Jeanette Walker becomes interim director at Unity Campus
Jeanette Walker has taken up a new role as interim director of Unity Campus in Pampisford.
Cambridge-based property investor and developer Howard Group announced the appointment, saying: “Widely recognised within the Cambridge science and real estate communities as a highly experienced authority in science eco-systems, business development, investment and community building, Jeanette has an exceptional track record.”
In 2010, Jeanette was appointed director of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus where she was instrumental in attracting AstraZeneca and Abcam. In 2017, she became inaugural director of Cambridge Science Park, a role she held until the end of 2021. Fuelled by her passion for technology and community building, Jeanette is credited with having transformed the Park into a thriving innovation eco-system where people genuinely love to work.
She also developed the Park’s 2050 Vision and secured a £200m investment in the Science Park for new buildings, including a 40,000 sq ft Bio Innovation Centre from TusPark.
In the newly created role of interim director – Unity Campus, Jeanette will be focusing on Howard Group’s 11.5-acre estate at Sawston, which is already home to nine life science companies including PhoreMost and IONTAS, and is currently housed on a 75,000 sq ft site.
Building on the success of the first phase of development, which included the transformation of a 1970s industrial unit into stunning state-of-the-art laboratories and offices called The Works, Phase 2 will provide a total of 95,000 sq ft of lab and office space across three new buildings. Scheduled to commence this year, a detailed planning application is currently under review.
Katherine Friend, director – investment & asset management, Howard Group, added: “We are delighted to welcome Jeanette to the team at such a significant stage in the delivery of Howard Group’s development programme at Unity Campus – the next available new purpose-built space for life science companies in South Cambridge.
“Her extensive experience will help to ensure that Unity Campus continues to be an integral provider of high-quality collaborative space, jobs and growth within the thriving Cambridge and East of England life science and technology community and the UK science sector as a whole.”
Jeanette will be instrumental in developing the vision for the Campus and in building relationships, networks and awareness across the life science and wider commercial property sector communities at both a regional and national level. In line with Howard Group’s commitment to creating places which enhance the lives of those who live and work in and around them, Jeanette will help to initiate a campus-wide community engagement programme which will include social, health and wellbeing, business support and external community engagement.
Nicholas Bewes, chief executive, Howard Group, said: “Jeanette brings invaluable experience and knowledge of the technology and life science markets to what is a new role for Howard Group. As such her appointment significantly reinforces our position as a key deliverer of flexible lab-enabled space and a facilitator of connected science and technology communities in the Cambridge cluster.
“We look forward to working with Jeanette to help deliver the business environments that innovative companies within the cluster and across the region need to facilitate the extraordinary growth they are experiencing.”
Jeanette said: “I am honoured to be joining an ambitious, family-owned firm of developers and investors with such a strong sense of purpose. I look forward to helping them become a major contributor to the success of the science and technology cluster in Cambridge.”
