in Oxfordshire has increased by 43% over the last decade and this rate of growth is ten percentage points above the average for other English regions.
The county is home to an impressive knowledge-intensive cluster that incorporates over 1,500 high technology firms.
Lower rents
Oxfordshire is an ideal place to land, with commercial rental costs significantly lower than alternatives including London, Cambridge and Reading.
At the southern tip of Oxfordshire’s ‘Knowledge Spine’, close to the Thames Valley Corridor and Heathrow Airport, Harwell is prioritised for growth by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Relocating to Harwell allows organisations the flexibility to create their own ‘campus within a campus’ with the ability to specify bespoke building requirements, with the added benefit of being able to reserve land for future expansion. The site comprises over 700 acres, a scale that offers an ideal ladder for growth.
Council (MRC) scientistsMedical Research
component test labMulti-petawatt
• Bath University
• Birmingham University
• Bristol University
• Cambridge University
• Cardiff University
• Durham University
• Edinburgh University
• lmperial College London
• ITQB, Portugal
• Kings College London
• Leeds University
• Liverpool School of
Tropical Medicine
• Liverpool University
• Manchester University
• Norwegian University
of Life Sciences
• Nottingham University
• Oregon State University
• Oxford Brookes
University
• Oxford University
• Pirbright Institute &
Liverpool University
• Portsmouth University
• Queens University
Belfast
• Reading University
• Royal Holloway
University of London
• Salford University
• Sheffield University
• Southampton University
• University College
London
• Universitat de Barcelona
• Warwick University
Many researchers based at Harwell continue to retain the association of their home university, making Harwell host to individuals working for UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford.
REAL INNOVATION IN WHATEVER DISCIPLINE OFTEN OCCURS AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN AREAS OF EXPERTISE.Sir John Bell, Regius Professor, University of Oxford
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A location for now and the future
Master plan
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1 Residential Quarter 2 HQ Offices 3 The Quadrangle
8 R100 RAL Space 9 Space Cluster 10 Diamond Light Source 11 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 16 Research Complex @ Harwell 17 HuSCO 18 Satellite Applications Catapult 19 Scientific Computing Data
4 European Space Agency (ESA) 5 Genesis Building 6 Antenna 7 University Quarter 12 Public Health England 13 MRC 14 ISIS Neutron Source 15 Central Laser Facility
Images 1, 3, 7 & 9 indicate future developments2726
World class science The Campus boasts a unique combination of large-scale scientific facilities.
Harwell’s science labs carry out thousands of experiments each year for its resident organisations; using neutrons, muons, lasers and x-rays, as well as high performance computing and the complex analysis of large data sets.
Research spans all major science disciplines, ranging from physical sciences to environmental, biosciences and energy.
AN INCREASING NUMBER OF BUSINESSES ARE CHOOSING TO LOCATE AT HARWELL, A BASE THAT PUTS THEM AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. Dr Andrew Taylor OBE, Executive Director, National Laboratories, STFC
Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH)
RCaH is a multidisciplinary laboratory that provides facilities for researchers to undertake new and cutting-edge scientific research in both life and physical sciences.
Diamond Light Source: The UK’s national synchrotron
This third generation synchrotron is a world leading, medium energy x-ray-source. It is used to study materials at microscopic level and produces light that is ten billion times brighter than the Sun. Its various beamlines have been used to study a vast range of subject matter, from fossils to jet engines, viruses to vaccines.
Central Laser Facility (CLF)
CLF is one of the world’s leading laser facilities, capable of recreating the conditions inside stars. It can be used to study biochemical and biophysical processes that form the basis of life itself.
RAL Space
Part of the Science and Technology Council (STFC), RAL Space provides space test facilities, instrument and mission design, and studies on the science and technology requirements for new missions. The Integration and Testing Facility houses two 5m diameter vacuum chambers for testing instruments destined for use in space. It is the largest facility of its kind in the UK.
The National Imaging Centre
Diamond Light Source provides a national centre for nanoscale imaging and physical sciences comprising the electron Bio-Imaging Centre, I14 Hard X-ray Nanoprobe and electron Physical Sciences Imaging Centre.
ISIS Neutron Source
The ISIS pulsed neutron and muon source at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is only one of three such facilities that are operating in the world today. ISIS allows scientists to study materials at the atomic level using a suite of instruments described as ‘super-microscopes’. It is the most productive research centre of its type in the world.
