Tech-focused developer Sciontec has reported a record financial year for 2025, with turnover reaching £3.7m and record occupancy across its portfolio. The company also confirmed that construction on its new £69m office and laboratory development, Hemisphere One, will begin in April 2027.
The public-private joint venture, which includes Bruntwood SciTech, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool John Moores University, and the University of Liverpool, saw its success driven primarily by the opening of Central Tech in Liverpool city centre. The building, formerly known as Sensor City, features distinctive gold circuit board cladding and is marketed as a global hub for innovation in health, life sciences, technology, and digitalisation.
Record Occupancy and Financial Performance
Central Tech opened in May 2025 and achieved over 60% occupancy by the end of the financial year on September 30, 2025. As of mid-2026, occupancy has risen to 90%, with tenants including IT firm Bellrock, IN4 Group, DefProc Engineering, and LYVA Labs. Sciontec's Liverpool Science Park also maintained occupancy levels above 90% during the period, housing organisations such as the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Elida Beauty, Pierian Biosciences, and Renewvax.
The company also manages serviced office space at The Spine building in Paddington Village on behalf of the Royal College of Physicians. Tenants there include Zempler Bank, Marks & Clerk, Morgan Sindall, the Pandemic Institute, and RTC North.
Hemisphere One Development Plans
Sciontec's next major project is Hemisphere One, an eight-storey red-brick building located near The Spine in Paddington Village. The £69m development will provide 150,000 sq ft of laboratory and research space. Construction is scheduled to start in April 2027.
In January 2026, Barbara Spicer succeeded Professor Mark Power, vice-chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, as chair of Sciontec. Professor Power commented on the company's performance: “We are pleased to report a strong and resilient performance over the past financial year. Against the backdrop of a challenging wider market, we have achieved record turnover and returned a ‘group’ profit once again. This has been underpinned by expanding our innovation portfolio and welcoming a record number of businesses into our spaces. Our team also works hard to maintain strong relationships with existing customers, which now number over 100.”
Future Outlook and Market Demand
Barbara Spicer added: “These are hugely encouraging financial results and reflect the commitment of our team to delivering world-class innovation spaces right here in Liverpool and boosting the city region’s existing strengths in areas such as health and life sciences, materials chemistry, AI, digital, tech and advanced manufacturing. Consistent high levels of occupancy reinforce the market demand for new science and tech developments and we will be pushing ahead with confidence on our plans for HEMISPHERE One over the next year.”
Sciontec's record year and ambitious plans underscore Liverpool's growing role as a hub for science and technology innovation, with strong demand for specialised lab and office space driving further investment.
