The rise of mid-tech real estate: Adapt or get left behind

While high-spec labs and flagship campuses have dominated headlines, a quieter revolution is underway -  the rise of mid-tech real estate. These hybrid spaces are designed for a broad range of scientific and technical uses and are becoming essential to the UK’s innovation infrastructure.

Mid-tech is gaining momentum beyond traditional hubs like London and Cambridge, offering a more affordable, adaptable alternative to premium lab space. Often called “tech boxes”, these buildings feature high ceilings, roller shutter doors, and flexible layouts. They can support everything from cleanrooms and wet labs to prototyping, light manufacturing, and large-scale testing.

Why flexibility matters

In an era of rapid technological change and economic uncertainty, predicting future occupier needs is increasingly difficult. This shift challenges developers to create spaces that are functional today and adaptable tomorrow.

Flexibility has long been a buzzword in science real estate, but it must now be a core design principle. Historically, it meant accommodating different lab configurations or tenant sizes. Today, it means supporting a wide spectrum of uses from dry labs and digital R&D to physical sciences and cleanrooms.

The mid-tech advantage

Mid-tech buildings are uniquely suited to meet these demands. Their structural features from generous ceiling heights, robust power supplies, and capacity for mezzanines or external plant make them inherently versatile. They can be reconfigured to support scale-ups, sensitive equipment, or transitions from research to commercialisation.

With venture capital being more selective, early-stage companies are seeking solutions that reduce overhead costs. Tech boxes are also more cost-effective with rents significantly lower than prime lab locations. Mid-tech spaces are especially attractive to scaling businesses, allowing them to focus more of their budget on the science.

Designing for the unknown

One key takeaway is that buildings must be designed not just for current demand, but for future change. Real estate development takes a number of years to complete and the impact of technological advancement is not yet known, so decisions on design must be made long before the fruition of the market it will need to accommodate. The most resilient buildings will be those designed with maximum flexibility from the outset.

This means embedding flexibility into the design. Developers should consider adaptable M&E infrastructure, unit accessibility, logistical ease, modular layouts, large spans and high ceilings that will allow the space to evolve with tenant needs.

A strategic opportunity

For developers and investors, mid-tech offers an option that may better future-proof portfolios and meet growing demand for versatile, affordable space. As occupier needs diversify, there’s a clear gap between traditional industrial units and high-end labs, one that mid-tech is perfectly positioned to fill.

The challenge now is to push the model further. Can we intensify mid-tech sites to provide more space on the footprint and apply this to urban and premium locations? 

We can’t predict the future, but we can plan for change – the answer lies in embracing flexibility not just as a feature, but as a foundational design principle.

Further information

Contact Emily Slupek

Building & Project Consultancy