NEWS
Claire Holland, SC1 London Co-Chair, Leader of London Borough of Lambeth and Chair of London Councils
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, Southwark Council
Cllr John Batteson, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Jobs and Business, Southwark Council
George Imafidon MBE — Co-Founder & CEO, Motivez
Laurie Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation
Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business & Growth
Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Minister for Health Innovation and Safety
SC1 London delegates
Professor Graham Lord, SC1 London Co-Chair and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners (KHP)
Friday 21 November 2025
SC1 London plans to make South London a global leader in health and life sciences
Plans include two million sq. ft for life sciences and innovation, 20,000 high quality jobs by 2030, and an estimated £3 billion of development across South London, backed by local and national government.
SC1 London has set out ambitious plans to be a global leader in health and life sciences growth, innovation and enterprise, this week at The Shard, SE1, as part of London Life Sciences Week.
Plans announced include:
Over 20,000 high quality jobs by 2030, and a life sciences talent pipeline supported by training and skills for communities in South London.
Over 2 million sq. ft of consented research, development, innovation space for future health and life sciences innovators and entrepreneurs will be delivered over the next five years through cross-sector partnerships and investment, including projects at Royal Street, Snowsfields Quarter, and Newcomen Street.
This amounts to an estimated £3bn projected value of Royal Street and Snowfields Quarter developments alone.
Speakers included Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Minister for Health Innovation and Safety and Deputy Mayor of London for Business & Growth, Howard Dawber OBE.
Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor of London for Business & Growth said:
‘London is Europe’s powerhouse for life sciences and now the front runner to become the new world capital in the sector. It is fantastic to see SC1 working in collaboration to help unlock the investment, space, planning and talent London needs to help create jobs in this sector and boost the economy as we build a better and more prosperous London for everyone.’
Last month Southwark Council approved the development of the Snowfields Quarter, projected to create around 900 new jobs. With Lambeth Council approving Royal Street plans in 2022.
This week SC1 London set out a new strategic direction focused on innovation, enterprise, real estate, local communities and talent. Plans were announced to one hundred decision-makers from across business, health, government, international venture capital and local organisations at ‘SC1 London’s Spotlight: The Future of Health and Life Sciences’ event. This follows new data revealing London as the top city outside of those in the US for life sciences investment, with approx. £1.59 billion in VC funding so far in 2025.
Professor Graham Lord, SC1 London Co-Chair and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners (KHP) said:
‘SC1 London is a partnership powerhouse. We’re focused on ensuring that London’s people and places are health and life sciences winners, securing the capital’s place at the forefront of world-class health, sciences, and innovation. Our ambition reflects huge opportunities for innovation and our future collective health and wealth.’
The event showcased paradigm defining innovation in health and life sciences including cutting edge AI powered cancer care from PharosAI, AI enabled pregnancy ultrasound by Fraiya, and AI-powered hyperspectral imaging from Hypervision Surgical, making surgeries safer, faster and more precise.
Plans support London and national priorities across health and the economy: from enabling world-class research and development, to driving health innovation with positive impact for local communities.
Claire Holland, SC1 London Co-Chair, Leader of London Borough of Lambeth and Chair of London Councils said:
‘SC1 is a growth opportunity with local, national and global impact, powered by deep public, private and third sector collaboration. The cutting-edge health innovation being developed here is transforming the health and wellbeing of communities in Lambeth and beyond.
SC1 partners are already major employers in South London, and I’m really excited by the partnerships’ focus on helping local young people kickstart a career in the life sciences. We see SC1 as key to unlocking growth in Lambeth, contributing directly to our ambitious plans for the next decade, as we work to increase commercial space by 10%, create 20,000 new jobs and build 10,000 new home.’
They are backed by the appointment of a new expert SC1 team, launch of a new brand, and a programme a life science pipeline for young people. This follows, SC1 London bringing together 100 young people from across Lambeth and Southwark this week to engage and inspire them on life sciences and career opportunities.
Laurie Lee, CEO of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation said:
‘Our vision is to help people stay healthier for longer, through supporting cutting-edge health treatment and research, and addressing the preventable causes of health inequalities such as poor housing and low income. We are proud to be founding partners of the SC1 London Health and Life Science District, and to use our developments at Royal Street and Snowsfields Quarter to contribute to all of these objectives in one go, through stimulating innovation, new science, great jobs and inclusive economic growth. SC1 will inspire and equip the next generation of scientists and health professionals, right here in South London.’
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, Southwark Council said:
‘SC1 London brings huge opportunities for Southwark, Lambeth and the whole of south London — new jobs, new spaces for learning and innovation, and a place that has health and wellbeing at its heart.
‘This ambitious space in Southwark and Lambeth can benefit everyone, bringing life, energy and opportunity into our communities. We’ll keep working closely with our SC1 London partners to make sure local people benefit from and are part of this world-leading district.’
If you have any questions please contact Louis Vine, SC1 London Head of Communications and Engagement for additional images on louis.vine@kcl.ac.uk
Monday 17 November 2025
SC1 London launches re-energised brand and new website this London Life Sciences Week
At SC1 London we’re pleased to share our revitalised and reenergised brand and new website, alongside a week of events this London Life Sciences Week.
SC1 London is a growing ecosystem of people, places and partners dedicated to world-leading innovation in health and life sciences, all located in south central London.