EMERALD
The UK’s most powerful GPU-based supercomputer is located at RAL, offering access for a broad range of applications including bioinformatics and developing new tools for processing medical images.
JASMIN
JASMIN is a ‘super-data-cluster’, half supercomputer and half data centre. It provides a globally unique computational environment for data analysis. It is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA), and delivered by STFC at Harwell.
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Work with expertsBeing located at Harwell places you alongside key national facilities and world-leading experts that work closely with industry.
Image courtesy of NASA & ESA
Image courtesy of NASA & ESA
IT’S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE PUSH YOU. WE ALL NEED THAT. YOU DON’T MAKE PROGRESS BY THINKING IT ALL OUT YOURSELF, YOU MAKE PROGRESS BY BEING CHALLENGED BY OTHER PEOPLE. AND YOU GET IT HERE.Professor Steve Cowley FRS, Member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology
The Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
The STFC drives cutting edge science and technological research with an annual budget of over £500 million. It is dedicated to pioneering science and technological research on behalf of the UK. STFC resources at Harwell include: the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, RAL Space and the Central Laser Facility. Diamond Light Source, a cornerstone of Harwell, is owned by the STFC and Wellcome Trust.
European Space Agency (ESA)
The ESA’s mission is to shape, develop and grow Europe’s space capability. It coordinates the financial and intellectual resources of its members to undertake programmes and activities that are far beyond the scope of any single European country. ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) is located at Harwell.
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The MRC’s Harwell facility is home to a centre dedicated to genetics research. It supports pioneering science to improve the health of people in the UK and around the world.
Public Health England
Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. This is done through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. An executive agency of the Department of Health, it is a distinct delivery organisation with operational autonomy to advise and support government, local authorities and the NHS in a professionally independent manner.
Satellite Applications Catapult
The Satellite Applications Catapult’s world class facilities provide a range of open services. These include a satellite operations centre and a specialist Climate, Environment and Monitoring from Space (CEMS) facility that offers access to space-based climate change and Earth observation data and services, and cloud computing.
UK Space Gateway
The UK Space Agency has designated Harwell as the UK Space Gateway. The Gateway has a major presence on-site and comprises a growing cluster of space organisations including RAL Space, the Satellite Applications Catapult, ESA’s ECSAT, UK Space Agency, Thales Alenia Space, Airbus and Lockheed Martin. Recently the Human Space Flight Capitalisation Office has located here. Space is one of the UK’s ‘Eight Great Technologies’, acknowledged by the UK Government as a driving force for UK economic growth.
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The Cluster of about 70 Space organisations at Harwell is testament to the power of co-locating industry, academia and the public sector alongside investors and entrepreneurs. The European Space Agency, RAL Space, The UK Space Agency,
Airbus, Thales Alenia Space, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Deimos Space UK can all be found on the Campus. Each Cluster member contributes their own perspective, stimulating new ideas and creating opportunities for collaboration that increases
capability and shares risk. Being within a cluster brings access to high-quality common infrastructure, facilities and expertise, alongside exposure to new markets. The Harwell vision is to be home to a number of clusters that exploit the existing strengths of the Campus. The next step is our new HealthTec Cluster which will benefit from the considerable synergies across the life and physical science capabilities of the Campus and the Space Cluster. These clusters will push, assist and enrich each other, creating a powerful multidisciplinary environment tailored to problem solving that will allow the UK to continue to compete with the best in the world.
In World leading companyHarwell is brimming with outstanding organisations, including SMEs, major global businesses, national research bodies and international agencies.
The power of clusteringA mix of public and private sector investment and support that forms a rich seedbed for growth.
for Universities, Science, Research and Jo Johnson MP, Minister of State
Innovation, opening the R100 building
AN
NU
AL REPO
RT 2013
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THE OUTWARD-FACING INNOVATION CULTURE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES CREATED WITHIN HARWELL’S CLUSTERS ARE IDEALLY SUITED TO ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE MODERN SOCIETY.Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Campus Business Development Director, STFC
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Generating new ideas
‘Hackathons’ and ‘Inventorthons’ at Harwell attract innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, technologists, designers, programmers and students to get together and work to produce innovative solutions for global challenges.
