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20 Nov 2025 Sciopolis wins New Business Launch of the Year We’ve just been recognised as the New Business Launch of the Year at the Estate Gazette Awards 2025 . And yes, we’re thrilled! The judges said: "Given that limited track records often challenge young companies, the judges were looking for ambition, innovation, and a business plan capable of shaking up the sector. SCIOPOLIS stood out for addressing a clear market gap, combining cutting-edge innovation, social impact, scalability, and strong institutional backing" Recognition like this matters. It shows that the flywheel is starting to move, our vision of building innovation hubs across the UK is gaining traction, and the wider industry is taking notice. The category celebrated ambition, innovation, and a business plan with the potential to shake up the sector, and that’s exactly what we’re here to do. It’s great to be recognised by a prestigious Built Environment publication, but here’s the irony: at Sciopolis, we’ve always believed that building is only a small part of what we do. The real story is what happens inside the building. More Than Bricks and Mortar Our CEO Charlie Mitchell put it best in a recent interview: “I’m an engineer, so I get really excited about buildings. But in reality, building are only about 50% of our proposition. The more important 50% is the service proposition we wrap around it, and in particular the work we do to create a useful community, to connect our tenants with the right people and to help them grow their businesses.” That other 50% is where the real value lies. It’s about: Taking away the pain, by offering ready-to-occupy labs and offices, so growing companies don’t waste months negotiating leases, hiring lawyers or managing contractors. Building an active and supporting community through events and installing collaboration as a culture. Creating places that innovators and their teams want to be. Supporting tenants with their innovation, by linking them with trusted partners who can provide equipment, materials, branding, advice of all kinds, mentors, and connections into universities and institutions they’d otherwise spend months trying to find. That doesn’t mean the building isn’t important. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you design it well, you stop it from ever being a problem. You systematically remove friction in the way tenants use it. You design spaces that promote collaboration. You make reception permeable and exciting, not a security moat. You create a building that fades into the background because it works so well that people don’t even need to talk about it. Recognition and Expansion So yes, we’re proud of the award. It’s recognition of the hard work we’ve put in, and a sign that other people think we’re heading in the right direction. But we’re even prouder of the fact that Estates Gazette has recognised the bigger picture in their coverage of our UK-wide expansion plans, showing how the right infrastructure can accelerate innovation and help grow the UK economy. Because while the award celebrates the launch of our business, the coverage highlights what makes us different: the way we’re putting innovators first and building a network of hubs across the UK, where they can thrive. Are you a landlord or university looking to build an innovation hub? Or a science and technology venture looking for ready to occupy lab and office space with great ecosystem support? 👉 Read Sciopolis for landlords and ventures and get in touch 📍 Find out more about our current locations

9 Sept 2025 Scaling Stories: prioritising location for a successful growth strategy Choose a location with room to grow Hiring great people is crucial, especially at the early stages. You need adaptable, high-energy people who thrive in ambiguity. Being in a location that attracts that kind of talent gives you an edge. Keeping those people is as much about location as it is about everything else. You have to ask yourself, is there room to expand here so we don’t have to risk losing good people if we are forced to relocate? Design spaces that spark creativity The physical experience matters too. If you’re asking people to come into an office, it needs to be more than a desk in a room. You need spaces that encourage conversation, spark ideas and make people feel proud to work there. Ensure you create a dynamic environment that encourages networking It’s not just about your square footage; it’s about your surroundings. Being near other entrepreneurs creates an environment of informal support. You can swap insights without judgement. Being in a great location that offers opportunities for collaboration, means you share that scaling journey with other people you can trust and whose ideas you can bounce off. That also goes some way to combating the loneliness that comes with being a founder. Be aware of how your surroundings impact morale and performance Surrounding yourself with the best people and giving them the autonomy to thrive is key. If your office environment is cramped, uninspiring or isolating, you’re giving people reasons to stay at home. If it’s energising, connected and well-designed, you make it a place people want to be. Is it a place you are inspired to work from? And does the space encourage collaboration and innovation? If the answer to those is yes, you’re setting yourself up for better growth and maybe avoiding the day when you have to replace yourself sooner than you’d like. Are you a founder or innovator building a science or technology venture? Ready to find the right space to support your growth? Sciopolis has the space for you. 👉 Explore our locations here .

