New lab space and trackless trams – the vision for Liverpool's £1bn Knowledge Quarter as it bids to attract science and tech firms to the city region

The team behind Liverpool’s billion-pound Knowledge Quarter redevelopment have vowed to develop more laboratory space to help attract and retain science businesses in the city region.

KQ Liverpool has launched its latest masterplan for growth – including plans to to create more than a million sq ft of new laboratories and workspace.

KQ Liverpool 2040 : A Blueprint for Growth says the area should aim to “create a range of inclusive innovation opportunities and inspire future generations” through encouraging the development of the region’s technology and science sectors. It also focuses on improving transport to the area, which stretches from Lime Street to the Paddington Village redevelopment zone with the landmark The Spine and Novotel towers, and includes the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of KQ Liverpool, told BusinessLive that the area was already home to many successful companies, from start-ups such as MyCardium through to Unilever spin-out Elida Beauty, which has labs and other operations at Liverpool Science Park. Now, through developments such as the planned Hemisphere buildings at Paddington Village, KQ Liverpool aims to encourage more science and tech firms to the city.

He said: “We do have some really big occupiers and we have fantastic research links with all of the big pharma and life sciences and chemicals companies. But what we want to do is to have more of those – their labs their R&D – in the knowledge quarter. And to do that, you have to build the space.

“The Knowledge Quarter has a spin-out development company Sciontec, which bought, owns and runs the incredibly successful Liverpool Science Park. We're bringing Sensor City into our portfolio of innovation spaces, and also developing the new labs at Paddington Village.

“What's critical about that lab development is we currently don't have any vacant lab space. All the labs at the science park fill up. If a customer grows and moves and expands and goes to somewhere else in the country, we lose them to Liverpool because we didn't have the expansion space here.

“So Hemisphere One and then Hemisphere Two will have that lab space, not just bio labs, but chemistry labs as well, and space for companies working in AI and robotics. And that will be a big step forward in attracting those multinational companies.”

The new strategy also suggested that “trackless trams” could be introduced to link the Knowledge Quarter area to the city centre.

Last year, Liverpool city region’s metro mayor Steve Rotheram said he wanted to bring Glider trackless trams to the cit y, to connect areas not currently served by the rail network. The vehicles operate on roads but are designed to look and feel like trams.

Mr Sinclair talked about the need for “last mile connectivity” – making it easier for people to get from Central and Lime Street to KQ Liverpool. That would also be useful to patients and visitors at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and the neighbouring new Royal Liverpool Hospital.

KQ Liverpool’s latest promotional video included an image of the glider, which also appears on the new strategy’s promotional website.

He said: "The partnership the Knowledge Quarter has with the city, the combined authority, the universities, our private sector partner Bruntwood SciTech and Legal & General... that gives us enormous weight when it comes to pushing for innovation.

“The piece of innovation we most need now is that last mile transport connectivity.

“The Metro Mayor has introduced the concept of glider buses, which are trackless trams. And we are working really hard to ensure that that last mile connectivity from Lime Street and Central to Paddington Village and the new hospitals is in place as soon as possible.

“On a lovely sunny day with blue sky here – we have a beautiful city, and you don't mind walking back down the hill to the stations. But in the middle of January, when the rain is sideways, particularly if you're visiting the hospitals, you need that public transport. And so we are working really hard to bring that forward.”

A Liverpool City Region Combined Authority spokesperson said:"Mayor Rotheram announced last year that the Combined Authority would be looking at how best to introduce new rapid transport links between key locations in the city region not currently served by the rail network.

"We're committed to working closely with partners – including at Knowledge Quarter Liverpool – as potential plans move forward."