New world-class facility to secure Bristol’s global reputation for science and tech

Bristol could follow in the footsteps of powerhouses such as Boston as a world leader for scientific innovation and technological breakthroughs.

This is the ambition of Dr Harry Destecroix, who is seeking to nurture the talents of a new generation of scientists-turned-entrepreneurs in the city by growing the incubator space and networks needed to help them thrive.

In partnership with the University of Bristol and Research England, the founder of Science Creates has just opened the city’s second specialised deep tech incubator facility in Old Market, offering world-class laboratories, offices and event space to support the growth of deep tech startups.

And the new £6m centre is just the beginning for the science entrepreneur, who co-founded his own company, Ziylo, while studying for his PhD at Bristol University, going on to sell the firm to a pharmaceutical giant in a deal worth up to $800m in August 2018.

His experience of the lack of specialist facilities in the city to enable scientists to develop their ideas ready for the marketplace prompted Destecroix to found Science Creates (formerly Unit DX).

Dr Harry Destecroix Science Creates believes Bristol can be a world leader – photo courtesy of Science Creates/ Transatlantic PR

“Boston might be the powerhouse for deep tech, but we believe Bristol will also become famous for being a world-class ecosystem that supports scientists and engineers in commercialising ground-breaking innovations,” said Destecroix.

“The city is home to creative, innovative trendsetters and it has world-class research universities and a strong sense of community. But we are only just getting started. Bristol continues to grow as a hub for helping scientists take their discoveries off the shelf and into the real world. Our strength lies in deep tech – an area that is growing more than twice as fast as any other tech sector.

“This is where Science Creates comes in. We have two purpose-built incubators, a venture capital firm funding early-stage start-ups, and a network of mentors and advisors with specific, relevant experience – all of which is vital for business development and innovation.”

Bristol is fast becoming the UK capital of deep tech innovation and continues to attract significant venture capital (VC) investment. In 2020, it ranked the third-highest city in the UK for VC investment valuing more than $400 million, with much of that going to deep tech companies such as Graphcore and Vertical Aerospace.

This year, the city has attracted the most VC funding in the UK outside of London, according to data from Tech Nation.

Science Creates, which has another building in St Philip’s, is already incubating some of the most exciting deep tech companies in the country, which collectively raised £18.4m in 2021.

Situated on the corner of Midland Road and St Philip’s Road by the start of the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, the new centre will be home to entrepreneurs leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, nano technologies and quantum computing that will be used to tackle big problems such as cancer, vaccine development and climate change.

Between them, the Science Creates facilities have the potential to create an estimated 450 jobs.

Professor Philip Taylor, pro vice-chancellor of research and enterprise at the University of Bristol, said: “This new purpose-built incubator is a tremendous boost for the region. It is also testament to the remarkable mix of scientific talent, technological innovation and entrepreneurial growth we have in the city, underpinned by our Science Creates partners.

“As we face an unprecedented amount of global health and environmental challenges, it brings into sharp focus the importance of deep-tech incubators that can accelerate progress in the lab to deliver solutions to problems which have the potential to affect us all.”

The new Science Creates building in Old Market offers world-class facilities – photo courtesy of Transatlantic PR/ Science Creates

QLM Technology, a startup on a mission to help organisations reach net-zero emissions, is one of the Science Creates residents. It’s co-founder, Dr Xiao Ai, said: “We need specialised lab space, infrastructure, access to experienced professionals such as engineering contractors with specific expertise, and access to talent and collaborators from universities and research institutions.

“Science Creates has provided for all these critical needs and has enabled us to contribute to making Bristol a hub of innovation and technical product development.”

Main photo courtesy of Transatlantic PR/ Science Creates

Read more: New world-class deep tech hub for Bristol

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: