Shorter research and development (R&D) timelines, ongoing cost pressures and sudden shifts in research priorities are driving new trends in lab design and location. Flexible space and access to talent are the keys to agile R&D, according to a new report from JLL, Journey to the next gen lab.
The average return on R&D investments among large biopharmaceutical firms has declined dramatically from 10.1 percent in 2010 to a paltry 3.2 percent in 2017. In the race for breakthrough innovations, companies are seeking collaboration and more flexible facilities.
"As a result of organizational cost pressures and a stronger focus on shortening the product lifecycle, R&D real estate is becoming multiuse," said Roger Humphrey, Executive Managing Director and leader of JLL's Life Sciences group. "The result is a drive toward highly flexible and attractive workplaces that appeal to not only scientific, but technical talent."
Through interviews with executives at 15 leading biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, JLL has uncovered three trends pointing toward the future laboratory space.
Designing for flexibility and collaboration
Amidst rapidly shifting research priorities, scientists need space that can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different kinds of research and facilitate interaction with colleagues. Mobile benches and unassigned workspaces, for example, allow for fast changes in personnel and the type of work being performed. As one executive said, "Scientists want to have the flexibility that allows them to get their studies done as quickly as possible."
"Behind the scenes, flexibility begins with infrastructure," Humphrey said. "For example, you can hang retractable electrical cords from the ceiling so you're not limited to placing equipment against a wall. You can build thick floor slabs into the laboratory corridors and hide technical infrastructure behind a façade so you can easily move people and equipment."