Future Cities Forum's Cambridge West 'Science Cities' discussion this November
Future Cities Forum will be holding its next Cambridge 'Science Cities' discussion event in the Cambridge West Innovation District, which includes the new Whittle Laboratory.
The forum will look at the development of science innovation across the Growth Corridor - new laboratories in Cambridge, AI and defence exploration in Milton Keynes, flight technology, as well as how cities such as Oxford are investing in new housing and joined up infrastructure.
At our last Cambridge forum, the Wellcome Genome Campus, CEO, Robert Evans, spoke about the need for connected infrastructure around science cities and the new development progressing on site:
'Well at the moment we're spending a lot of money on buses, and people are trying, seeing if you support cycling, car sharing, and things like that. We will support all of that, and we will continue to run the campus buses, and the coaches that we need to do.......but really, the cycling is an area that needs to be focused on. And we will work with anybody to do that. ....I want to go back to the growth community, to work out the pattern of the buses that we want to support, and how that can be supported. I think one of the problems with our system is that if a project has already gone out on a charity mission, it's sort of seen by civil servants and others as what would be happening. We sort of tick the box and go, that's what would be happening. And they look for additionality, which means, if I put some money into transport, how can I generate more homes, and more jobs can come? But we also have to deliver properly the ones we already have. There are a lot of people investing a lot of money here. But I think that does depend on the cost.'
On the proposed masterplan for Cambridge Science Park, its Director, Jane Hutchins, commented on the growth around science and innovation:
'The ambition for growth is real. I think it's really positive. It's such a statement of confidence in the future of Cambridge and the UK that we can say, look, we're going to back this. Trinity have already said they will commit a billion pounds to the redevelopment and to delivering the master plan, which is astonishing. People are excited. I think because we've been there so long, so many people in and around Cambridge have grown up with Science Park as part of their lives. Their family members have worked there. They've delivered fruit there. They've worked in labs there. Whatever it is they've done, it's part of their lives. So we are quite integrated socially. And we're very excited about seeing more of that.
Next to the West Hub, where Future Cities Forum is holding its discussion event, is the recently opened new version of the world famous Whittle Laboratory, which is adding to the broader landscape of science facilities in the Growth Corridor. Grimshaw the design architect involved in the project says:
'The new Whittle Laboratory, a striking new building named after Sir Frank Whittle the inventor of the jet engine at the gateway to the University of Cambridge’s Cambridge West Innovation District, was officially opened on 20 July 2026 at the Frank Whittle Summit by His Majesty King Charles III. It has been designed and delivered by Grimshaw with Smith and Wallwork, Max Fordham, SWECO, SDC and RHP with the construction project managed by AECOM and the University’s Estates Division,
'The laboratory is the UK’s integrated technology accelerator, a research facility that brings together researchers, students, industry partners and entrepreneurs around a shared mission: to transform the speed at which new propulsion and power technologies move from research to real-world application.
'The repurposing and expansion of the original 1970s Whittle Laboratory encompasses the Bennett Innovation Lab and the UK National Centre for Propulsion and Power (NCPP). The Bennett Innovation Lab (BIL) is a pioneering facility with a mission-driven model where elite, multi-disciplinary teams use Formula 1-style rapid testing and ruthless iteration to quickly discover what works – moving breakthrough ideas from imagination to execution and massively cutting costs.
'The laboratory has been built around this model, bringing thinking, making and testing under one roof, activities previously dispersed across international locations, and establishes a new benchmark for research in collaboration with the University’s Department of Engineering and industry partners Siemens, Rolls Royce, Mitsubishi and Dyson. The NCPP is a unique rapid test facility that accelerates years of development into months.
'The design of the three-storey building is conceived as three interconnected distinct spaces, that visually and physically link the laboratory’s innovation activities. Entered from the south, through a colonnade, students, researchers and visitors are led directly into a three-storey atrium at the heart of the building. The atrium, conceived as a warm and active community space, supports informal presentations, gatherings and everyday exchange, with visual connections across offices, innovation spaces, workshops and research areas.
'In this space, familiar elements from the original laboratory have been reinterpreted for a new generation of researchers. The Whittle ‘Tea Table’, long associated with the laboratory’s culture of collaborative innovation, has been restored at the first level, overlooking the central atrium, while courtyard and terrace gardens support formal and informal dialogue. Cellular offices and innovation spaces on the upper levels support deep focus work, addressing the needs of researchers for uninterrupted writing and research.
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