Our refreshed visual identity repositions SC1 London and emphasises its forward-looking ambition. It introduces movement, energy and rhythm that reflects the intersecting, complimentary and powerful collaboration, across health and life sciences, and our SC1 London founding partners.
Professor Graham Lord, SC1 Co-Chair, Executive Director of King’s Health Partners (KHP) said:
‘SC1 London’s re-energised brand is exciting. It embodies how we work together as organisations, our bold ambition for the district as a centre of collaboration and innovation, and as a world leader in health and life sciences.’
Louis Vine, Head of Communications and Engagement at SC1 London said:
‘Our SC1 London brand is now forward facing, digital first and dynamic. It reflects the energy, movement, and power of partnership at the core of the district. Our refreshed brand identity reflects our renewed commitment to being the growing ecosystem of people, places and partners dedicated to world-leading innovation in health and life sciences, in the best part, of the best city in the world — south London. Thanks to the SC1 London Board and brilliant colleagues for their commitment, collaboration and getting behind it.’
SC1 London partnered with Studio Playne to design the new visual identity to launch at this year’s London Life Sciences Week.
Clare Playne, Creative Director of Studio Playne said:
‘We have been delighted to work with the SC1 London team helping to bring this exciting and important project to fruition.’
To find out more or request brand guidelines please get in touch.
SC1 Pathfinders: The Next Generation of Life Sciences
Tuesday 18 November 2025
2:00pm—5:30pm
This year’s London Life Sciences Week community event for young people held at London Science Gallery, SE1.
Are you a young person between 14-19 years old, living or learning in Lambeth and Southwark, and want to know more about paths into life sciences?
What you can expect:
Live Experiments Get involved and explore the science behind everyday life.
Young People’s Question Time Ask your questions and hear from the people who are working in life sciences.
Special Guest:
Big Manny TikTok Educator of the Year with over 2 million followers, bringing science to the screen.
This event is for young people between 14-19 years old living or learning in Southwark or Lambeth.
Sold out – SC1 Pathfinders: The Next Generation of Life Sciences – Science Gallery London
With thanks to our community partners, Spiral Skills, WeRise and Liminal Space.
SC1 London Spotlight: The Future of Health and Life Sciences
Thursday 20 November 2025
8:30am—12:30pm
This year’s London Life Sciences Week event held at the View in the Shard.
SC1 London Spotlight brings together the best and brightest of the SC1 Health and Life Sciences District, alongside global leaders in innovation, health, industry, NHS and government for a morning of discussion, insight and connection.
Confirmed speakers so far include:
Professor Graham Lord SC1 Co-Chair, Senior Vice-President, Health & Life Sciences, King’s College London and Executive Director at King’s Health Partners
Cllr Claire Holland SC1 Co-Chair, Leader of Lambeth Council
& Chair of London Councils
Laurie Lee CEO, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation
Cllr Evelyn Akoto Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, Southwark Council
Cllr John Batteson Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Jobs and Business, Southwark Council
Katherine Ward Operating Partner, Oxford Science Enterprises
Full agenda and more speakers be announced in the coming weeks.
Register for your space — SC1 London Spotlight: The Future of Health and Life Sciences — The Shard
From classroom to clinic — SC1 London student work experience
Six talented students from Ark Evelyn Grace Academy in Lambeth have just completed an inspiring work experience programme with King’s Health Partners, as part of our SC1 London Health and Life Sciences Innovation District.
The programme was offered as a prize for the champions of Motivez’s Sustainable London competition. In July, the group won the city-wide battle with their sustain-a-cast idea, a biodegradable cast made from mushroom mycelium that could replace traditional plaster cast.
Throughout the programme, the students were immersed into the world of health and life sciences, meeting surgeons, pharmacists, engineers and patient and public engagement coordinators at sites across the district. They took part in patient care simulations, discussed cutting-edge innovations with orthopaedic surgeons, explored the power of surgical engineering and toured Synnovis labs.
Finishing on a high, the students interviewed Professor Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Surgery at King’s College London and one of the world’s leading robotic urological surgeons, gaining insight into his decades-long career. The week concluded with a showcase presentation of all that the students had learned and how their experience had furthered their thinking on their trophy-winning idea, sustain-a-cast.
Chinonso, one of the students who completed the work experience programme, said:
’It has inspired me greatly, because there's lots of people that we've met that didn't even need to study medicine to get into jobs in medicine. It shows that just hard work and perseverance can get you places.’
Radwah Orabi, Senior Programme Manager at Motivez, said:
’It’s been a fantastic opportunity to partner with King’s Health Partners and SC1 London to give our Motivez Sustainable London Champions an inspiring work experience. It’s great to see initiatives like these being supported by the Mayor of London and the London Borough of Lambeth, and we hope to see them expanded across London to serve even more underrepresented young people.
We look forward to further developing this partnership to continue inspiring young people and opening their eyes to career paths they may not have considered before, or knew existed. This is exactly what Motivez stands for — bringing opportunities to the doorsteps of underserved young people and making the unreachable, reachable.’
Professor Graham Lord, Executive Director at King’s Health Partners and Co‑Chair of SC1 London, said:
’Congratulations to our brilliant Lambeth students for their hard work and curiosity. Their achievements throughout this programme highlight the important role SC1 London has to play in supporting young people to see themselves in health and life science careers.’