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10 Sept 2025 Summer Update 2025 After a well-earned summer breather, the Sciopolis team returned recharged, and just in time. July and August brought a wave of good news that has set the tone for an ambitious autumn . Appointed at One Portal Way, Old Oak In July, we were appointed by Imperial College London to deliver a new scale-up space at One Portal Way, Old Oak . The site will offer flexible lab and office space for early-stage ventures, with a focus on affordability, speed to occupancy, and community. This marks a major step forward in our mission to support companies that have outgrown incubators but aren’t yet ready for full commercial leases. We’re proud to be working alongside Imperial to shape a new innovation cluster in West London, and we’ve already started receiving enquiries from ambitious tenants looking for an exciting new home. The Standard covered the announcement Shortlisted for Estates Gazette Awards 2025 We’re delighted to share that Sciopolis has been shortlisted for “New Business Launch of the Year” at the Estates Gazette Awards 2025 . The awards ceremony takes place in November, and we’re honoured to be recognised alongside other ambitious, sector-shaping organisations. Civic Campus, Hammersmith: Feasibility Study Completed It was a pleasure to immerse ourselves in the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and gain a deeper understanding of its bold vision for innovation . As part of our six-week feasibility study, we delivered recommendations for a new Innovation Hub at the Civic Campus, designed to support local entrepreneurs and connect deeply with other innovation hotspots in the Borough. The study allowed us to analyse market demand and opportunity and propose a use of space that aligns with the borough’s ambition to be “the best place to do business in Europe.” Feasibility Study: designing the Heart of Innovation in Hammersmith & Fulham Looking Ahead We continue to scope new sites across Cambridge, London and beyond. These hubs will feature our signature emphasis on community, shared amenities and curated programming to foster collaboration and accelerate growth. If you are a venture looking for space in London or Cambridge, it’s not too early to get in touch If you are a landlord, university or local authority interested in partnering to create or repurpose a building into an Innovation Hub , we’d love to hear from you early in the process. Read how we can help If you are a company offering services to science and technology innovators and want to join our Service Partners Network, find out more Want to receive this monthly update in your Inbox? Sign up to our Newsletter here

5 May 2025 Our Monthly Update is here - April 2025 Despite Easter with all its chocolate and mini breaks, April has been a dynamic month for Sciopolis, marked by exciting developments that we hope to announce in the very near future. Our commitment to supporting early-stage science and technology ventures continues to drive our efforts and conversations, whether they are about sustainable construction materials or how to build ecosystems around our future sites. Key Highlights : 1. Creation of Innovation Hubs We are accelerating work on a major project in West London which we hope to announce very soon, and started filming around the area, as our previous experience taught us that “video says it better”. If you can see it you can, more easily, believe it. A nascent ecosystem requires some imagination, and capturing the key places and characters from the start – and then following them overtime – is what creates substantiation. Filming with an old friend - Panji Kaonga from Fabulr Studios The Origin project in Cambridge with The Crown Estate continues to move forward positively, with the BBC giving labs and farms coverage within the same sentence, for possibly the very first time. This month we have been appointed to conduct another Feasibility Study on a building in West London which we hope to announce soon. We discussed this in our most popular blog this year ( Can your building be turned into an Innovation Hub? ) and explained what we look at when ascertaining if a building or an area is suitable to host science and technology ventures. We also talked about how much we enjoy immersing ourselves in these projects and assessing them both from a real estate and ecosystem potential perspective. 2. Building Strategic partnerships We have been busy talking to old friends and selecting new partners to join our network of service specialists. These partnerships are crucial to ensure we can offer our members the resources they need, from science support to funding and talent, marketing and legal services. At the moment we are particularly focused on Sustainable & Cleantech solutions and figuring out how to use them across our sites. We covered this topic in our blog this month , where we launched our Sciopolis Cleantech Commission and invited innovative companies to get in touch with their ideas . We are actively engaging with makers and artisans in the Park Royal Design District to re-use materials, implement solutions and identify opportunities to pilot technologies: our friends at Blast Studio came in to show us their recycled-coffee-cups panels which would look great in a coffee area! We visited eXmoor Pharma and were very impressed with their setup and ventilation system, as we explore the need for more GMP Manufacturing in the UK. On this point, it’s worth highlighting the interesting GMP Facilities report from Constructing Science this month, which identifies a gap in the market for facilities dedicated to the production of clinical drug trials and personalised medicine. 3. Community Engagement We participated in several industry conferences and explored other Innovation Hubs to learn form their experience. Among our many discoveries, we discussed the importance of both pubs (Park Royal) & pharmacies (Dubai ) in the creation of a good ecosystem. This may be helpful for you to know as you emerge from the Bank Holiday: you were not at the pub, you were busy building an ecosystem! As we move into May, our focus remains on expanding our network, building strategic partnerships and supporting our community of innovators. Stay tuned for more updates and join us on this journey of growth and innovation! Follow us on LinkedIn

