The GSK Stevenage site closure has been confirmed as the pharmaceutical giant announced plans to close its Stevenage facility and relocate about 1,000 staff to a new research and development site on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, according to the BBC. The company has had a presence in Stevenage for 50 years, but said the new Cambridge location, described as being “in the heart of the UK life sciences Golden Triangle,” would help accelerate its research and development efforts.
The new Cambridge site, currently under construction, will feature laboratories and infrastructure to support research in GSK’s focus areas of oncology, respiratory disease, hepatology, vaccines and HIV, the company said. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is home to more than 22,000 people working in life sciences and includes existing GSK partnerships and collaborations, such as the Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, the Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration, the Cambridge-GSK Metabolic Science Collaboration, Cambridge Immune Ageing, the GSK-Teichmann Lab and the company’s clinical unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, according to the BBC.
Kevin Bonavia, the MP for Stevenage, described the announcement as “disappointing news” for the town. He said he was “deeply frustrated by the lack of meaningful engagement from GSK before these plans were announced,” adding that this had caused unnecessary uncertainty for employees and the wider community, according to the BBC.
Bonavia said his first concern was for GSK staff and families affected in Stevenage, noting that while roles are set to move to sites commutable from the town, the change would still cause disruption for a significant number of people. He added that he intended to press for new investment on the former Stevenage site once it closes in 2029.
The new Cambridge site, currently under construction, will feature laboratories and infrastructure to support research in GSK’s focus areas of oncology, respiratory disease, hepatology, vaccines and HIV, the company said. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is home to more than 22,000 people working in life sciences and includes existing GSK partnerships such as the Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery and the Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration, according to the BBC.
The campus also houses pharmaceutical competitor AstraZeneca, along with Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth hospitals, and is home to a new Cambridge Cancer Hospital currently under construction, the BBC reported.
Tony Wood, chief scientific officer at GSK, said Cambridge had built “one of the world’s best life sciences ecosystems,” citing its leading universities, hospitals and biotech companies. He added that “the campus provides exceptional opportunities for collaboration.” Wood said the move represented “a catalyst for faster, bolder medicines discovery” for the company’s next wave of medicines, given GSK’s existing connections and experience in the area.
The announcement marks a shift from GSK’s position five years ago, when the company said it planned to expand its Stevenage site, with Wood stating at the time that the goal was for Stevenage to become “a top destination for medical and scientific research” by the end of the decade. The BBC noted that the newly opened Cambridge South Station, which offers direct services to Stevenage, is expected to support the transition, with GSK saying it hopes most staff will move with the company.
The Cambridge site will form part of GSK’s wider UK network of collaboration with leading academic institutions and pioneering scientific organisations, including the University of Oxford, King’s College London, Imperial College, the University of Manchester, Wellcome and the Crick Institute, according to the BBC. Further information on GSK’s operations and research focus areas is available through the GSK official website. In separate corporate news, Unilever’s sales volumes rose at their fastest rate in recent reporting on major UK-linked consumer companies.
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