LGC Group launches £20 m National Laboratories facility in Guildford

LGC Group has officially opened a new purpose-built “National Laboratories” facility in Guildford, reinforcing the UK’s leadership in measurement science. The £20 million investment brings together three pivotal national science functions under one roof for the first time: the National Measurement Laboratory (NML), the Office of the Government Chemist (GC) and the chemical laboratories of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). These teams will deliver trusted measurement science that supports public health, product safety and innovation across medicines, food, environment and manufacturing.

Located in The Priestley Building at Surrey Research Park, the facility is designed to connect national capability with academia, industry and the health-service ecosystem in a low-carbon, future-proof environment. LGC’s President & CEO, Joydeep Goswami, said the move signals “long-term confidence in the UK’s scientific infrastructure”. Commenting on its wider significance, Lord Patrick Vallance highlighted that many everyday advances—from new medicines to high food-safety standards—rely on the measurement-science foundations housed in the facility.

The NML will continue producing international reference measurement procedures and calibration services so that UK-generated data can be trusted globally. The Office of the Government Chemist will provide independent referee analysis in food and feed regulation, and the MHRA labs will safeguard that medicines and healthcare products reaching patients are safe and effective. Together this new facility becomes a core piece of the UK’s “invisible infrastructure” for science, regulation and innovation, tackling emerging challenges such as advanced therapeutics, antimicrobial resistance, food security and sustainable manufacturing.