How workshops and labs are fast-forwarding innovation in Bristol

Workshops and lab space are becoming increasingly sought after in Bristol by ambitious startups looking to develop their technology.

The workshops here at Future Space, developed in 2016, were some of the first to be developed in the city and have seen innovation in gene therapy, microbiology, and robotics to name a few.

Sharon Chadwick is a trained scientist with a PhD in Cancer Genetics and experience of working for a range of spin out companies. Sharon joined Future Space as the Laboratory Supervisor in 2020.

“I look after the labs to make sure they’ve got the equipment they need, and that the environment is kept safe. I can also be commissioned by any of the businesses based here to work on their ideas with them.”

The lab units offer a blank canvas for startups to create their own private space. One of the earliest businesses to move into them at Future Space, eXmoor Pharma, used them to develop cell and gene therapy.

Since joining in 2016, they have grown from a small team to one of the largest occupants in the building with four dedicated labs of their own. They are now in the process of developing their own dedicated facility nearby, and last week announced the close of a Series A financing round of $35M.

“This is exactly how the workshops are designed – to be flexible and allow our members to grow with them,” says Sharon.

Another example of this is Albotherm, a startup developing a reversible coating for glass surfaces which can turn from transparent to white, to reduce solar gain in hot weather. Following a successful seed investment round, the team decided to take on an extra bench in the shared labs to support this growth.

“One of the unique selling points of Future Space is that we’re part of a larger family of innovation centres across the UK called Oxford Innovation Space”, continues Sharon.

“Since joining I’ve helped develop safety committees for our members, and we brought in a contractor to carry out an audit of all the labs in our centres. It’s helpful because we can share learning, so our members know they’re getting the highest level of service.

“Co-location with the University of the West of England also helps with this as we learn and share knowledge and equipment with them too. All of the equipment we have in our workshops we service so our members know that it is all in good working order.”