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 .

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

31 July 2025 One Portal Way, Old Oak - Sciopolis Appointment Imperial to launch new scale-up space for science and technology ventures in partnership with Sciopolis, delivering urgently needed affordable lab space for London Imperial College London is progressing the innovation-led regeneration of Old Oak with the launch of a new scale-up space for science and tech firms that delivers urgently needed affordable lab space for London One Portal Way, Old Oak is being delivered through a partnership of Imperial and Sciopolis, specialists in flexible, ready-to-occupy lab and office space. It has been designed to meet the needs of innovative scale-ups and will open its doors in mid-2026 The new facility is part of Imperial’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster , which brings together commercial spaces for innovation-led, high growth businesses and accommodation for more than 1,500 Imperial students and key workers Over the next decade, Imperial plans to transform its assets within the Old Oak area to create London’s new innovation and advanced manufacturing hub Imperial’s campus is part of the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area, London’s largest brownfield regeneration area, which is being delivered by OPDC, and at the heart of WestTech London, a globally significant innovation ecosystem that is igniting frontier innovation and cementing the UK’s position as a science superpower. Read the full coverage in The Standard Imperial College London is launching a new scale-up space for science and technology ventures, One Portal Way, Old Oak , helping to alleviate London’s shortage of affordable lab space and enabling rapidly growing businesses to remain in London as they scale. This new facility not only addresses the shortage of affordable specialist lab space in London, which threatens to hold back the growth of the UK’s science and tech sectors, particularly for startups looking to scale. It also creates a distinctive offer which enables direct connection and support from the world’s leading STEMB university, giving emerging businesses an unrivalled opportunity to grow at pace. One Portal Way, Old Oak will reinvent an existing building into 55,000 sq ft of fully fitted lab and office space, ready to occupy by a community of up to 30 scale-ups in mid-2026. The new facility is part of Imperial’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster, which brings together commercial spaces for innovation-led businesses and accommodation for more than 1,500 Imperial undergraduate students, staff and key workers. Imperial is partnering with Sciopolis – specialists in flexible, ready-to-occupy lab and office space – to develop and operate the space. Occupiers will benefit from the support of Imperial Incubator, the university’s home for early-stage lab-based companies, who will provide on-site assistance and facilitate connections to Imperial’s innovation ecosystem. Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial, said : “The UK, and London specifically, is exceptional at discovery science - but we risk becoming a place where great ideas are born, but cannot grow. One of the most urgent challenges is the lack of specialist, affordable lab and grow-on space. Our new innovation facility in Old Oak is a direct response to this challenge, a flexible, ready-to-use space that combines top-tier lab infrastructure with connection to a global university, creative industries, manufacturing capability and exceptional local, national and international transport connections.” Sciopolis CEO, Charlie Mitchell, said: “We know how challenging it is for startups and scaleups to secure suitable and affordable laboratory space. Speed is of the essence, as many ventures are being held back by the lack of grow-on infrastructure, which is why we are partnering with Imperial and other landlords to rapidly convert well-located, unused office and industrial space into innovation hubs with labs, amenities, and support. These spaces are designed to act as catalysts, attracting innovators and quickly building vibrant communities. One Portal Way, Old Oak is a prime example: a building bursting with potential to transform an area and launch a new chapter for Imperial in Old Oak.” Imperial’s One Portal Way, Old Oak will catalyse the transformation of Old Oak, within London’s largest regeneration zone, and play a role in supporting the major development pipeline for the local area which is being led by OPDC with the close involvement of other strategic partners including Ealing Council. In the future, the wider area will benefit from the Old Oak Common Station superhub, which is set to be the UK’s best-connected rail interchange with HS2, the Elizabeth line, Great Western Main Line and Heathrow Services. Imperial’s Old Oak Innovation Cluster is already well connected to central London and the UK via the Elizabeth line, central line and A40, and adjacent to Park Royal, the UK’s largest industrial area which is home to c.1,700 business and supports over 40,000 jobs. One Portal Way is less than 10 minutes from Imperial’s White City Deep Tech Campus. Located at the heart of WestTech London, the creation of One Portal Way, Old Oak ignites Imperial’s plans for the long-term transformation of its assets in the Old Oak area and supports its commitment to make West London the science and technology growth engine for the UK. WestTech London is an emerging innovation ecosystem that will become a globally recognised powerhouse for investment, economic growth and job creation, cementing the UK’s position as a leader in science and technology. WestTech London is bringing together industry, investors, universities, NHS trusts, local authorities, developers and government to fuel innovation and drive global impact. Ealing Council’s Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s lead member for decent living incomes, added : “Our borough is at the heart of WestTech London and our role as a national centre for science and technology is growing all the time. Our jobs and skills strategy – which is aligned with the National Industrial Strategy and London Growth Plan - highlights science and innovation as a priority growth sector for the borough, which can deliver thousands more well-paid jobs for residents over the coming years. The plans coming to fruition at One Portal Way will bring new businesses here that will help to grow our economy. We look forward to continuing to our joint working with Imperial and OPDC, establishing Old Oak as London’s new town for frontier innovation.” OPDC’s Chief Executive David Lunts says : “OPDC’s regeneration of Old Oak will create a revitalised urban district for West London, bringing major new investment into the local economy alongside thousands of new jobs, affordable homes and transformed public realm. Old Oak will deliver over 8,000 new and affordable homes, 6 acres of green open space and up to 2m sq ft of workspace." Imperial’s Old Oak Campus includes student accommodation and key worker homes, with 1,500 students and staff currently resident in the area, as well as the 9.6 acre Victoria Industrial Estate, which Imperial is repurposing to provide vital prototyping and advanced manufacturing follow-on space for scaling businesses. Imperial has ambitious plans for its assets in the Old Oak area which will support c. 4 million sq ft of additional development, including the long-term redevelopment of the broader 4.5 acre One Portal Way site. Imperial’s redevelopment of the One Portal Way site will deliver a new green heart for Old Oak, including a major new public garden, retail, amenities and services, alongside new homes across various tenures, including student accommodation, and 300,000 sq ft of flexible workspace. For more information about the scale-up space or to book a tour visit sciopolis.co.uk/oneportalway

