Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
About us
Our 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
Laboratory Equipment Access
We help science-led businesses access the infrastructure they need to truly accelerate growth. Our shared laboratory facilities provide businesses with access to high-quality analytical equipment without the burden of heavy investment to purchase. Through our easy and affordable pay-as-you-go model, businesses can carry out their own research and development using calibrated, well-maintained equipment in a safe and professional environment. This provides businesses with full control over the analysis and the results, empowering them to carry out research and development while keeping costs manageable. With a diverse community of businesses using our equipment, there are also valuable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange, helping drive innovation across sectors.
Living Lab
The Living Lab at STFC’s Campus Technology Hub offers businesses a unique opportunity to test, develop, and showcase innovative technologies in a real-world environment. Equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure including 5G, LoRaWAN, IoT platforms alongside 3D printing and VR/AR technologies. The facility enables small and medium-sized enterprises to accelerate product development, validate solutions, and access expert technical support. Whether you’re working on smart city applications, digital health tools, or advanced manufacturing systems, the Living Lab provides a flexible and low-risk space to experiment and refine your ideas. SMEs benefit from direct access to STFC’s research expertise, collaborative networks, and innovation funding pathways, helping to bridge the gap between concept and commercialisation. The Living Lab fosters co-creation with industry, academia, and public sector partners, making it an ideal launchpad for scalable, impactful technologies. With tailored support and a collaborative ethos, the Campus Technology Hub empowers SMEs to drive digital transformation and unlock new market opportunities.
Digital Prototyping
Digital prototyping tools are increasingly used to virtually model and demonstrate key features during the product development process. STFC’s Development Team specialises in creating digital prototypes that bring complex technologies to life. Using advanced physics engines and modelling techniques, we visualise the behaviour and performance of real or conceptual systems in accurate, engaging ways. Our digital prototypes are powerful communication tools, helping to explain complex ideas, demonstrate functionality, and engage audiences — whether showcasing new innovations or recreating scenarios that are difficult or impossible to demonstrate physically. We design tailored digital environments to support each project, producing outputs ranging from imagery and video to immersive Augmented and Virtual Reality experiences for demonstration, training, and stakeholder engagement.
5G Ecosystem
Our 5G Ecosystem offers businesses a powerful platform to develop, test, and scale next-generation digital solutions. With access to private 5G networks, edge computing, and advanced data services, businesses can explore high-performance applications in areas such as smart manufacturing, digital health, and intelligent transport. The ecosystem provides a secure, low-latency environment for real-world experimentation, helping businesses accelerate innovation and reduce time-to-market. Through the ecosystem businesses also benefit from direct collaboration with STFC experts, tailored technical support, and connections to regional and national innovation networks. The 5G Ecosystem is designed to de-risk R&D, unlock new business models, and open doors to funding and commercial partnerships. Whether you’re building connected products or exploring new service offerings, the ecosystem provides the tools and community to help businesses thrive in the digital economy.
3D Printing
The STFC Campus Technology Hub features is home to a dedicated additive manufacturing laboratory, designed to support businesses in accelerating product development. The facility enables rapid prototyping for design verification, user testing, field trials, and pre-manufacturing evaluation. Equipped with a diverse suite of additive manufacturing technologies, including high-end industrial systems and advanced metal laser sintering, the lab can produce components using over 50 different materials. These include high-performance polymers, standard engineering polymers, and titanium alloys, offering exceptional functionality for complex and demanding applications.
News
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.
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
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.