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UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council
About us
UKRI Science & Technology Facilities Council innovation ecosystem at Daresbury Laboratory, on the Sci-Tech Daresbury Campus, turns deep tech ideas into impactful businesses by creating the conditions for them to thrive. We do this by providing access to world-class research facilities and expertise, a curated growth environment, and expert-led accelerator programmes.
As part of UKRI and STFC, we are embedded in the UK’s science and innovation ecosystem. Every business we support can therefore plug straight into our powerful network of scientists, technologists, universities, industry connections, and funders from across the world, helping them scale faster, smarter and with more confidence.
We are relationship-led, working in close partnership with high-potential businesses to understand their needs and reduce the risks of innovating and scaling at pace. By combining deep expertise with tailored, hands-on support, our offer empowers founders to scale their businesses with confidence. That’s why 90% of the businesses we incubate are still thriving in year five.
We provide access to a wide variety of fully equipped specialist labs and unique, facilities, alongside the deep technical knowledge and expertise needed to supercharge R&D.
With specialist consultancy, dedicated training, calibration and knowledge transfer offered as standard, our service is unrivalled – turning equipment into capability and giving founders the space to test, iterate and prove.
Since our model is built around public value, not profit, we help science-led businesses access the infrastructure they need to truly accelerate growth.
Products & services
ITAC Material Labs
Chemical and Material Laboratories with access to shared equipment and facilities.
3D Printing
Dedicated additive manufacturing laboratory, designed to support businesses in accelerating product development.
5G Ecosystem
Our 5G Ecosystem offers businesses a powerful platform to develop, test, and scale next-generation digital solutions
Digital Prototyping
Digital prototyping tools to virtually model and demonstrate key features during the product development process.
Living Lab
CTH offers businesses an environment to test, develop, and showcase innovative technologies.
Laboratory Equipment Access
Our shared laboratory facilities provide access to high-quality analytical equipment.
ITAC Biology Labs
Biology Laboratories (up to class II) with access to shared biological equipment and facilities.
News
Meta Healthcare Ltd becomes first company to join new facility, advancing treatments for patients with rare metabolic diseases
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has launched its first scale-up facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury, to help ambitious north west start-ups bridge the gap between early success and sustainable commercial growth.
UK biotech start-ups to spark innovations to improve our lives
From healthcare to food production, seven biotech start-ups have joined a government-backed business incubator to bring innovations to market and improve lives
STFC backs 10 pioneering health start-ups at Daresbury Laboratory
From early lung cancer detection to heart failure prediction, businesses at the DeepTech Catalyst Health are developing breakthrough technologies to improve patient outcomes.