Our Thinking

We are proud of our position; leading the way in the development of science, research and innovation locations. With this comes a commitment from our team, to share our thoughts and opinions on the topics that are impacting these economically, politically and socially important spaces.

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Creative Places Appoints Graduate to Expand Team
Creative Places Appoints Graduate to Expand Team

Creative Places is delighted to welcome Amy Farmer as Graduate Surveyor.

Seb Denby is promoted to Partner as co-founder Jonathan Burroughs retires
Seb Denby is promoted to Partner as co-founder Jonathan Burroughs retires

Creative Places announces the promotion of Seb Denby to Partner and the retirement of its co-founder and former CEO, Jonathan Burroughs.

Sustainable Laboratory Development
Sustainable Laboratory Development

We’ll shortly have the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard emerging for wet laboratories – the first time that we’ll see an approach to sustainability in the built environment specifically covering the Life Sciences sector.  Jonathan Burroughs takes a closer look at what this welcome guidance might mean for the industry.

 

 

Growing Pains - The UK Laboratory Real Estate market
Growing Pains - The UK Laboratory Real Estate market

The market for commercial laboratory space in the UK has come a long way in recent years, buoyed by unprecedented levels of occupier demand and investor interest. Creative Places managing partner John Sommerville has worked in the life sciences real estate sector for over 25 years. He takes a look at what has changed and provides insight as to how the sector will fare in the future.

Burlington Park Cambridge: New Laboratory Space
Burlington Park Cambridge: New Laboratory Space

Cambridge’s next available Fitted Laboratory Accommodation to be delivered to the market – Q1 2023.

Creative Places appoints experienced R&D surveyor
Creative Places appoints experienced R&D surveyor

Creative Places is delighted to welcome Seb Denby as Associate - an experienced Chartered Commercial Surveyor.

Jonathan Burroughs talks to UKSPA about Life Sciences, Sustainability and the R&D sector
Jonathan Burroughs talks to UKSPA about Life Sciences, Sustainability and the R&D sector

In the latest edition of Breakthrough, the magazine of the UK Science Park Association, Jonathan gave his views on the strength of the UK Life Sciences real estate sector, on the importance of sustainability in development and innovation districts.

Kadans invests in Stevenage R&D cluster
Kadans invests in Stevenage R&D cluster

Specialist R&D real estate investor has acquired Sycamore House from GSK to develop accommodation for commercial R&D businesses.

R&D Productivity and Place Survey
R&D Productivity and Place Survey

We work with a range of clients delivering real estate to serve R&D intensive businesses. Our clients and us are really interested in hearing from such businesses to find out what they need to be ever more productive. We are therefore carrying out this survey to inform better place making.

Creative Places become Knowledge Quarter Partner
Creative Places become Knowledge Quarter Partner

We are delighted to have been accepted by the London Knowledge Quarter (KQ) to be a partner organisation.

Creative Places advises on Babraham Research Campus acquisition
Creative Places advises on Babraham Research Campus acquisition

Creative Places client Kadans Science Partners has made its first acquisition in the UK R&D real estate market, acquiring the long leasehold interest in Building 900 at the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge. 

What are large corporate R&D occupiers looking for?
What are large corporate R&D occupiers looking for?

Creative Places, in conjunction with Bidwells, has commissioned YouGov to survey the R&D heads of 50 large corporates to ask what they look for when make real estate decisions.

Bringing Creativity into Place Making
Bringing Creativity into Place Making

Concluding his series on creativity, Jonathan Burroughs looks at how creativity can be used to deliver real estate that enhances innovation.

Inspiring and Building Creativity
Inspiring and Building Creativity

In his second blog on the subject of creativity, Jonathan Burroughs looks at how we bring creativity to a place.

Defining Creativity
Defining Creativity

In the first of a series of three blogs, Creative Places CEO Jonathan Burroughs looks at what we mean by creativity and how it might be defined.

Leading Life Sciences sector specialist joins Creative Places
Leading Life Sciences sector specialist joins Creative Places

Leading Life Sciences sector specialist joins award winning R&D property advisors, Creative Places. Nykki Rogers joins the team to support the innovation and commercialisation agenda of university, science park and biomedical campus clients.

Creative Places win award for work on Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Creative Places win award for work on Cambridge Biomedical Campus

Creative Places has been recognised by the UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) for its work over a number of years in helping make Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) one of the leading locations for Biomedical R&D in Europe.

Feels like home
Feels like home

Laboratories and the flexible working paradigm - musings on how flexible working has affected laboratory users.

Creative Places scoops prestigious national award
Creative Places scoops prestigious national award

Creative Places named Estates Gazette Specialist Advisor of the Year.

Brexit, Science and Property
Brexit, Science and Property

There is clearly a lot for many of us to reflect on after the referendum result of 23 June 2016. The decision, whether you agree with it or not, for the UK to leave the EU has been taken and this has raised key questions for our clients and the sectors in which we are involved.

The impact of Brexit on the R&D sector
The impact of Brexit on the R&D sector

On the 23rd of June the UK voted to leave the EU. This blog looks at the possible impact Brexit will have on our sector.

What’s in a name? The language of innovation
What’s in a name? The language of innovation

As a relative newcomer to Creative Places, I might be forgiven for making the odd terminology slip up. Anyone entering a new role will be hit by a barrage of terminology, acronyms and seemingly incomprehensible collection of information.

MedCity Demand Study
MedCity Demand Study

Creative Places have undertaken a demand study for London on behalf of MedCity, funded by the London Enterprise Panel. 

A helpful steer on how to build collaboration
A helpful steer on how to build collaboration

The summer period yielded up Professor Dame Anne Dowling's Review of Business and University Research Collaborations here in the UK. This is a piece of work commissioned by Government to enable it, and other stakeholders in this space, to understand how we can better support productive interaction…

Useful insight from Leiden University
Useful insight from Leiden University

Data analysis by Professor Robert Tijssen, Chair of Science and Innovation Studies at Leiden University, has been focusing on research conducted by the world’s top ranked universities since 2000. 

UK Government drive on medical innovations
UK Government drive on medical innovations

According to the Government’s Life Science Competitiveness Indicators Report uptake of innovative products launched between 2007 and 2012 was slower in Britain than in 16 other industrialised countries and it wants to act.

Open Innovation
Open Innovation

Open innovation as an approach to businesses developing products and services initially started to gain traction across industry in the early 2000s.

UK features highly in THE University rankings
UK features highly in THE University rankings

Imperial College, Oxford University and Cambridge University retained their positions in the top ten global universities in the Times Higher Education rankings, published in May.

AstraZeneca complete acquisition of site for new global HQ
AstraZeneca complete acquisition of site for new global HQ

Global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca completed the acquisition of its site at Cambridge Biomedical Campus following grant of detailed planning permission for the first phase of its 80,000 sq. m. HQ and research facility.