9 Sept 2025 Looking for Labs? Here's 5 pitfalls to avoid As scale-up companies transition out of incubators and into dedicated lab space, the stakes get higher. The right environment can accelerate growth, attract top talent, and unlock funding. But the wrong space? It can drain resources, limit flexibility and slow progress. At Sciopolis, we’ve seen brilliant innovators trip up, not due to a lack of vision, but because lab space presents a complex and unfamiliar landscape. The opportunity cost of spending months navigating costly configuration missteps is often hidden, but very real. To help founders avoid these setbacks, we’ve identified five common pitfalls to watch out for: It’s tempting to design the “perfect” lab: state-of-the-art equipment, high-spec finishes, and every possible contingency covered. But overdesigning can lead to unnecessary costs and underutilised space. Why it happens: we often plan for our ideal future state, not our current needs. We may also assume investors expect a polished, high-tech environment. What to do instead: Focus on what’s essential for your current stage. Modular layouts, standard lab designs, shared facilities, and scalable infrastructure can offer flexibility without locking in high upfront costs. Think MVP—Minimum Viable Premises Many innovators are navigating commercial real estate for the first time. Without market knowledge or negotiation experience, they may end up with inflated rents or unfavourable terms. Why it happens: Urgency to move, lack of benchmarking data, and unfamiliarity with lease structures can lead to poor decisions. What to do instead: Talk to peers, advisors, or specialist consultants. Benchmark against similar companies. Alternatively, consider ready-to-occupy lab space that grows with you: letting you leapfrog construction delays/costly mistakes and focus on your science. Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI) leases can seem like a solid commitment, but they’re often rigid and long-term. Many scale-ups outgrow their space faster than expected, leaving them stuck or facing costly exits. Why it happens: FRI leases are standard in commercial property, and founders may not realise the implications until it’s too late. What to do instead: Look for flexibility. Managed lab spaces, short-term licenses, or leases with break clauses can give you room to grow—or pivot—without penalty. The headline rent is just the beginning. Fit-out costs, service charges, consultant fees, dilapidation liabilities, and extra square footage requirements can quickly inflate your budget. Why it happens: These costs are often buried in the fine print or emerge late in the process. Navigating these costs often requires specialist advisors—adding both complexity and expense. What to do instead: Ask for a full cost breakdown upfront. Work with a legal advisor who understands lab space. Alternatively, opt for an all-inclusive model. When you compare apples to apples—including hidden costs—it may be more affordable than an FRI lease, and will demand far less of your bandwidth. Lab space isn’t just about technical specs, it’s about being in the right ecosystem. The right location can attract talent, investors, collaborators and visibility. The wrong location can make all of the key issues an awful lot harder. Why it matters: Proximity to universities, hospitals, innovation clusters and transport links can dramatically impact recruitment, partnerships, and funding. What to do instead: Choose a location that aligns with your mission and community: being part of a vibrant innovation district can open doors that no amount of spec can. Choosing lab space is more than a real estate decision, it’s a strategic investment in your company’s future. By avoiding these five common mistakes, innovators can secure space that supports growth, attracts talent, and builds resilience. If you're navigating this journey and want to avoid the pitfalls, Sciopolis is here to help. We’re building infrastructure designed for scale-ups—flexible, affordable, and embedded in thriving ecosystems. Discover our locations here

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+44 7943 980146 info@sciopolis.co.uk sciopolis GET IN TOUCH Are you a landlord, university or local authority looking to create Innovation Hubs in one of your buildings? Or a science and technology business looking for inspiring and ready to occupy lab and office space in London and Cambridge? CONTACT OUR TEAM Charlie Mitchell Founder & CEO Adam Kelliher Founder & NED Mark Sanders Founder & Chairman Caterina Rigoni Marketing & Ecosystem Lee Harle Founder & NED Zara Davidian Operations