11 Mar 2025 Origin Public Consultation: see what is being proposed and have your say.

5 Jan 2026 2026 is here! 5 things we look forward to As we step into a new year, we can’t help but feel a sense of momentum: 2025 was a year of strong foundations, 2026 will be the year those efforts take shape, quite literally. Here are five things we’re most looking forward to in the year ahead. 1. Opening our first hub (June 2026) This coming summer marks a major milestone for Sciopolis: the opening of our first innovation hub in London’s North Acton. More than just a workspace- with 24 labs, 29 offices, event space and a café -it’s a physical expression of our mission to create cost-effective places where innovators can thrive. We are so excited to see it come to life and can’t wait to welcome the businesses who will make it their home! 👉 If you’re a venture looking for lab and office space in London in the next six months, take a look and get in touch for a tour : One Portal Way 2. Announcing our first tenants: who will they be? Later this year, we’ll reveal our first tenants: who will they be? A biotech improving human health, a cleantech driving net‑zero innovation, or a quantum or advanced materials company transforming industry? Our laboratories are designed to welcome a wide mix of scientific disciplines , so we expect innovators from across sectors and universities (not just Imperial) to be working side by side. One thing is certain: whoever steps in first will be ambitious, impact‑driven and ready to scale. For now, however, who's stepping into our building site at night is this foxy pioneer.. 👉 Venture looking for space? See what we offer to innovators across our hubs (foxes not part of the offering) 3. Introducing our strategic partners Over the past 18 months, we have been cultivating relationships with organisations that don’t just talk about innovation: they deliver it. In 2026, we will proudly unveil our strategic partners and ensure our members have access to the expertise, resources and connections they need to thrive. Our first question to everyone is simple: How will you help our tenants? What problem do you solve for them? These partnerships will be a cornerstone of our innovation network, supporting not only One Portal Way but also future Sciopolis hubs. 👉 If your organisation provides services that support innovators and you would like to join our network — or simply learn more about what’s involved — you can read more in our Service Partners Brochure here 4. Revealing our next location(s) Our first hub in North Acton is only the beginning. This year, we’ll also confirm other locations as part of our mission to create a network of hubs that connect strategic innovation clusters across the UK. By building a network of science‑led workspaces, we’ll accelerate collaboration, promote research exchanges, share insights and amplify impact. We believe it’s time to collaborate across geographies, universities and sectors. 👉 If you’re a landlord , local authority or university ready to activate your site for science we’d love to talk. Get in touch to explore partnership and activation opportunities 5. Embedding sensibly sustainable solutions In a challenging economic climate, we remain focused on reusing and on trialling practical, financially sustainable solutions , not passing the cost of greenwashing on to our tenants. In 2026, we’ll continue turning Sciopolis buildings into active showrooms: real‑world environments where innovators can test, showcase and refine their technologies. 👉 We’re always looking for cutting‑edge sustainability technologies to embed and showcase across our buildings: if this sounds like you get in touch and let’s explore how your innovation can come to life inside a Sciopolis hub. We wish you all a productive 2026!