Open days encourage Harwell staff as well as visitors to explore all the facilities on Campus. An open day in July 2015 saw over 17,000 visitors exploring all that the Campus has to offer.
Forums link together peers from different organisations on-site to share knowledge and expertise, and support each other, in areas such as technology, communications, leadership, project management and HR.
Start-up and SME support Harwell-based organisations such as the European Space Agency and the Satellite Applications Catapult offer targeted support for start-ups and SMEs, including access to accommodation and shared facilities. Such co-location has resulted in fortuitous collaborations. For example, at the Research Complex at Harwell one of the mapping techniques used for cancer cells was borrowed from an astronomy application used to correlate information on the solar system.
Oxfordshire events offer the chance to collaborate with other supporting local organisations through a wealth of networks such as the Oxford Bio-Science Network, Oxfordshire LEP, Digital Oxford, Enterprising Oxford, Venturefest and more.
A global village
Harwell has an international outlook with staff and researchers from over 60 nationalities on the Campus. Visitors from governments and academic institutions regularly swell overseas representation here and in one building alone there are 45 nationalities.
Start with us
When you move to Harwell, the Campus Management Team will quickly link you with key organisations and people on-site.
We also host high profile annual industry events to connect Harwell organisations with each other and with businesses considering a move to the Campus.
The opportunities for collaboration at Harwell are among the best in the world. There is a spirit of cooperation and partnership that allows businesses of all sizes to flourish, solving some of mankind’s biggest questions through interdisciplinary research and expertise.
These key factors, in addition to a wide range of formal and informal networks in existence on campus, will enable start-ups, SMEs, not-for-profit or major businesses, to forge on-campus relationships that would be unthinkable and impossible elsewhere.
Networking events
At Harwell there is an understanding of the importance of providing the means by which people can meet, network and collaborate. For an organisation, it’s one of the key benefits of landing here and there are a range of platforms that support this. These include international conference workshops, seminars and ad hoc events, providing organisations based here with the help they need to meet the complex challenges of innovation and business growth.
Opportunities for collaboration
Connect Harwell is a bi-monthly campus networking forum dedicated to Harwell organisations, where collaborative case studies are championed and industry VIPs are invited to share and showcase the Campus’s interdisciplinary culture.
Satuccino The Satellite Applications Catapult hosts a monthly Satuccino coffee session where organisations from the space cluster can meet and talk shop.
Spacecakes is a monthly meeting run by the ESA BIC (European Space Agency Business Incubation Companies) incubatees and alumni, providing new opportunities and the chance to share ideas and business challenges.
Workshops and training The Harwell Campus Management team and other bodies on site, including STFC, offer open workshops and events covering interesting and varied topics. These are communicated via the Campus website and internal newsletters.
Connect & collaborateHarwell enables teams and businesses of all sizes to flourish by encouraging access to key people and leading technology; new ways of solving problems, achieving goals and finding unique applications for products and services.
Director of the Mary Lyon Centre, Dr Sara Wells,
MRC Harwell
Major Tim Peake, ESA Astronaut
The Rt Hon. the Lord Drayson
Dr Tim Luker,
Corporate Business Development, Eli LillySenior Director, External Innovation,
James Noble,
AdaptimmuneChief Executive Officer,
MP for Mid-Norfolk and Chair of the Prime Minister’s Policy Board
George Freeman,
University of OxfordRegius Professor of Medicine, Prof Sir John Bell,
Chief Executive Officer, Dr Gordon Sanghera,
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Accelerating Healthcare Event, Harwell Campus, 2016
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Inspiring the next generationEmpowering young people with the opportunity to experience and understand the wonder of science for themselves.
The festivals, open days, lectures, coding clubs and workshops at Harwell are all designed to pass the torch of learning to a younger generation. Harwell is committed to playing its role in providing fledgling scientists with the best possible platform for learning and fully realising their potential and dreams.