Cookies Policy Effective Date: June 2025 This Cookie Policy explains how Sciopolis Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website at www.sciopolis.co.uk . 1. What Are Cookies? Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites function effectively and improve user experience by remembering your preferences and activity. Cookies can be: Session cookies (temporary, deleted when you close your browser) Persistent cookies (remain until they expire or are deleted) First-party cookies (set by us) Third-party cookies (set by other services we use) 2. How We Use Cookies We use cookies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary - Enable core functionality such as security and accessibility. These cannot be disabled. Performance/Analytics - Help us understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics) so we can improve it. Email Engagement Tracking - Measure open and click rates on newsletters and marketing emails (e.g., via Mailchimp or HubSpot). We do not use cookies for advertising or marketing to third parties. 3. Cookies We May Use Some examples of the cookies we may use include: _ga, _gid – Google Analytics (analytics tracking) hubspotutk – HubSpot user token (form and email tracking) __cf_bm – Cloudflare bot management (security) This list may change as our tools evolve. 4. Your Choices You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Here's how: Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data Firefox: Preferences > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions Please note that disabling some cookies may affect your experience on our website. 5. Consent By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy. Where required, you will be prompted to accept or decline non-essential cookies via a banner or pop-up. 6. Updates to This Policy We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in law or our practices. The "Effective Date" will always be noted at the top. 7. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies, contact us at: Sciopolis Ltd info@sciopolis.co.uk www.sciopolis.co.uk

10 Oct 2025 Notes from Italian Tech Week 2025 Reflection from Italian Tech Week by Cat Rigoni, Director of Marketing & Ecosystem, Sciopolis I was at Italian Tech Week in Turin last week, and I’ve been buzzing with ideas since. So many glimpses into a near and fast-approaching future, so many reasons to feel optimistic. But one thought has stayed with me more than any other: AI is no longer just the how , it’s becoming the what . That shift, from enabler to essence, is already reshaping how innovation happens in healthcare, and the Evening Standard article earlier this week reminded me of it: 👉 Doctors swapping stethoscopes for startups — The story of Cera, founded by Dr Ben Maruthappu, is particularly telling. What began as a marketplace connecting carers has evolved into a fully integrated homecare model powered by AI, where data, logistics, and service delivery merge into one intelligent system. Domain expertise as the new differentiator The article also underscored something we don’t talk about enough: domain expertise is the new frontier of innovation. A lot of the talks in Turin were about AI “unencumbering humanity” from menial tasks, from legacy and from infrastructure: a real industrial revolution, which is in constant acceleration towards us. Clinicians who turn founders, often out of frustration with the slow-moving reality of the NHS, bring a rare combination of depth and urgency. They understand patient journeys, system inefficiencies, and the human cost of delay. And when that knowledge and domain expertise is freed from the weight of legacy infrastructure, innovation can move at the speed of insight. Robotics and the redefinition of surgical work That same re-imagination is happening inside the operating theatre. One of the most riveting sessions in Turin featured Jason Hart and surgeon Filippo Filicori — offering a glimpse into the near future of surgical robotics. It showed, with startling clarity, how precision machines will soon handle the long, intricate, painstaking tasks of surgery, allowing humans to focus only where judgment still matter most. With AI now predicting surgical risks upfront and recommending which parts of an operation it can safely take over, the role of the surgeon is rapidly evolving. Instead of standing for hours in physically demanding positions over a patient, surgeons can operate seated via a VR console, collaborating in real time with colleagues across the globe. They can focus solely on the value-add parts of the procedure: the moments requiring judgment, adaptability and empathy. For routine tasks like suturing? Voilà: press autopilot and let the machine handle it. The surgeon of tomorrow will be less a manual operator and more a conductor of complex systems. The implications are huge in terms of training of resources(quicker thanks to simulators), accessing excellence (easier, if you only need a fraction of the surgeon's time) and equality of care (potentially guaranteed, if you are freed up of geographic constraints and can be operated remotely). A new anatomy of medicine What we’re witnessing is the fusion of biology, code and mechanics into a continuum. AI, once the invisible engine of analysis, is becoming the solution itself. Robotics, once peripheral, is entering the core of clinical work. And humans — doctors, researchers, innovators- are hastily repositioning themselves where machines cannot (yet) reach: at the intersection of judgment, ethics, and imagination. It’s the future, and it’s close. We’re talking years, not decades. But where are we , in this picture? For all the brilliance and excitement during the three day event, one thing felt very absent for me: an honest, philosophical and anthropological conversation about the future of mankind when machines take over. I heard a lot about acceleration, automation, and unencumbering humanity from tasks, but no one attempted as much as a sketch of how we , the humans, fit into this. What is our purpose when we are totally unencumbered? How long before the surgeon doesn't even need to do the value-add bit of the operation? There’s a growing unease in the silence. Are we not talking about it because it would generate panic? Does Jeff Bezos know something we don’t? Is he building subterranean bunkers for a reason? We don’t need blind optimism, we need the right forums to socialise our role in this space, to talk openly about ethics, agency, the price we pay for progress and the kind of society we want to build alongside intelligent machines (if we are allowed to exist, that is). Innovation without introspection risks becoming alienating. Follow us on LinkedIn

