Cambs genome campus to house £600m national data service

Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, will provide data infrastructure for a new £600m health data research service. The concept, backed by £100m from Wellcome Trust and up to £500m from the UK government, is expected to become operational from the end of 2026. It aims to speed up the search process for drugs, unlock knowledge and improve patient care for cancer, dementia and arthritis. Prime minister Keir Starmer said: “The measures I am announcing today will turbo-charge medical research and deliver better patient care. I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest in medical research.” John-Arne Rottingen, chief executive of Wellcome, said: “There is so much more we could learn from health data in this country by joining it up better. We’re pleased to be providing our support to help establish the new service quickly.” The announcement comes shortly after former GSK director Matt Bigam joined the team to grow the campus network and secure partnerships with operators and occupiers.  The campus is undergoing an expansion, with plans in place to grow to 440 acres from 125 acres. The wider development masterplan was granted outline permission in December 2020, with proposals for 160,000 sq ft of lab facilities across two buildings, designed by Gensler, lodged last month. Image from Urban & Civic