20 Oct 2025 University Spinouts ascend as scaleup capital deepens, but is the infrastructure ready? Two recent developments caught our attention last week: Parkwalk and Beauhurst’s Report on investment trends for UK spinouts in 2025 , and the British Business Bank’s £250m investment into scaleups . In a year where many sectors treaded cautiously, university spinouts surged ahead. Beauhurst’s latest report reveals that equity investment into UK spinouts hit £3.35 billion, up 40% from 2023, with biotech, AI, and quantum technologies leading the charge. Flagship deals like Autolus (£436m) and Bicycle Therapeutics (£435m) show that UK science is not just inventive, it’s investable. Parkwalk call for continued efforts to attract capital to support spinouts to realise the UK’s potential. Adding fuel to the fire, the British Business Bank invested £250 million in 33 tech and life sciences scaleups, over half of which are university spinouts. These companies have collectively raised over £2 billion, and the Bank has now lifted its investment ceiling from £15m to £60m per company, an unprecedented move to support scaleup businesses further into their development. The resurgence of scaleup capital is genuinely encouraging and it’s especially positive to see it flowing toward university spinouts. There’s unanimous recognition that the UK’s global edge in innovation stems largely from the strength of its universities, so it makes complete sense that capital should stay close to these institutions and help capture and scale their output. But capital alone won’t deliver impact. As innovation speeds up, the need for appropriate, immediately available infrastructure becomes critical. Without it, companies risk burning precious funding on workspace fit-outs in isolated locations, far from clusters and support. Sciopolis is designed to prevent that. We’re building spaces that are: Linked to universities , enabling proximity to talent and research Conveniently located in emerging, well connected innovation districts like One Portal Way Affordable and ready to move in , so companies can scale without delay We’re committed to ensuring that spinouts and scaleups have the physical platforms they need to deploy innovation quickly, sustainably and in the right environment. Sciopolis will soon open its first site in London Whether you're a spinout looking for your first lab or a scaleup ready to grow, in sectors spanning Technology, AI, Life Sciences, Cleantech - Sciopolis offer ready-to-occupy lab and office spaces, strategic business connections and curated support services, designed to help you thrive. We work in close partnership with universities and, in addition to providing inspiring and cost effective workspaces, we connect our tenants to the academic expertise, specialist equipment and collaborative opportunities that can help science and tech ventures move from idea to impact. 📍 Coming soon: One Portal Way, North Acton Developed in partnership with Imperial College London, our newest site – opening in June 2026- will offer flexible space and tailored support for ambitious ventures in the heart of WestTech London. Find out more about OnePortalWay here

