Discovery Park is one of Europe’s leading science and technology business parks with:
- 1.5 million sq. ft. of world class laboratories
- R&D facilities
- premium office space, and
- bespoke warehousing.
It is home to over 160 companies, across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, technology and professional services. Over 3,000 people are employed on site.
Major tenants include
Asymchem, Pfizer, Cummins, Curadev Pharma, Eligochem, GrowUp Farms, Viatris (USA), GeneaBiomedx (Australia), Concept Life Sciences, HyPoint Ltd, Tetrad Discovery, Transpharmation LGC, BSPG, Saga, Unilabs York Bioanalytical Solutions.
High tech laboratory space
Discovery Park has recently refurbished 50,000 sq. ft. in the iconic Building 500 building. This provides incubator laboratory and write-up to accommodate early stage and scale-up life science businesses. It has the only Barclays Eagle Lab in Kent.
The site offers high quality, ready to go research lab space for rent with access to private write-up space, bench space and self-contained bespoke units. Options range from 300 to 50,000 sq. ft. These can support chemical, biological, pharmaceutical and analytical research.
Education is a growing focus, with Canterbury Christ Church University’s (CCCU) on-site Life Science Industry Liaison Laboratory linking academia with on-site science businesses carrying out pioneering research. CCCU and Discovery Park recently opened Co-Lab, a new co-working lab space for early-stage life science businesses.
The site benefits from a Dover District Council Local Development Order with simplified planning. It has also been designated as a Life Sciences Opportunity Zone by the UK Office for Life Sciences.
Business Services
The wider community at Discovery Park in Dover district includes a range of professional and support services for business, from accountants to patent attorneys – with space for business of all sizes from start-up to global headquarters. These are an essential part of the science park campus eco-system.
Biomass Plant
The £160m combined heat and power renewable energy plans is the first of its kind at a UK science park. The plant produces 27MW of green electricity, supplying heat and power to Discovery Park and exports electricity to supply the equivalent of 50,000 homes to the national grid, saving over 100,000 tons of CO2 every year.
Thanet Parkway
Thanet Parkway has increased rail connectivity between East Kent, London and the wider Kent area by providing access to mainline and high-speed services. Now open, the station, has opened more employment opportunities for local residents. It has also increased investment opportunities at Discovery Park and surrounding business parks in Thanet.
Place to Live and Work
Discovery Park is more than a science and technology park. It is a key part of the ongoing regeneration of Dover District with the emerging Thanet Parkway, offering even faster links to London. With up to 500 new homes planned, it will be a great place to live too.
St James Retail and Leisure Development
Dover District Council worked with its development partner, Bond City, on a prime 8-acre site that has transformed the retail and leisure offer in the heart of Dover town centre. The St James Retail and Leisure development sits alongside the A20, the main road leading to the Port of Dover and attracts significant footfall.
The St James development comprises 156,915 sq. ft. of new retail and leisure space, parking for 450 cars, and features a 16,000 sq. ft. M&S store, a six-screen multiplex Cineworld cinema, a 108-bed Travelodge hotel and both national and local restaurants, including Nandos, Burger King and Rico Sabor. There are 12 retail units ranging in size from 2,730 sq. ft. to 16,000 sq. ft.
Port of Dover
As Europe’s busiest roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) and passenger port, Dover is the perfect location for businesses involved in transport, logistics, travel and hospitality. Or, for that matter, anyone looking to do business with Europe. As the ‘Gateway to Europe’ Dover handles £100bn worth of trade annually.
Over 13 million people travel via Dover every year – that’s more passengers than Britain’s fifth busiest airport! A ferry leaves or enters the port every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.
Dover is also the UK’s second busiest cruise port with two dedicated cruise terminals which are also available for hire for corporate events and exhibitions. Many of the world’s leading cruise lines call at Dover.
The port has a wide range of commercial property available for those looking to relocate or set-up a business on the Enterprise Coast.
Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR)
Dover Marina and Curve
The waterfront has been transformed with a new marina pier and curve to attract a host of shops, bars cafes and restaurants with Dover’s unique backdrop of the harbour, cliffs and castle. The Marina Curve is a popular events space with world-class food stalls and regular live music performances.
New Cargo Terminal
Dover’s cargo business has been relocated with a new cargo terminal and distribution centre which has created greater space within the Eastern Docks for ferry traffic and much needed high quality employment opportunities for local people.
Port of Dover Cargo specialises in the handling, storage and freight forwarding of temperature controlled commodities. Dover Cargo Terminal is ideally situated for fast shipments of perishable goods by both sea and road.
Lying at the closest geographical point to the European continent and close to all of the Channel’s main shipping lanes, Dover is also directly connected to the M2 and M20 motorways which inter-connect to the M25 London orbital route, giving fast and smooth access to central London as well as all other parts of the UK.
Dover Cargo Terminal offers a wide range of facilities including 24-hour access, no locks or tidal restrictions and a minimum quay water depth of 8.5 metres. As a result, vessels can berth at any time – day or night – taking as little as 40 minutes.
Whitfield
Whitfield is a key site for housing and employment growth with the largest strategic allocation of new housing as part of the Whitfield Urban Extension.
The site now features a 28,000 sq. ft. Lidl food store and a £26m Leisure Centre, featuring a competition standard eight-lane swimming pool.
There are existing business parks, including the Honeywood Retail Park with further development land available.
White Cliffs Business Park
At 26 hectares and strategically located close to the Port of Dover and motorway network, the White Cliffs Business Park offers a prime location for distribution, manufacturing, warehousing and business users.
The new TRIDAZ Business Park for office and industrial use opened in 2023.