Guide to Different Types of Rental Labs

Bruntwood SciTech supports the UK’s growing life science ecosystem by offering a diverse range of rental labs designed for businesses across every stage of discovery and development. From wet and dry labs to coworking and open-access spaces, our sites provide the infrastructure, flexibility and location innovation-led businesses need to thrive.

In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of lab space to rent across our national portfolio, explain the difference between dry and wet labs, and showcase how specialist innovation communities in Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge and beyond are enabling breakthrough science.

Labs to Rent from Bruntwood SciTech

Whether you're an early-stage startup, scaling R&D team or established multinational, Bruntwood SciTech offers lab space to rent across the UK, with locations in key innovation clusters. We provide:

• Wet labs: Specialist labs with drainage, ventilation and services suitable for chemical, biological or biomedical research.

• Dry labs: Controlled environments for data modelling, diagnostics, medtech development or software-based innovation.

• Coworking and open-access labs: Flexible options for individuals or small teams to rent benches, desks or shared equipment.

• Made and managed lab space: Fully fitted and managed by our team, ideal for scaling businesses with evolving needs.

Our developments are designed to grow with you, with lab spaces available from small suites and benches through to full floors and standalone R&D hubs.

Wet Lab vs Dry Lab

Understanding the difference between dry and wet labs is essential when selecting the right space for your business.

• Wet labs are designed for hands-on scientific experimentation with liquids, chemicals, tissues, or biological matter. These labs are essential for disciplines such as molecular biology, biomedical science, and chemistry research. They require fume hoods, specialist drainage, safety equipment and ventilation.

• Dry labs focus on research involving data, coding, analytics, simulations or hardware engineering, often in areas like medtech, imaging, diagnostics or software development. These labs do not require the same environmental controls and can be more adaptable in layout.

Many Bruntwood SciTech locations offer both wet and dry lab spaces under one roof, enabling multi-disciplinary collaboration and simplifying co-location for hybrid science companies.

Coworking Lab Space

Open-access lab space offers flexible, cost-effective access to professional R&D facilities without the need to lease a private suite. Ideal for startups, academic spinouts or remote teams, our coworking lab space is equipped with shared benches, core equipment and communal services.

This format allows businesses to test early concepts, work alongside like-minded innovators and scale into larger spaces as they grow. At Manchester Science Park and Alderley Park, coworking lab users also benefit from direct access to Bruntwood SciTech’s business support programmes and specialist partners.

Manchester Science Park

As one of the UK’s most established life science campuses, Manchester Science Park (MSP) offers both wet and dry lab space for rent, designed to support startups all the way through to scaling commercial labs.

Base, located on the MSP campus, is home to medtech, advanced materials, and digital health companies. Greenheys will expand this offering further, with high-spec biolab and chemistry research lab facilities ideal for diagnostics and precision medicine innovators. MSP also houses coworking and open-access lab space for early-stage teams.

Greenheys

Greenheys, home to UK Biobank, is a cutting-edge development within Manchester Science Park designed for high-growth life science and biotech companies.

It offers flexible wet lab space for rent, as well as access to write-up areas, dry labs, and co-working science facilities. Located in the heart of the city’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district, Greenheys has been named a Government Life Science Opportunity Zone and High Potential Opportunity area.

Tenants benefit from close links to the University of Manchester and major NHS trusts, enabling rapid research translation, clinical partnerships and trial support.

Citylabs 4.0

Part of the award-winning Citylabs campus on the Oxford Road Corridor, Citylabs 4.0 offers state-of-the-art rental labs for companies working in diagnostics, genomics, digital health and medtech.

Set within Europe’s largest clinical-academic campus, Citylabs 4.0 brings together NHS access, academic partnerships, and advanced infrastructure to support translational science. Wet and dry labs sit alongside office and collaboration spaces, ideal for hybrid teams.

Rutherford House

Rutherford House is located at Manchester Science Park. It offers a unique setting for life science companies seeking proximity to the UK’s leading biomedical data resource.

With a mix of dry and wet lab facilities available, Rutherford House supports companies working in health data, precision medicine and AI-led healthcare innovation. The building is also connected to wider campus resources at MSP, including events, community space and funding support.

Alderley Park

Alderley Park in Cheshire is a world-class science campus offering rental labs, grow-on space and bespoke suites for life science businesses.

From early-stage coworking benches through to fully serviced chemistry research labs, Alderley Park supports a spectrum of R&D activity in oncology, diagnostics, therapeutics and beyond. On-site amenities include shared equipment, specialist containment labs, GMP manufacturing support, and clinical trials access via strategic NHS partnerships.

Birmingham Health Innovation Campus

Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC) is a flagship development in the West Midlands, offering lab space to rent in a location designed to support health and medtech innovation.

As a Life Sciences Opportunity Zone, BHIC provides both dry and wet labs, coworking benches and all-inclusive lab suites. Companies benefit from partnerships with the University of Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham and NHS trust networks – accelerating clinical validation and growth.

Liverpool Science Park

Liverpool Science Park offers flexible lab space for rent, with a focus on digital health, diagnostics and material science.

Wet labs are available alongside write-up and coworking options, with close proximity to the University of Liverpool and the city’s health innovation assets. Tenants at Liverpool Science Park also gain access to Bruntwood SciTech’s wider business support programmes and funding networks.

Whether you're exploring wet lab vs dry lab, looking for flexible coworking space or seeking high-spec chemistry research lab facilities, Bruntwood SciTech offers an unmatched portfolio of rental labs across the UK.

To find out more about lab space to rent near you, visit our lab space page or get in touch to discuss your requirements.