Jane Hutchins, the director of Cambridge Science Park, said the recent investment in companies makes her believe 2026 will be “a good year”.
“The beauty is that for the first time ever we now have national government, the mayoral authority and local government – three different political parties – all aligned in seeing the importance of growing this phenomenal city,” said Hutchins.
A new masterplan for the park will be submitted this year, creating space for many more businesses on the 150-acre site.
The land was gifted to Trinity College, Cambridge, by Henry VIII, but since opening as a science park in 1970 it has grown “organically” and now requires a redesign to maximise space.
But Hutchins accepts that growth can cause conflict with local communities adding “we as a sector need to be better at telling people about the benefits and jobs it brings – not just for scientists.
“We need people in accounting, marketing, cleaners, landscape gardeners. And it’ll be a place for the public to use,” he said.
Plans to move sewage works to create more housing near to Cambridge Science Park have recently stalled.
Peter Freeman, the chair of Cambridge Growth Company (CGC), told Cambridge City Council in December that he thought science parks in the city might be able to help “pick up” that project.
Hutchins said she was waiting for more detail from the CGC.
