Crown Estate acquires Harwell East for major science hub

The Crown Estate has announced a major expansion into the science, innovation, and technology sector with the acquisition of Harwell East. 

Harvell East

This 89.4-hectare site in Oxfordshire, located next to the existing Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, is a key part of The Crown Estate's plan to invest up to £1.5 bn (€1.76 bn) in the sector over the next 15 years.
The Harwell East site has the potential for a Gross Development Value of £4.5 bn (€5.28 bn). It could eventually host up to 418,063 m2 of space for offices, laboratories, and advanced manufacturing, along with up to 400 homes. This development is projected to boost the UK's GDP by an estimated £2.5 bn (€2.93 bn) and create 30,000 jobs nationwide.
Located within the Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Arc, a global hub for science and research, Harwell is strategically important. The UK, despite being a leading tech ecosystem and home to top university spinouts, faces a shortage of lab and manufacturing space, particularly for early-stage companies in areas like Oxford. This scarcity makes it difficult for promising businesses to scale up and remain in the UK. Harwell East aims to address this by providing much-needed long-term growth space and meeting the high demand for space on the existing Harwell Campus.
Crucible is collaborating with The Crown Estate to secure planning permission for Harwell East, a project initially envisioned by Angus Horner, former Campus Director at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.
Dan Labbad, Chief Executive at The Crown Estate, said: “The ambition of Harwell East is to create the space for great science to flourish, and to fuel growth and success not just in the region but for the benefit of the whole country.  This acquisition marks the latest step on our journey to support the UK’s fast-growing sectors. At a time when delivering world-class science, innovatio,n and technology space is so important to the future prosperity of the country, our role to act in the long-term national interest makes us perfectly placed to unlock the potential of Harwell East and ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of global innovation.”