Imperial College London is addressing the critical shortage of affordable lab space in London with the launch of One Portal Way, Old Oak Common.
This new scale-up space is designed to support science and technology ventures, enabling rapidly growing businesses to remain in London as they scale. The facility will transform an existing building into 55,000 sq ft of fully fitted lab and office space, ready to accommodate up to 30 scale-ups by mid-2026. This initiative is part of Imperial’s Old Oak Campus, which integrates commercial spaces for innovation-led businesses and housing for over 1,500 Imperial students, staff, and key workers.
One Portal Way offers a unique opportunity for emerging businesses by providing direct connections and support from Imperial, a leading STEMB university. This connection offers startups an unrivalled chance to grow quickly, addressing the shortage of specialist lab space that threatens the growth of the UK’s science and tech sectors. The facility is developed in partnership with Sciopolis, experts in flexible lab and office spaces, ensuring that occupiers benefit from Imperial Incubator’s support, which facilitates connections to Imperial’s innovation ecosystem.
Professor Hugh Brady, president of Imperial, emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating that the UK excels in discovery science but risks becoming a place where great ideas cannot grow due to the lack of affordable lab space. One Portal Way is a direct response to this challenge, offering a flexible, ready-to-use space that combines top-tier lab infrastructure with connections to a global university and exceptional transport links.
Charlie Mitchell, CEO of Sciopolis, highlighted the urgency of providing suitable lab space for startups and scaleups, noting that many ventures are held back by the lack of grow-on infrastructure. The partnership with Imperial aims to rapidly convert unused office and industrial spaces into innovation hubs, acting as catalysts for vibrant communities. One Portal Way is set to transform Old Oak, London’s largest regeneration zone, and support the local development pipeline led by OPDC and strategic partners like Ealing Council. From 2030, the region will benefit from the Old Oak Common Station superhub, enhancing connectivity with HS2, the Elizabeth line, and more.
picture © Imperial College London.
© London West (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.