Back to Sciopolis HOME THE BUILDING OLD OAK CONTACT GET IN TOUCH One Portal Way, Old Oak will be opening its doors in mid 2026. Please contact us if you are looking for lab and office space and want to know more or book an early tour. info@sciopolis.co.uk +44 7943 980146 sciopolis Sciopolis@OnePortalWay London, W3 6RS Nearest Tube Stations: North Acton (Central Line) Acton Main Line (Elizabeth Line) OUR TEAM Charlie Mitchell Founder & CEO Mark Sanders Founder & Chairman Caterina Rigoni Marketing & Ecosystem Zara Davidian Operations Cookie Policy | Privacy Policy All rights reserved. ©Sciopolis@OnePortalWay 2025 | Website designed by Jamin Design

9 Apr 2025 Record £13.9 billion of R&D funding unveiled to boost innovation In the thick of all of the economic turmoil, it is welcome news that the Government is committed to supporting research and innovation with the announcement of the allocation of the £13.9 billion Department of Science, Innovation and Technology research and development budget. A path to economic prosperity, better employment prospects for all and the solving of major world challenges must surely be underpinned by research and innovation and taking away the barriers that prevent businesses being formed or that limit their growth and impact will benefit everyone. I’m delighted that funding is available for innovators and entrepreneurs. I hope this will inspire them to innovate and seize the opportunity to create businesses that realise the full potential of their ideas. I also hope that the planned investments will help to create the environment for business success by enabling the infrastructure to support innovators, including incubator and scaleup facilities. Scaleup businesses will surely benefit from access to capital, but by removing the barriers to commercialisation of cutting-edge research and by supporting their growth through appropriate infrastructure, we see the potential for a multiplier effect, where the funding will deliver quicker and better outcomes. Failure to invest in the supporting and enabling ecosystems for scaleup businesses will reduce the benefit of the proposed investment and will ultimately constrain the growth of new firms and the realisation of the benefits of their innovations, limiting their opportunity to be global market leaders of the future. Read the Government R&D Fund announcement here

16 Sept 2025 Scaling Stories: how community can help founders thrive When launching a new business, there are a few key things you must consider: what you enjoy doing, location and building a high-performing team. Experienced founders will know that the latter is key to longevity. Building a strong community of people not only fosters a supportive and collaborative environment but it also means you are sharing the scaling journey with other people, which is so important and necessary when you consider how lonely it can be as an entrepreneur. There's the unseen part of being a founder or an entrepreneur. It’s the work you're doing when you're not in the office; the kind of things that tend to consume your mind. You'll find yourself sneaking stuff in an evening and a weekend because you've got to keep up with the pace of everything. Inevitably, that does mean you make sacrifices in your family life. Giving up time to work on getting ready for the week ahead or catching up on the week before. This is where you see the benefits of being near to people who are having a similar journey. As a founder, there is an expectation to know everything, but knowing that you don’t know everything and being willing to ask for help is a very powerful leadership move. What matters is having a supportive network around you. Whether it’s collaborating with your team to get the best out of them as part of the community or talking to a peer in another industry, who just happens to be in the same building about things you're wrestling with, is really helpful. The more someone feels they belong to a community the more likely they are to perform at a high level and the less likely they are to leave. It’s well documented that being a founder and an entrepreneur is a lonely gig. Not only is community vital for helping to combat that, it is key for fostering employee engagement and for boosting productivity. 👉 If you believe in growing in the right community, explore our locations and be part of something big, from the start.

