Yorkshire is fast emerging as one of the UK’s most investable regions for healthtech and life sciences, and it’s doing so on its own terms. Long recognised for its research excellence, deep talent pool, and the scale of its NHS presence, the region is now uniting these strengths with renewed purpose and collaboration. We are proud to be at the centre of this momentum, supporting growth across the region by enabling the physical and strategic infrastructure within Yorkshire’s thriving triple helix ecosystem.
With a national shortage of lab and grow-on space driving up costs in the so-called Golden Triangle, Yorkshire offers a compelling alternative. The region boasts world-class universities, some of the country’s most innovative NHS Trusts, and a vibrant digital economy. It’s also significantly more cost-effective, supported by strong public-sector investment, and increasingly aligned through mechanisms like the White Rose Agreement – which fosters collaboration between leading institutions in West, South and North Yorkshire.
Kevin McCabe, Chairman and Founder, said:
“What we’re seeing now in Yorkshire is unprecedented alignment between public sector ambition and private sector delivery.
“We believe in the region’s potential not just because of what’s already here, but because of how well it’s working together. It’s our job as developers to create the space, structure and confidence for that collaboration to thrive over the long term.”
Our flagship project is the planned redevelopment of the historic Old Medical School in Leeds into a healthtech innovation hub – a landmark 75,000 sq ft facility designed to support start-ups, scale-ups, academics, clinicians and corporates under one roof. While the project is still in the planning stages, it reflects our broader commitment to inclusive, innovation-led regeneration. The centre will offer private office suites, coworking space, labs, and meeting and event space, wrapped in a tailored ecosystem of innovation support.
That ambition was on full display during UKREiiF 2025, when we co-hosted a high-profile fringe event at the Old Medical School in partnership with Savills. Titled Powering Yorkshire’s Healthtech Revolution, the breakfast panel brought together voices from government, healthcare, academia and industry – including the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, Minister of State Karin Smyth MP, and Dame Linda Pollard, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – to discuss how developments like the Old Medical School and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park are reshaping the region’s innovation landscape.
What makes our approach distinctive – and a genuine USP in a market crowded with generic “innovation space” – is the depth of support that will be embedded within the building. From curated community events and investor readiness programmes to clinical test-bed access and academic brokering, We are focused on building infrastructure that actually delivers outcomes, not just occupancy.
Deb Hetherington, Director of Innovation Ecosystems said:
“From virtual memberships to adaptable workspace packages, we’ve designed flexibility into the model,”
“But it’s not just about affordability – it’s about value. We’re co-creating a support environment with partners that helps innovators move faster, connect meaningfully with the NHS and universities, and stay in the region as they scale. That’s what makes this more than just a property play.”
Those partnerships are key. We are currently working with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds, through Nexus, on a shared ambition to connect clinical and academic strengths with commercial innovation. While a formal MoU is under development, the collaborative intent is already clear. The Trust’s Innovation Pop Up, which has supported dozens of early-stage health businesses to date, is expected to take up residence within the Old Medical School post-redevelopment – providing a tried-and-tested gateway into the NHS for tenants.
Tori Critchley, Development Director – Innovation at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
“The healthtech innovation hub at the Old Medical School will give us a dedicated space to cultivate NHS–industry collaboration in a new and more agile way.
“Staff from our Innovation Pop Up will be located within the centre, offering early-stage health-related businesses a clear point of entry into the Trust and supporting them to develop, test and scale technologies that directly improve patient outcomes. This is about creating the right environment to unlock real, lasting impact.”
Importantly, our vision for innovation isn’t confined to Leeds. The Group is also expanding Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, a growing health, sport and wellbeing cluster anchored by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, the English Institute of Sport Headquarters and the UTC Olympic Legacy Park to name but a few. The two sites – Old Medical School in West Yorkshire and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park in South Yorkshire – represent a joined-up approach to regional development, each with a shared sectoral focus but shaped by their local strengths.
This strategy reflects a broader ethos we share with our academic partners: collaborate to compete. By creating a distributed network of innovation assets across the region—linked by shared infrastructure, talent pipelines, and sectoral focus—we are helping Yorkshire position itself not just as a viable alternative to the Golden Triangle, but as a national leader in its own right.
It’s a model that aligns with the direction of travel in public policy. The West Yorkshire Investment Zone places healthtech and digital innovation at its heart, backed by financial incentives and skills commitments. The White Rose Agreement and Innovation Arc Strategy reinforce the importance of cross-city collaboration. Our developments give these policies form – real places, for real businesses, that deliver on regional and national ambitions.
Kevin added:
“What we’re building is a platform, a platform for investment, a platform for innovation, and a platform for change. It’s about creating the kind of high-impact environments that give people and ideas a reason to stay. For us, this is about legacy, creating places that not only succeed commercially, but help shape the future of healthcare and the economy for decades to come.”
For investors, the opportunity is clear. With rising demand for flexible, clinically connected innovation space and a pipeline of talent coming out of universities and NHS Trusts, our developments offer the kind of long-term, values-aligned growth opportunities increasingly in demand. They aren’t speculative assets – they are strategic interventions with embedded partners, growing markets, and tangible national significance.
Yorkshire’s health innovation story is only just beginning. But with us helping to lay the foundations, it’s already catching the attention of those looking to invest where impact meets scale.