3 Apr 2025 The Times: Universities slash equity stakes in tech spinouts Last week, The Times reported that the average stake taken by universities in tech spinout ventures dropped to 16.1 per cent, a ten-year low, having been as high as 24 per cent in 2019 – based on a study commissioned by The Royal Academy of Engineering. I was very encouraged to see this statistic as I have, first hand, seen the tension that comes when a business wants to spin out from a university environment and the university wants to take a significant equity stake. Where businesses can be formed with relatively little capital and can be inspired by concepts that do not need access to significant physical assets to prove them then it doesn’t seem reasonable for universities to take significant stakes in the spin out. However, it seems entirely reasonable that universities should be rewarded appropriately for creating the environment for an idea to become a business and for enabling and supporting the early stages along with providing access to academic insight and supervision. I expect that a more proportionate approach will lead to more businesses being established, as the risk / reward trade off for founders who decide to take the leap to create a business is more favourable to them and I also suspect that such moves will encourage founders to look to the university to help (and therefore they will take a stake) rather than seeking to avoid it. In the long run, I believe this trend will lead to more innovation, entrepreneurship and therefore, one could argue, greater total returns for the university sector. Universities have a key role to play in nurturing and promoting innovation and translation into impact and this modernisation of the equity position they take in spin outs is, I believe, a positive move for all. Read The Times article here Follow us on LinkedIn

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.

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

29 Nov 2023 Sciopolis (sai-op-o-liss) - What's in the name? The making of science was rarefied and hardly ever linked to the hustle and bustle of urban dwellings. This view was profoundly changed by the Covid crisis, which almost overnight rebranded Science as an urgent, highly relevant activity which necessitated the convergence of many strands: central and local Government impetus, joined-up talent pools, entrepreneurship, easy access to technology and equipment, laboratory space, and access to capital. Crucially, all of these ingredients required an element of physical proximity and connectivity to jell together in a timely fashion and to generate momentum. Covid made science sexy (demand for STEM courses is higher than it’s ever been) and propelled it from the peripheries to the centre, more specifically to city centres, where virtuous connections are more easily created. While Covid has waned and we have generally returned to normality, it remains clear that doing science in cities is here to stay, because of a number of benefits that make it a compelling choice for researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators alike. Hence the name we chose for our company, Sciopolis = Sci ence in the metr opolis. Our objective is to make “Science in the City” a success, by facilitating the construction and operationalisation of vibrant tech and science ecosystems. Easier recruitment: Access to top talent is the #1 problem for growing science companies. Aside from the simple fact that cities are exciting places which attract young people to live, work and play, they are also often home to world-class universities, hospitals and research institutions, as well as a diverse pool of skilled professionals with a wide range of expertise. Cities create an obvious centre of gravity where excellent talent can be more easily sourced. Easier collaboration: For the same reasons as above, it is also easier in cities to collaborate with top researchers, engineers, and other specialists, and to tap into a rich network of mentors, advisors, and investors. Cities offer more networking events, conferences, informal gatherings, etc. all of which bring together communities of like-minded people, providing more opportunities to connect and advance ideas. In particular this is most important for early-stage startups who face numerous challenges and uncertainties which - in the absence of a supportive and accessible community - they may struggle to solve by themselves. Easier access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources: Many cities have specialised research centres, state of the art hospitals, and other resources such as training and mentorship programs, that are specifically designed to support scientific research and development, and to accelerate the pace of innovation. The right equipment, at the right time, coupled with the right academic expertise can fast track scientific discovery. All of this is made easier when access between different institutions is facilitated by good transport infrastructure which is typically found in big cities, but also by the support of a landlord who makes the effort to create useful networks for their tenants to access directly. The logistics of access to institutions should not be underestimated. Easier to create stickiness: A vibrant environment with wrap-around support, excellent infrastructure and common amenities serviced by the public transport is critical to support scientific innovation. Nurseries are as vital as labs in the creation of stable scientific ecosystems, and choosing locations where – for example- young lab technicians (typically not the highest paid of professions) can live, work and play without driving long distances is key in creating a stable cluster, and increasing its long term stickiness where companies and people choose to ‘stick’ for the long term. Of course, doing science in metropolitan environments also comes with its own set of challenges and trade-offs. They can be expensive, competitive, and fast-paced places which can sometimes, and somewhat conversely, make it more difficult to attract and retain top talent, secure funding, and navigate complex regulatory environments. However, even taking these challenges into account, Sciopolis firmly believe that the opportunity and benefits of doing science in the city far outweigh the challenges. Ultimately we are absolutely convinced that creating flexible spaces to support the development of science activities in well connected metropolitan locations is a logical and strategic step which forms a key reason for our formation.