8 Apr 2025 Can your building be turned into an Innovation Hub? Only a Feasibility Study can tell. In the last 18 months, we have conducted several feasibility studies for universities and landlords who wanted to ascertain whether an existing building could be converted into an Innovation Hub or to confirm if their plans to develop a new building make sense. Our team loves getting its teeth stuck into such projects, as they allow us to reach a definitive yes or no answer in a short period of time, while also absorbing everything there is to know about a new area or ecosystem. We are very passionate about creating innovation for the benefit of UK plc. Therefore, we understand the great responsibility of providing the right answers, ensuring our clients avoid spending time and money on projects that lack potential. So what do we look for in assessing these buildings (existing or new) ? We use what we call an “A-B-C methodology”, which consists in asking ourselves the following 3 questions: A for Attractive: will the space and the area be a ttractive to the target market? B for Building: can such a space be b uilt economically? C for Cluster: can the space become part of a c luster and an innovative community? Across everything we do, the building is only ever 50% of the answer. The other 50% is the potential for the building to be activated in a way that drives innovation. That’s why our feasibility studies focus on both aspects; Technical feasibility of constructing a suitable physical space, including consideration of design, MEPH adjustment, taking into account budget constraints and the overall business case. Ecosystem feasibility – identifying the right target tenants and creating a narrative around how this location will form a distinctive place for science and technology, how it links to universities and to other adjacent hubs, and what its specific purpose may be, based on its geographic characteristics or the pre-existing nature of a place. Once we believe that a location is potentially suitable both from a technical and ecosystem perspective and that it can be delivered, we develop a business case based on our experience of designing, developing and operating innovation spaces. This model will include sensitivity analysis of potential returns under stressed assumptions. In our experience, if a building is well connected transport wise, it’s close to a university, has a landlord with a strong idea they want to implement (i.e. there’s a strong potential thematic angle that the Innovation Hub will pursue) and has certain characteristics from a building standpoint which allow the creation of labs and amenities (ceiling height, reception space, floorplates that can allow convergence etc) then the answer tends to be that yes, it can be turned into an Innovation Hub. Are you thinking about developing an Innovation Hub and want some help? Get in touch

4 Sept 2025 Scaling Stories: how do you know when to step aside as a founder? You’ve started a business and thrown all your creativity and passion into building it into a successful start-up but then comes the inevitable running of the machine. Retaining the momentum of the company is a key part of that process but there comes a time in the journey of many a founder when the skills that built the company aren’t the skills needed to help it accelerate. Here, Mark Sanders, Sciopolis founder and CEO, explores how to know when this moment has arrived and how to take action . I recently stumbled across an article in The Standard entitled ‘ Want to Grow Faster? It Might Be Time to Replace Yourself’ and found a lot of truth in it. Many successful businesses go through phases where the leadership changes and that can often be the best move for the company, the customers and even the founder. The skills and energy needed to start a business are not always the same as those required to grow it. Starting out is about creativity, momentum and solving problems. Scaling is about discipline, systems and structures. There is honesty in knowing what you enjoy and what you’re good at. In my career, I have always gravitated to growth areas or new ventures, even within big organisations. I wanted to focus on the creativity of building something and learning. And if your passion is innovation and invention, you might not want to be involved in the detail, in the minutiae of how a business operates. This all becomes necessary as you grow but that doesn’t mean it drives your passion. A good example is my time at TDX. The founder was hugely innovative but didn’t want to run a large, complex operation. I came in to handle the parts he didn’t want to do, eventually becoming CEO. Once the business became multi-continental, I realised that wasn’t the environment that energised me and it was this self-awareness that led me to move on. It’s crucial to build a team around you that complements your strengths while staying open to feedback from trusted advisors or your board. As a founder, one of the hardest things is recognising when you might be the barrier to growth. It’s rare to wake up one day and think, ‘I’m the problem’. You have to deliberately structure your thinking, surround yourself with good counsel and be willing to act on what you hear. Liked Mark's blog? Read his next piece on the power of the right community to help founders thrive to discover more insights about Mark's approach to business .