Uni of Liverpool takes space in Spine 

The university has signed a three-year deal for 5,000 sq ft on the 10th floor of the Paddington Village office building. 

University of Liverpool’s Spine space will be managed by Sciontec Developments under its expanding flexible workspace brand. 

Sciontec launched its AI offering in the Spine last April when the company took over 10,000 sq ft of Royal College of Physicians’ space on the first and second floors. 

RCP originally signed for 70,000 sq ft across six floors at the Spine and, after handing over part of its footprint to Sciontec last spring, the company has now surrendered another chunk of space. 

Ian Bullock, chief executive of The Royal College of Physicians, said giving up space contributes towards its goal of “creating a thriving community” within the building. 

“It is fantastic to see the joint vision of Sciontec AI workspace at The Spine go from strength to strength, mirroring our drive to actively promote and create a thriving workspace that attracts and retains a highly-skilled workforce, whilst being a leading example of a healthy workplace,” he said. 

Half of the 10th floor will provide 75 desks, breakout spaces, and meeting rooms for the University of Liverpool with RCP retaining the rest. 

“Welcoming the University of Liverpool to The Spine adds another level of dynamism to the Sciontec AI community,” said Leanne Katsande, head of commercial at Sciontec. 

 “We are delighted to be able to provide an increased offering for serviced office type accommodation with flexible terms, and we will continue to work with our partners to meet this ongoing market demand.” 

Other tenants within AI space at the Spine include LYVA Labs, The Pandemic Institute, and Morgan Sindall. 

Cashplus occupies the vast majority of the building’s flex space. The digital bank doubled its footprint to 12,000 sq ft in May.  

Sciontec AI is eyeing further expansion, including within Hemisphere, a 116,000 sq ft lab and office building proposed at Paddington Village. 

Last week, Place North West revealed plans for Compound Labs, the third commercial building at the site, were in the works.  

The 126,000 sq ft scheme featured in a report published by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority outlining how it plans to spend the £80m government gave it to set up its investment zone. 

Compound Labs, which will benefit from more than £20m from the investment zone pot, would provide a 43,000 sq ft home for the University of Liverpool’s Centre of Excellence for Long-Lasting Therapeutics. 

Meanwhile, 50,000 sq ft within Hemisphere has been earmarked as a home for The Pandemic Preparedness and Response Facility.