Evotec to undergo sustainable expansion at Milton Park

Life science company Evotec has revealed plans to significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions of its site at Milton Park, helping to achieve the company’s carbon neutral targets.

The fit-out of the firm’s latest premises at 95 Park Drive is set to be complete in Summer 2022 and will accommodate new state-of-the-art biology laboratories, as well as a conference centre, a range of collaborative workspaces and meeting rooms and a 100-seat restaurant for Evotec employees. To support its continued growth, Evotec will also be creating 125 new scientific jobs.

At Evotec’s Milton Park facility – named the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Campus in commemoration of the British Nobel Prize winning chemist – the company is investing in energy-efficient operating methods. Air source heat pumps will replace traditional gas boilers and electric coolers and a demand-based laboratory ventilation system will be introduced, as well as the installation of low energy lighting and appliances. Evotec expects the plans will reduce emissions by approximately 800 metric tons of CO₂ per year, the equivalent of over 970,000 worth of smartphone batteries.

Dr Christophe Muller, Global Head of Business Development and Evotec’s Site Head at Milton Park, said: “Our Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Campus at Milton Park is one of Evotec’s most important and fast-growing fully integrated research and development centres. We’ve expanded our facility presence at the Park by over 40% in the last three years and have in excess of 700 employees across all major scientific disciplines required to research and develop drugs.

“We’re keen to ensure that sustainability is front and centre of what we do and have therefore invested in state-of-the-art heating and air flow technologies into our new developments at Milton Park. This will reduce our CO₂ emissions in line with our internal targets as well as making our site a great and inspirational place to work.”

Evotec has had a presence at Milton Park ever since the company’s merger with Oxford Asymmetry International plc in 2000. Oxford Asymmetry had been based at Milton Park since 1989 after spinning out from the University of Oxford, starting in one of the original ex-MOD depot buildings.

Evotec’s recent expansion into 95 Park Drive has made the company one of the largest occupiers on the Park alongside Immunocore and Adaptimmune, which also originally started life as University of Oxford spinouts.

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at Milton Park, said: “It’s great to see such a prominent building at Milton Park become a flagship hub for Evotec to showcase their innovative work. It’s also testament to the strong demand from the global health and life science sectors looking to be based in Oxfordshire with the creation of 125 new jobs.

“ESG is at the core of our 2040 Vision and the current LDO review. We’re grateful to Evotec and all other businesses who have got involved with our Greener Workplace Forum, embraced our sustainable travel initiatives and more recently supported the launch of the Didcot Powerhouse Fund which is now accepting applications for grants.

“Our development team is busy working on plans for more science space at Milton Park and we look forward to revealing more on this shortly.”