At Harwell we like big ideas.

But more than that, we like to give our people the facilities, support and infrastructure to use those ideas to make a real difference. From the tailors who stitch the cloth to wrap satellites to the research groups investigating llama nanobodies to help fight viruses, our people are what define Harwell’s success. Alongside scientific innovation, we believe in the power of collaboration and the cross-pollination of ideas to solve the problems facing our world today.

Who we are

Originally founded in 1946 to tackle the energy crisis and advance nuclear technology, today, we are home to a federation of leading science and technology organisations and facilities.

Our campus is a unique collaboration between government, academia and industry working to accelerate progress on the key issues of our time – from pandemic preparedness to clean energy. Our community includes publicly funded scientific infrastructure like the National Quantum Computing Centre and the Central Laser Facility, anchor organisations like the European Space Agency, innovative private sector organisations like Oxford Nanopore and Astroscale alongside teams from 30 UK universities.

What we do

Harwell Science and Innovation Campus’ purpose has always been to enable breakthroughs – at scale – via science, innovation and collaboration. We take a theory (or several) and apply it to create a tangible solution to a problem. By creating a critical mass of scientists, shared knowledge and incredible machines we enable breakthroughs that change the course of history.

The campus is managed and developed by a group of organisations – the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the UK Atomic Energy Authority and a private sector investor, Brookfield. We are investing significantly in the campus to add homes, facilities and more R&D space to enable sustainable growth and an even faster rate of innovation.