Harwell Open Day
at ISIS Neutron SourceParticle Physics Masterclass
Harwell Open Day
astronaut, Major Tim PeakeLocal school children meet
Harwell Open Day
IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY. MY HEART WAS POUNDING ALL THE TIME.Hilary Griffiths, Didcot Girls’ School – sharing her future career aspirations with Tim Peake, to work in either physics or engineering
IT’S BETTER THAN LEGOLAND!Written on visitors’ whiteboard at Harwell Campus Open Day
I WAS SHOCKED. I WAS SO EXCITED I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.Thomas Ashcroft, Chilton Primary School – hearing en route to Harwell that he would be meeting his hero, UK astronaut Tim Peake
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of new developmentArchitect’s impression
Future growthCovering over 700 acres, Harwell Campus has embarked upon an ambitious plan for expansion with millions of square feet of new working and research space and hundreds of new homes, plus further on-site amenities.
The vision is to keep growing Harwell as one of the world’s largest and most important science and innovation campuses. The ambition of the Campus expansion is matched only by that of the researchers and scientists who call the Campus home.
Refurbishment and re-invigoration – underway
• A second hotel to complement the existing Ridgeway Hotel, plus more shopping
• HQ building – 45,000 square feet
• A range of buildings to accommodate business requirements
Total: over 100,000 square feet
Major future building projects
• Enlarged Space Cluster – up to 200,000 square feet
• University Quarter – a further 200,000 square feet
• Data Centre – first phase
• Residential – hundreds of new homes offering affordable housing to rent or buy at Harwell, enabling people to work and live here
Recent additions in 2015/16 – completed
• ESA ECSAT
• RAL 100
• Genesis
Total: over 200,000 square feet
Next 25 acres – underway
• Offices, labs and technical space
• Restaurant
• Gym
Total: 400,000 square feet
Bespoke buildings
Just visiting the Campus shows the possibility of shaping bespoke buildings for your organisation’s needs, with space reserved alongside for future growth.
The QuadrangleEuropean Space Agency (ESA)R100 RAL Space
HARWELL IS SUCH A TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING PROJECT – AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESHAPE AN EXTRAORDINARY NATIONAL LABS CAMPUS WITH OVER 75 YEARS OF HISTORY INTO A 21ST CENTURY INNOVATION TOWN AMONGST AN OUTSTANDING NATURAL LANDSCAPE.Oliver Milton, Partner at Hawkins Brown, Architects
WHAT IMPRESSED ME WHEN I ARRIVED AT HARWELL FROM AEROSPACE CORPORATION IN THE UNITED STATES IS THAT THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD WHERE I CAN LITERALLY WALK TO SEE OVER 68 SPACE ORGANISATIONS.Stephen Ringler, Space Cluster Development Director
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Campus life and Oxfordshire’s attractions
The Campus benefits from a mini-supermarket, cafés and restaurants, pop-up food stalls with a further café and a restaurant proposed for the next stage of development.
The surrounding area also offers Harwell residents numerous traditional pubs and restaurants to explore. Just a 25 minute drive away, vibrant, medieval Oxford boasts a huge choice of restaurants to suit every palate. High street essentials are augmented by fine independents under the Covered Market and Farmers Market, with quirky boutiques, coffee shops, antique shops and more, set amongst picturesque cobbled streets.
Life at Harwell Exceptional on-site facilities from homes to sports facilities, children’s nurseries to cafés, set inside a vibrant rural location; Harwell has everything you need.
Outstanding quality of life
In 2016, South Oxfordshire was named as the rural area with the best quality of life in Great Britain and national surveys regularly rate the City of Oxford and the county of Oxfordshire very highly for residents’ quality of life.
Harwell is an exciting and dynamic place to live and work. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, it is within easy reach of picturesque towns and villages, including the historic City of Oxford to the north and the quintessentially English market town of Newbury and its famous racecourse to the south.
THE CAMPUS CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT ARE IMPORTANT HUBS WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET, SOCIALISE AND FORGE NEW WORKING PARTNERSHIPS TOGETHER.Monika Zemla, Harwell Campus Management
Image courtesy of SLR Photography
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Sport and exercise
Fitness enthusiasts are well catered for at Harwell. The Campus boasts a variety of facilities and several sports clubs for those who work on-site. With surrounding woodland paths, wide-open roads, hills and broad vistas, Harwell is ideal for runners and cyclists.
Sports facilities include tennis courts and two sports fields with a cricket pitch and pavilion. Harwell sports clubs include: football, rounders, rugby, tennis, cricket, croquet, archery, running, yoga, outdoor gym facility and an Aunt Sally league. People from across the site engage in these activities at lunchtime and after work. Many take part in the exciting and highly competitive league tournaments.
