£8.5m secured for new deep tech incubator in Temple Quarter

A new state-of-the-art incubator is set to “create the next generation of deep tech spinouts in quantum, cyber, engineering and more”.

Science Creates was founded in 2015 by Harry Destecroix, who had witnessed first hand the unique challenges faced by fledgling deep tech companies – and found that by far the biggest barrier was a lack of access to advanced research facilities.

The company has now secured £8.5m to open its third dedicated premises, marking what has been described as a significant step forward in cementing Bristol’s growing status as a deep tech hub that fosters innovation and supports spinouts geared towards “steering the fourth industrial revolution”.

To date, Science Creates has supported more than 100 deep tech startups and spin-outs through its research facilities in St Philip’s, which opened in 2017, and Old Market, which was completed in 2021.

Harry Destecroix found that by far the biggest barrier to deep tech spinouts was a lack of access to advanced research facilities – photo: Science Creates

Destecroix, who founded one of the UK’s most successful spin outs, Ziylo, says: “We founded Science Creates in 2015, just one year after spinning out Ziylo, because the biggest barrier we faced was access to advanced research facilities.

“We also wanted to find people who understood the unique challenges that deep tech spin-outs face. Being part of only 0.3 per cent of UK companies that are spinouts, we decided to do something about it.

“UK spinouts are, and will be, driving the fourth industrial revolution. All we want to do is help world-class engineers and scientists who have discovered important technological breakthroughs, to build impactful deep tech companies.

“This will improve the health of the human race and the health of our planet. The additional physical infrastructure will allow deep tech companies to scale and emerge.”

The deep tech hub will be built in the new Temple Quarter, which includes the £300m Bristol University campus. From next year, the new facility is expected to provide capacity to incubate approximately 275 new companies from West of England universities and beyond.

Specifically, it will accommodate spinouts that are “making the next groundbreaking discoveries in quantum and engineering biology”.

The new Science Creates incubator will be built in the heart of the new Temple Quarter – image: Conversation PR

The investment, backed by Research England and the University of Bristol, comes two weeks after the government published a review of spinout companies and outlined plans to create a leading innovation ecosystem to rival the model of Silicon Valley.

Dr Jon Hunt, Bristol University’s executive director for research, enterprise & innovation, said: “The University of Bristol is a great powerhouse for spinouts.

“This success is attributable to excellent research by world class academics combined with a high quality research commercialisation team and a vibrant, entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“The new incubator, located in the heart of our new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, will help create the next generation of deep tech spin-outs, in quantum, cyber, engineering biology and much more. I hope and expect many of these companies will thrive and grow to help us deliver on our mission to make a positive impact locally, nationally, and globally by addressing society’s greatest challenges.”

Main image: Science Creates

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