Novartis is set to move its U.K. headquarters to London. The relocation will see Novartis set up in the White City Place development next to Imperial College London’s new campus.
Like some of its peers, Novartis put down roots in the U.K. outside of the major conurbations and hubs of scientific research. And, like them, it has now decided it is better served by moving from its out-of-town digs into a life sciences cluster closer to the academic researchers and startups that are driving the field forward.
The decision will see Novartis move its U.K. headquarters from its current location around 30 miles outside of central London, to a new development in the city. Novartis will take on 54,000 square feet of space in March with a view to moving in at the start of 2020. The agreement gives Novartis an option to take on more space if needed.
Once installed in the WestWorks building, Novartis’ staffers will be across the road from Imperial’s White City campus. Imperial is leading a £2 billion ($2.6 billion) investment in the campus to equip it to house its staff, initially at a Molecular Sciences Research Hub, and position them to collaborate with businesses in the area.
Novartis’ arrival at WestWorks will provide a boost to the area’s ambitions to develop into a life sciences cluster. Imperial is active in White City, and CAR-T startup Autolus struck a deal for space in the nearby MediaWorks building in July, becoming the major life sciences company to occupy the campus. And Synthace, a developer of lab software, occupies the fourth floor of the WestWorks building. Even so, the presence of Novartis will move the area’s life science credentials up a notch.
The move is a blow to Frimley, the town in Surrey that Novartis currently calls home, although it was braced for the news. Reports that Novartis was looking for a new home have been circulating for months, with The Telegraph reporting in April that the Swiss pharma wanted to move to the area around Reading, Oxford and Slough to improve its ability to attract talent.
Ultimately, Novartis has ended up in an even more central location. In doing so, Novartis thinks it will tighten its ties to its customers and partners.
“We want to be closer to our customers and partners, and become better networked in the healthcare and life science ecosystem.” Haseeb Ahmad, Novartis UK country president, said in a statement.