Oxford Nanopore establishes new high-tech manufacturing facility

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. 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 said: “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 400,000ft² of development space completed and the next application of 750,000ft² of commercial accommodation being submitted in the first half of 2018, Harwell Campus has the scale and capabilities to provide 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 ft² of planned development and 1.5 million ft² to be developed by 2025, Harwell Campus is set to be the largest regeneration and commercial property growth project ever seen in the region.

Commenting on the announcement, William Cooper, Partner, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus said: “We are delighted that Oxford Nanopore has chosen to expand at Harwell. We’ve seen them grow into a phenomenal world-leading company and by supporting their major scale-up we are sparking the start of a new era of high-tech manufacturing on Campus and in Oxfordshire.”

In 2017 Harwell let 160,000ft² of new speculative Grade A space, which equals 40% of the total Oxford region. This is the largest combined commercial take-up and development of new space ever seen in Oxfordshire.