Science Creates and University of Bristol Launch OMX to Expand Deep Tech Scale-Up Space in Bristol

Dr Harry Destecroix MBE, Founder of Science Creates, and Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol.

(IN BRIEF) Science Creates and the University of Bristol will open OMX in March, delivering 30,000 sq ft of flexible laboratory and scale-up space in Bristol city centre for deep tech startups and high-growth companies. Backed by £8.5 million in funding from Research England, OMX adds 30 high-spec labs and forms part of a growing ecosystem that now offers more than 75,000 sq ft of specialist lab space across the city. Designed for companies moving beyond early-stage research, the facility supports sectors such as quantum technology, engineering biology, climate tech, and health innovation, helping address a long-standing shortage of scale-up lab space and enabling companies to grow and remain in Bristol.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRISTOL, 26-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Science Creates, in partnership with the University of Bristol, is set to open OMX this March, introducing a new 30,000 sq ft laboratory and scale-up facility in Bristol city centre designed to support deep tech startups and high-growth companies moving into commercial expansion. OMX will offer flexible laboratory space ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft, addressing a long-standing shortage of specialist scale-up facilities in the region.

Developed with backing from Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation, OMX represents the third purpose-built deep tech incubator delivered by Science Creates and the University of Bristol. It follows the launch of Science Creates St Philips in 2017 and Science Creates Old Market in 2021. Together, these facilities now provide more than 75,000 sq ft of specialist laboratory space in central Bristol, establishing one of the UK’s largest dedicated deep tech ecosystems outside the Golden Triangle.

The new facility has been created through an £8.5 million investment that enabled the retrofit of an existing industrial building close to Bristol Temple Meads station. OMX will add 30 high-specification laboratories to the city’s innovation infrastructure, positioning spinouts, startups, and scale-ups at the heart of the South West’s deep tech economy.

OMX will sit alongside the University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, which is scheduled to fully open later this year. The campus will house the Bristol Innovations Zone, a deep tech gateway offering collaboration opportunities, flexible workspaces, event facilities, advanced equipment, skills training, and access to leading academic research. This proximity is designed to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia while supporting companies as they scale.

Unlike traditional incubators, OMX has been specifically designed for companies that have progressed beyond proof-of-concept and are entering commercial growth. The facility will cater to deep tech sectors including quantum technologies, engineering biology, advanced materials, climate technology, and health innovation, closely aligned with the University of Bristol’s research strengths and national industrial priorities.

Tenants will have access to CL2-ready laboratories, shell-and-core units with custom fit-out options, integrated lab-office suites, and high-capacity power, data, and ventilation infrastructure. Companies will also benefit from shared meeting rooms, event spaces, and inclusion in the wider Science Creates ecosystem, which already supports more than 100 deep tech founders in Bristol through investment networks, accelerator programmes, partnerships, and skills development.

The launch of OMX is expected to play a critical role in retaining high-growth companies in the South West. Historically, many Bristol-based spinouts have been forced to relocate at a key stage of growth due to a lack of suitable lab space. OMX has been developed to close this gap, ensuring that talent, intellectual property, and economic impact remain in the region as companies scale.

Media contact:
Email: press-office@bristol.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)117 428 2489

SOURCE: University of Bristol