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has its own sports facilities and offers associate membership for the staff of other organisations based at the Campus. Nearby there are paths for ramblers – including the ancient Ridgeway path and Icknield Way, which offer incredible views of the open countryside that surrounds the Campus. Fitness trainers and health therapists are also available.
Residential
The Campus has a selection of houses for rent, with plans for hundreds of new homes currently in development. Employees are able to live close to where they work, improving their quality of life by shortening commute times and enabling people to cycle or walk to work.
The Ridgeway Hotel is conveniently located on-site and there is a good selection of other hotels near to the Campus that cater for visitors.
Amenities and childcare
Campus facilities include a Post Office branch, hairdresser and a dentist. With two nurseries already situated on-site, professional childcare is also catered for.
Campus cricket
Campus running
Campus wildlife
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A34
A34
HEATHROW
DIDCOT PARKWAY
STANSTED
BIRMINGHAM
GATWICK
BRISTOL
LUTON
SWINDONREADING
Harwell
LONDON
CAMBRIDGE
OXFORD
M25
M40
A1(M)
M11
M6 TOLL
M3
M4
M4
M5
M5
M6
A1
M1
M3
M25
M25
Travelling to and from Harwell Campus is easy. Next to the A34 the Campus lies just 16 miles from Oxford, offering easy access to the UK’s two largest cities – London and Birmingham – via the M40 and M4 motorways. It is also less than a forty minute drive from London Heathrow Airport, the UK’s premier hub airport.
Heathrow will be faster by rail with the addition of Crossrail in 2018, as well as quicker journeys to other areas of London.
Frequent direct trains from nearby Didcot Parkway station take around 45 minutes to London Paddington or Bristol Temple Meads and 15 minutes to Reading.
The Campus has its own bus station with direct links to Didcot (including Didcot Parkway), Wantage, Abingdon, Oxford, Newbury and surrounding towns and villages. A new express Science Shuttle has recently been introduced for staff and visitors travelling between the University of Oxford Campus and Harwell.
Access and parking
All buildings are easily accessible by road, with parking adjacent and nearby.
Superb travel links
43MINUTES TRAIN RIDE TO LONDON
40MINUTES DRIVE TO HEATHROW AIRPORT
25MINUTES DRIVE
TO OXFORD
The map shown is not to scale and all times quoted are approximate with rail times from Didcot Parkway Station. Sources: Nationalrail.co.uk; google.co.uk; Crossrail.co.uk.
Visit usThe best way to appreciate the breadth and depth of the facilities and opportunities at Harwell Campus is to visit us.
The Campus team at the Harwell Management Office would be delighted to talk to you about how Harwell can contribute to your success.
We can help you to engage the skilled people that you need, discuss how to access the scientific equipment and knowledge at Harwell, and tell you everything you need to know about moving to our world-class science and innovation campus.
ContactsHarwell Management OfficeAtlas CentreFermi AvenueHarwell CampusDidcotOxfordshire OX11 0QX
[email protected] twitter.com/harwellcampus
+44 (0) 1235 250 091
Angus Horner, Partner & [email protected]
William Cooper, [email protected]
Gordon Duncan, [email protected]
Duncan Rogers, Estates [email protected]
Dr. Barbara Ghinelli, Campus Business Development Director, [email protected]
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REAL INNOVATION IN WHATEVER DISCIPLINE OFTEN OCCURS AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN AREAS OF EXPERTISE. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CLUSTERS BECOME A HUGE CAULDRON FOR INNOVATION. Sir John Bell, Regius Professor, University of Oxford and Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee, Harwell interview, BBC Radio 4 Today
A WORLD LEADING TECHNOLOGY HUB.Estates Gazette
BRITAIN HAS A SPACE HUB TO BE RECKONED WITH IN THE SHAPE OF HARWELL CAMPUS.Elite Business
HARWELL IS THE EPICENTRE OF UK COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITY.The Telegraph
ONE OF BRITAIN’S LEADING SCIENCE AND INNOVATION CLUSTERS.Property Week
IT IS THE CLOSEST EUROPE HAS TO A SILICON VALLEY FOR SPACE.The Independent
www.harwellcampus.com