As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on a year that began with significant challenges but has ended on a note of progress, resilience and growth.
This time last year, Discovery Park faced a pivotal moment as Pfizer announced the consolidation of its scientific operations in Sandwich. While this presented a substantial challenge for our business ecosystem, it also sparked an opportunity to retain and repurpose much of the exceptional talent within Kent.
Through strategic support and collaboration, Discovery Park helped launch three innovative startups founded by former Pfizer employees – Biowaved, Particology and Matheus Engineering – ensuring their skills and expertise remain in the region. These businesses are already growing and are promising additions to our thriving life sciences community.
Celebrating successes
Our tenants continue to set the standard for innovation and excellence. In October, we proudly celebrated Logical Biological and A4P Bio for receiving the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise. These two progressive companies join last year’s winner, eXroid, making Discovery Park home to three King’s Award recipients. Such achievements highlight the extraordinary work being done on-site and reinforce our reputation as a hub for world-class science and enterprise.
Over the course of the year, we welcomed almost 50 new tenants to the science park. These range from dynamic startups across various sectors to global giants like Asymchem, a leader in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing that chose Kent as its European headquarters. It is this mix of agile, early-stage businesses and large, established firms that creates such a vibrant and collaborative environment at Discovery Park.
Another significant highlight of the year was the opening of the CoLab, a shared lab space designed to support early-stage life science businesses. To lower barriers for startups, the CoLab offers six months of free, flexible bench space, experienced lab technician support and access to specialist equipment in collaboration with Canterbury Christ Church University.
Supporting startups and future leaders
Fostering growth for businesses at every stage remains central to our mission. Throughout 2024, we delivered two highly successful Discovery Spark programmes. The first focused on women’s health and femtech, while the most recent supported startups across various science and technology sectors. Together, these initiatives have empowered over 20 ambitious startups by providing mentorship, tailored business support and preparing them for investor readiness.
We also continued running Discovery Start, a programme that gives PhD students an early insight into the commercial side of science. By connecting emerging talent with industry leaders, we’re building a pipeline of professionals ready to turn groundbreaking ideas into reality.
Our on-site Barclays Eagle Lab has played an instrumental role in supporting these efforts and connecting businesses to their wider network. As Kent’s only Eagle Lab, it has supported 84 businesses to date and welcomed over 450 attendees to its seminars, networking events and workshops, creating a thriving entrepreneurial community and great added value to our tenants.
Building community
Discovery Park’s success isn’t just about business – it’s about building a thriving community. This year, we hosted a range of standout events that brought people together, inspired action and celebrated achievement. Among these was the inaugural Inspiration Women’s Awards, an event recognising women within the local area and at Discovery Park who are making a significant difference.
We also held the Innovation Summit, which highlighted Kent’s ambition to become a leader in Healthy Ageing, showcasing groundbreaking initiatives aimed at tackling some of the most pressing challenges in this field. Additionally, the Innovation Showcase, held in partnership with the University of Kent, presented collaborative projects between researchers, clinicians and industry partners, funded by the University of Kent BBSRC and MRC Impact Accelerator Accounts (IAAs).
These events underscored Discovery Park’s role as a platform for collaboration and a catalyst for innovation. Keep an eye on our website as we’ll be running these again in 2025.
Beyond events, we’ve continued to enhance on-site facilities for our growing community. We welcomed three exceptional local caterers – HatHats Coffee Company, Pork & Co and Little Joe’s Deli – to provide high-quality meal options. These partnerships not only enhance the day-to-day experience at Discovery Park but also reflect our commitment to supporting local businesses.
In the same spirit, we’re looking forward to hosting our Christmas Market in early December, opening our doors to local small businesses and the public to celebrate the festive period.
Giving back
Our commitment to giving back has also been stronger than ever. We opened an onsite charity shop, Rediscovery, which has raised over £10,000 this year for local charities, including Porchlight, Oasis and Carers UK. This achievement reflects the generosity and community spirit of everyone at Discovery Park.
Looking ahead
As one of the South East’s leading business hubs, Discovery Park plays a pivotal role in driving the region’s economy. Our world-class facilities, thriving tenant community and strategic location near London make us a beacon for life sciences and technology businesses. We foster an ecosystem where startups and established firms alike can innovate, collaborateand grow – all while benefiting from Kent’s exceptional quality of life and access to local talent.
As we prepare for 2025, the momentum we’ve built sets the stage for even greater achievements. Our mission remains clear: to create a supportive environment where businesses thrive, innovation flourishes, and our community grows stronger.
If you haven’t yet experienced Discovery Park, we invite you to visit. Whether attending one of our events or exploring lab or office space, come and see our world-class facilities for yourself.
Thank you to our tenants, partners, local businesses and the wider community for shaping Discovery Park into what it is today. We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2025.
Article written by Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park.
To find out more about Discovery Park, visit www.discovery-park.co.uk.
