Neil Stevens is a Partner at exigere and one of the founding partners of the Cambridge office. With over 30 years of experience, he works across exigere’s London and Cambridge offices, helping to shape cost and delivery strategies for science, technology and research projects throughout the UK. His work focuses particularly on the Golden Triangle and the wider science ecosystem, where collaboration between London, Oxford and Cambridge continues to drive innovation.

Neil has delivered a wide range of new build laboratories, refurbishments and specialist fit outs, with a portfolio that includes major projects such as 20 Triton Street, 1 Triton Street, LBIC, LifeArc, Vitrum, Iverson Building, Bellhouse and the Maxwell Centre. He advises a broad range of clients and developers including British Land, Royal London, Aviva, Lateral, Breakthrough, Longfellow, The Oxford Science Park, Harwell, Kadans, Biomed Realty, Canary Wharf Group and The Crown Estate.

A Chartered Surveyor with degree-level qualifications in both Quantity Surveying and the Cost Management of Building Engineering Services, Neil also supports the professional development of future surveyors through in-house training and his role as a RICS assessor.

Neil brings a broad perspective on the evolving needs of the UK’s science and technology sectors. Drawing on recent experience delivering speculative laboratory spaces ranging from enhanced office environments to fully fitted, flexible lab-ready suites, he has identified several key themes shaping the future of science-led development. These include rethinking how laboratory briefs are defined, questioning traditional ratios of lab to office space and levels of vibration control, and ensuring specifications align with the needs of diverse tenants. He also sees significant opportunity in repurposing existing assets such as offices, retail units and light industrial spaces for wet and dry lab use, while addressing growing power and energy constraints to deliver efficient, low carbon buildings.

He is particularly focused on the challenge of engineering and specifying spaces that support a wide range of scientific disciplines while remaining flexible, adaptable, functional and commercially viable. Neil has also suggested that advances in AI and automation may shift the balance between wet and dry labs, raising new questions about the future of science infrastructure. He believes that developing a more complete science ecosystem in the UK, from research and testing through to pilot production, will depend on resilient, adaptable buildings that can evolve with emerging technologies.

Neil is a regular contributor to exigere’s thought leadership, this year authoring insight pieces on topics including vibration control in laboratory construction and transforming offices into dynamic scientific spaces, with more publications in development.