The Government has today confirmed the UK Health Security Agency’s move to Harlow, right in the heart of the UK Innovation Corridor. On a visit to Harlow today, the Health and Social Care Secretary, the Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, announced funding for the proposed National Biosecurity Centre (NBC) in Harlow, which was deemed the best option after a review of various options.
The proposal will create 1,600 new jobs, both in construction and the life sciences sector and it will be the largest NBC in Europe. The new site in Harlow will act as a home for scientific collaboration and partnership in the UK. £250m has been committed to the project, over the course of this Parliament, and a timetable has been set out for its delivery.
On the announcement, the Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor, Jackie Sadek, said the following:
“The confirmation of the UK Health Security Agency’s proposed relocation is not just fantastic news for Harlow, but for the UK Innovation Corridor and for the whole UK economy. We have consistently made the positive case for this project, and the announcement today is a vital step towards reinforcing our world-leading life sciences sector, anchored by a major public health institution, right here in the Corridor
Not only will the relocation support thousands of jobs, and millions of pounds of investment per annum in Harlow, it will give investors a very clear signal the importance this Government places on life sciences as a driver of economic growth. The new UKHSA campus will be right in the beating heart of the Corridor, surrounded by a whole cluster of life sciences companies, with fantastic links to the inward investment behemoths of Cambridge and London. The economic benefits that will flow from this announcement are innumerable, and this will take us, collectively, a step closer to the likes of Silicon Valley and the Boston Route 128, who are the current world leaders in the field.
We welcome this decision and congratulate everyone who has been involved in making it happen. The Corridor will now work with our members and partners to capitalise on all the benefits this decision can bring, including ensuring that local communities benefit from this significant commitment from Government.”
Our Chair’s article for the Estates Gazette can also be found here.
