Innovative biotech, Chimeris secures final suite within The Works building at Unity Campus

Leading regional property investor and developer Howard Group is delighted to welcome Chimeris UK Limited to Unity Campus. The biotech company has secured Suite 5 (8,000 sq ft), the last available space within ‘The Works’ building, thereby completing the leasing of phase 1 at Unity Campus.

As part of the letting, Howard Group is fitting out Suite 5 as CL2 wet laboratory space. McManniman has been appointed to deliver the works, which are scheduled for completion in mid-March and Richard Dickinson at One Nucleus is project managing the works on behalf of Howard Group and the occupier.  

The deal completes the letting strategy of The Works following PC in early 2020, amidst the pressures of Covid-19. Despite these challenges, The Works is now home to a number of leading UK and multi-national drug-discovery and biotech companies, including IONTAS, Phoremost and Summit Therapeutics. The letting to Chimeris further cements Unity Campus’ reputation as South Cambridge’s most exciting new urban innovation district and the location of choice for innovative life science and technology companies.

Having recently secured seed funding, Chimeris aims to cure late-stage solid tumours (non-blood cancers) by using proprietary technologies to genetically modify the immune system, enabling it to find and eliminate cancer cells in patients sustainably. 

Hao Zhang, Co-founder and CEO, Chimeris commented: “We are very excited to move into our new home at Unity Campus, where we will embark on the next phase of Chimeris’ growth and transformative technology development. It is thrilling to be part of Unity Campus at this stage and to witness first-hand the continued careful development of the site - we look forward to playing a part in the community and ecosystem Howard Group is fostering here. By locating at Unity Campus, we are also in a great position to access broader collaborations with others in the golden triangle, where we have already experienced, and would like to contribute to, the best life sciences and therapeutics in the UK and beyond.” 

Howard Group’s transformation of Unity Campus continues apace with three new wet laboratory buildings of 32,500 sq ft, 31,000 sq ft and 24,500 sq ft currently under construction.  Scheduled for completion in Q3, 2023 each building in this second phase of development will provide a 60/40 lab/office split with provision for four ducted fume hoods and dedicated plant facilities. With sustainability an underlying principle both during construction and onward occupation, Howard Group is targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating for each building. The buildings are being offered for single occupancy or floor by floor.

The masterplan for Unity Campus has been purposefully designed to facilitate business interactions and friendships, creating a place where entrepreneurs from around the world work, innovate, collaborate, and exchange ideas. Building on the industrial legacy of the nearby villages of Sawston and Pampisford, the bold urban aesthetic of the buildings will be offset by a network of connected green spaces and water meadows as well as a landscaped courtyard.

By merging the traditional and modern, urban and rural, business and social, Unity Campus offers an entirely different working environment to all other science and research parks in the Cambridge area, creating a wider choice of location for technology and life science companies seeking laboratories or offices. 

Werner Baumker, Group Director – Property, Howard Group commented: “We are excited to welcome Chimeris to Unity Campus. They join our existing community of 12 like-minded, leading life science and technology companies, all focused on creating innovative solutions to improve both the lives and health of future generations.

“With The Works and phase 1 now fully let our focus continues to be the provision of additional high-specification, exceptional quality wet laboratory accommodation at Unity Campus to enable both existing and new occupiers to continue to innovate within the South Cambridge biotech cluster. The phase 2 development at Unity Campus will deliver exactly this and we look forward to being able to welcome yet more occupiers to the Unity Campus community in 2023.”

Bridget Partridge, Associate, JLL added: “With the lack of fitted lab space in the market Howard Group grasped the opportunity to provide this much needed asset. It’s great to see the final suite let in The Works and to welcome another life science occupier to Unity Campus, adding to the growing ecosystem. Chimeris joins at a really exciting time with the new phase 2 lab buildings coming out of the ground.”