The home for start-ups
Transform innovative ideas into commercial success
Cost-effective lab space with flexible rental agreements, business support and a collaborative environment, perfect for early-stage companies. Located just over 1 hour from London, we are an extension of the Golden Triangle, giving you the space to discover and freedom to grow.
Find out more.
Welcome to Discovery Park, a hub for interdisciplinary innovation and a thriving community for visionary entrepreneurs and leaders. Just over 1 hour from London, Discovery Park, Kent offers the ideal environment for businesses to start, scale and succeed.
Collaborative environment
For vibrant start-ups, spin-outs and early-stage companies looking to transform their innovative science into a thriving business.
Discovery Park offers more than just lab space. Our experienced team are passionate about supporting every stage of your business journey with comprehensive advice and investment opportunities, alongside flexible rental agreements allowing your space to grow with you when you need it.
Business commercialisation support
A stand out feature of Discovery Park is our commitment to helping your business succeed. Our collaborative Innovation team provide mentoring to help commercialise your ideas and connect you into wider networks. We also offer a series of growth programmes including our early-stage business growth awareness and self-audit programmes to supercharge your entrepreneurial journey.
Our on-site Barclays Eagle Lab provides free business mentoring and access to their Investor Readiness programme and Demo Directory – a platform connecting entrepreneurs and start-ups to potential investors.
Key features
With options including bench space in our shared lab, and private lab space from 300 to 50,000 sq ft. We offer Cat-2 and Cat-3 lab space for research requiring higher levels of containment, and write up space from 250 – 150,000 sq ft.
Finding the right space that allows room for growth at an affordable rate can be a challenge for early stage organisations.
Our team work closely with you to provide the right space for you now, with the space and expertise to support you as you grow.
Discovery Park Ventures (DPV) is our very own investment fund aimed at supporting and mentoring exciting innovators with novel business ideas. Whilst there is no guarantee of investment, we’ll make an introduction to the DPV team.
Learn from, share experiences and collaborate with our innovative community. You’ll also benefit from a vibrant programme of industry events and social activities that provide the opportunity to network and connect with peers.
Our network provides collaboration opportunities for our community as well as a pipeline of skilled talent. Our local partners include the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Greenwich, Kent & Medway Medical School and Kent & Medway NHS.
As a core member of numerous national networks, members of our community benefit from a collaborative UK wide Life Sciences community, focused on driving success of the sector.
This dedicated team operates with remarkable agility and responsiveness, ensuring your visions are quickly turned into reality.
Complementing our engineering capabilities is a utilities team that meticulously upholds our resilient infrastructure to the highest standards.
Together, these teams exemplify our commitment to precision, innovation and unwavering support to your operational needs.
The support we’ve received from the Discovery Park team has been truly uplifting and friendly. It provided us with valuable insights into how we’ve progressed since our last pitch.
Renos has been exceptionally understanding and supportive throughout the program, and we appreciate the team’s hard work in guiding us.
Heraldas Gaspariunas , Chief Operations Officer
Discovery Park has supported Inhalytic in our business development, from start-up in a small laboratory space, scaling up to a larger lab. Providing introductions to growth and networking opportunities, and great on-site facilities. We’ve also joined a community of like-minded tenants who support and help each other. This has all contributed to our success, and we would highly recommend it to other start-ups.
Karen Chambers , Founder
The cutting-edge laboratories and office facilities at Discovery Park allow us to grow our unique biotech serving the pharmaceutical, biopesticide and cosmetic markets. The support network and other tenants produce a great community to share challenges and opportunities, including business support services from the many essential non-science companies on site.
Steve Trim , Founder
Benefits of the area
Well-connected
Exceptional connectivity and proximity to London and Europe, fostering easy access to international markets and a vibrant business ecosystem.
Highly-skilled talent
The region boasts a rich talent pool, with a number of highly-skilled and experienced scientists and professionals available and ready to work at the facility and access to over 33,000 STEM graduates.
Exceptional quality of life
Kent offers a picturesque landscape, providing an excellent balance between work and leisure. Its enhanced quality of life is a crucial factor in attracting and retaining top-tier talent.
Strong collaborative community
Home to over 160 businesses, Discovery Park is made up of emerging startups through to larger firms working across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, technology, professional services and more.
Wellbeing facilities
An impressive range of facilities can be found on-site, such as a gym, social zone, cycling routes and restaurants, aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of all who work here.
Strategic location for growth
The opportunities at Discovery Park coupled with Kent’s pro-business environment and robust infrastructure, makes it a compelling magnet for foreign direct investment and those looking to capitalise on the region’s economic potential.
Resilient infrastructure
Water, electricity, heating, cooling and foul effluent collection and treatment are maintained to the highest standards with long term asset management plans ensuring that services will be delivered reliably, efficiently and sustainably well into the future.