IonOpticks opens applications lab and European HQ

IonOpticks, a global provider of high-performance chromatography columns for proteomics research, has expanded its UK presence by taking 2,940 sq ft (273 sq m) of laboratory and office space at 127 Olympic Avenue, Milton Park, Oxfordshire.

Advanced chromatography to accelerate research

Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and founded in 2017 by scientists to improve the performance of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), IonOpticks develops advanced chromatography columns that enable researchers around the world to analyse proteins with greater speed, sensitivity and reproducibility. Its technology is helping accelerate research into disease mechanisms, biomarker and drug discovery, and the development of more targeted medicines across cancer, neurological disorders and other complex diseases.

European head quarters at Milton Park

The new facility at Milton Park will provide a local base for IonOpticks’ continued expansion across the UK and Europe, bringing stock, technical support, applications expertise and method development closer to customers throughout the region.

With local personnel available in the same time zones as the researchers they support, the facility will enable faster delivery, more responsive collaboration and closer engagement with customers, research institutions and partners. This reflects IonOpticks’ commitment to being a strategic research and workflow partner, rather than simply a supplier of consumables.

Life science community

Milton Park’s life sciences community includes global biotechnology companies such as Immunocore, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and New England Biolabs, alongside innovative businesses including NeoVac and Verso Biosense. Together they form one of the UK’s leading life sciences clusters, benefiting from close links to the University of Oxford, Harwell Campus and the wider Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

Xavier Perronnet, CEO, IonOpticks said: “Milton Park gives IonOpticks the ideal environment from which to deepen our support for customers across the UK and Europe. Its strong scientific community and proximity to leading research institutions align closely with our ambition to provide not only faster access to our products, but also local expertise, applications support and collaborative method development.”

“As demand for our technology continues to grow internationally, establishing our first overseas office at Milton Park has provided an excellent platform for the next phase of our expansion. “Having recently moved in, we already have a growing number of UK-based employees on site, so choosing Milton Park has already proven to be the right decision.

“We’re excited to be part of the Milton Park community and look forward to working alongside other innovative organisations that are advancing scientific discovery and improving human health.”

Welcoming IonOpticks

Clare Fleet, asset manager of Milton Park at Federated Hermes Real Estate, said: “IonOpticks is a brilliant addition to Milton Park’s life sciences community. The company’s work is enabling researchers around the world to advance proteomics and improve our understanding of disease, making a real contribution to future healthcare innovation.

“Milton Park is designed to support ambitious science and technology businesses at every stage of their growth. We are delighted to welcome IonOpticks and look forward to supporting the team as they continue to expand their UK operations.”

Milton Park is one of the UK’s largest single ownership innovation communities, home to more than 280 organisations employing people across science, technology and business. Through its flexible accommodation, collaborative community, reliable infrastructure such as power, and 20+ amenities across the estate and at Signal Yard, its new £14 million social and retail destination, the Park supports organisations from ambitious start-ups through to established international businesses as they innovate, grow and scale.