Crown Estate Acquires Harwell Land for 4.5M Sq Ft Science, Housing Expansion

The Crown Estate has acquired a 221-acre site in Oxfordshire, adjacent to the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, to develop the Harwell East project, which will include up to 4.5 million square feet of office, laboratory, and advanced manufacturing facilities, alongside up to 400 new homes. This £4.5 billion development aims to address the shortage of specialized lab space and housing for early-stage science and technology businesses, supporting growth in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and benefiting the wider UK economy. The project is part of The Crown Estate's broader £1.5 billion investment pledge into the science, innovation, and technology sector over the next 15 years. Collaboration with Crucible will help secure planning permissions, and the initiative complements a recent joint venture with Lendlease focused on science and innovation spaces in London. The development is expected to bolster the UK's position in science and innovation by providing much-needed infrastructure for companies like vaccine-maker Moderna and the UK Space Agency, which are based nearby. The Crown Estate, which manages assets on behalf of King Charles III, views this as a strategic investment to foster scientific advancement and economic growth.