The SC1 Life Sciences Innovation District, is a partnership to create a transformative life science ecosystem in central London dedicated to innovation, creative partnerships, and health equity.

SC1, London’s new Life Sciences Innovation District, was founded with the vision to create a transformative life science ecosystem in central London dedicated to innovation, creative partnerships and to improve life for our local and global communities.

Anchored by the world-class King’s College University, and the founding partners of three NHS Foundations Trusts (Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, King’s College Hospital, South London and Maudsley), the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation, and the Boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, SC1 is born from the unique diversity of London. The partnership is creating a global quarter in the centre of London that delivers high impact innovation, and making improvements to address health inequity, both locally and globally. SC1 brings together public, private, education and clinical partners to increase investments into life sciences and attract new companies to the area.

The SC1 Innovation District is notable for three thriving hubs - Biomedical Hub, MedTech Hub, and the Mind & Body Hub. The area’s university and hospital partnerships host a wealth of clinical and research expertise, with the largest clinical educator in Europe, state-of-the-art equipment, strong industry partnerships, and a growing number of spinouts and scale-ups.

Within SC1 there are ambitious plans underway that will create significant new spaces for healthcare and medical research, giving more people access to clinical trials, improving environments in which patients are treated, with the following potential benefits and centres of excellence:
• 60,000 new high-quality jobs in the sector by 2050
• 2 million sq ft of life science focused space on Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation’s land at Royal Street
• Including 300,000 sq ft of lab enabled space and 100,000 sq ft of affordable workspace
• New centres of excellence such as the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering (LIHE) and Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young Peoples’ Mental Health

“It is a privilege and honour to be the leader for SC1, London’s Life Sciences Innovation District. SC1’s founders have always been proactive about fostering world class innovation, while leveraging the unique diversity of South-central London. Our plans to grow the Innovation District are ambitious, and the challenges in health inequality that our communities face are stark - so we cannot embark on this mission alone. Patients, people and partnerships are at the heart of SC1’s strategy, which will involve staff and patients in all activities, at every stage of the long-term programme. SC1 is now focused on developing transformative partnerships with our local and global industry partners, entrepreneurs, community and stakeholders.

Together, we can connect world leading institutions under the umbrella of SC1, London’s life sciences innovation district, where the very best in science, technology, health, medicine and innovation is living, breathing and being delivered right in the heart of the Capital. We want to make a tangible difference in line with the UK Governments own life sciences ambitions, make a tangible difference to the communities living in Southeast London and create a blueprint for innovation and health equity that is modelled across the world.”
Georgina Rizik – Executive Director for SC1 , London’s Life Sciences Innovation District