Deerns helps life sciences organisations make the right decisions early, aligning engineering excellence, compliance and long-term performance in a rapidly changing environment.
The life sciences sector is undergoing swift and sustained change. Economic pressure, geopolitical shifts, stricter regulations, growing ESG expectations and rapid technological developments are reshaping how facilities are planned, delivered and operated.
" Across Europe, life science organisations face a shared challenge: delivering safe, high-quality products while controlling cost, risk, speed to market and long-term performance.
At Deerns, we work with clients across the life sciences value chain, from research laboratories and innovation campuses to large-scale production facilities. What we see consistently is that today’s trends are interconnected. Addressing them successfully requires early, integrated planning that aligns with technical, regulatory, financial and sustainable considerations.
Cost pressure in a rapidly changing environment
The life sciences go beyond just the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. They focus on the entire research and development lifecycle in different industries including health, agriculture and food – all aimed at creating products to improving overall life quality. While market conditions differ, cost pressure is universal across these diverse fields.
3 key factors that continue to affect both capital expenditure and operational costs:
- Stringent and evolving regulatory requirements
- Necessity of high-technology facilities and infrastructure
- Supply chain constraints, resource availability and increasing geopolitical uncertainty
At the same time, healthcare systems across Europe are under increasing strain due to ageing populations, rising non-communicable diseases and competing public spending priorities. This places added pressure on pharmaceutical and biotech companies to deliver advanced, tailored and affordable products without compromising safety or quality. For facilities, this means greater focus on modular, efficient, scalable and flexible designs as well as informed investment decisions made early in the project lifecycle. Increasingly, cost control must also account for whole-life value, including operational efficiency, adaptability and long-term compliance.
Personalised medicine and shared ecosystems
A major shift within the sector is the move towards personalised medicine, including Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) such as Gene and Cell therapies. These therapies are often a shift from the one-size-fits-all care model towards tailored treatments driven by the advances in technology, genomics and the move towards preventive care. While clinically promising, these developments often involve longer development cycles, smaller batch sizes and higher costs per product. The results are increased OPEX and CAPEX, combined with heightened regulatory and operational complexity.
In response, innovation clusters and science parks have become increasingly important. Shared laboratories, pilot facilities and multi-tenant buildings allow organisations to access specialist infrastructure while retaining flexibility and controlling costs. These environments must support diverse users and evolving research models and highly specialised processes while remaining compliant.
Case Study: Kadans Plus Ultra Leiden
A good example is Kadans Plus Ultra Leiden, located at the Leiden Bio Science Park. This highly sustainable, multi-tenant building combines laboratories and offices within a flexible framework. Deerns acted as a design partner from early design through delivery, providing installation technology, building physics, fire safety and BREEAM consultancy. The project demonstrates how flexibility, sustainability and regulatory requirements can be successfully integrated to support a dynamic life sciences community.
Regulation, safety and compliance
Strict regulation has always been fundamental to life sciences and will remain so. Environmental standards, safety requirements, data integrity obligations and quality frameworks continue to evolve, leaving little room for error. Whether designing GMP laboratories, cleanrooms or production facilities, safety is always paramount.
Increasingly, compliance must be embedded from the outset. Early integration of regulatory requirements reduces risk, supports faster validation and commissioning, improves efficiency and avoids costly redesign later in the process. This approach is particularly important in highly regulated environments where layout, building services, workflows and data-systems are closely linked to compliance and speed to market.
Case Study: Wageningen University & Research
Deerns is currently supporting Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in designing a visionary and technically demanding laboratory facility. The energy-neutral building, which encompasses an array of unique structures critical for global biodiversity and food security, sets new benchmarks in sustainability, building physics and engineering.
Smart technology and intelligent laboratories
Digitalisation is reshaping life sciences facilities at multiple levels. Artificial intelligence and data-driven tools are accelerating early-stage research and improving precision, while automation, monitoring systems and digital twins are becoming integral to laboratory and production environments.
Facilities must be designed to support these technologies in a robust, secure and adaptable way. Intelligent laboratories incorporate advanced monitoring, automation and efficient resource management, supporting both innovation and long-term operational efficiency. At the same time, increased digital connectivity introduces new challenges. Cybersecurity, data integrity and IT/OT integration are now critical design considerations, particulary in a GxP environment. Smart technology is no longer optional; it is essential to meeting regulatory requirements, controlling operating costs and safeguarding operational continuity.
Cost control as an integrated discipline
As projects become more complex, disciplined cost control has become a defining requirement. Long delivery timelines, technical complexity, ESG obligations and regulatory demands make reactive budget management ineffective.
At Deerns, cost control is integrated with technical, regulatory and sustainable decision-making from the earliest stages. This approach supports 3 essential outcomes:
- Clear definition of technical and functional requirements
- Data-informed decision-making and effective risk management
- Predictable outcomes, transparency and long-term value across the asset life cycle
By addressing cost proactively, clients are better equipped to balance ambition with financial realism throughout the project lifecycle.
Tailored solutions in practice
Each life sciences project involves a unique combination of regulatory, operational and organisational requirements. Deerns works as an integrated design partner, combining life sciences expertise with complementary services such as building physics, fire safety, sustainability and cost management.
Case Study: DSM Biotechnology Centre
This approach is reflected in the DSM Biotechnology Centre in Delft. The research centre brings together laboratories, cleanrooms, offices and collaboration spaces within a highly regulated environment. Deerns was involved across all technical disciplines, working closely with DSM’s research teams and the architect to balance sustainability, strict temperature control, flexibility and efficient logistics. Early stakeholder engagement was key to delivering a facility that supports both current research needs and future adaptation.
Looking ahead
Several trends are likely to shape the next phase of life sciences development. Retrofitting and adaptive reuse of existing buildings is becoming increasingly relevant in Europe, supporting sustainability goals while making use of well-located assets near talent and research hubs. At the same time, competition for skilled personnel means facilities must be safe, compliant and attractive places to work.
At Deerns, we help clients navigate this complexity through early engagement, integrated expertise and a tailored approach. Through the alignment of technical, regulatory, sustainable and financial considerations from the outset, we support the creation of life sciences environments that are safe, flexible, resilient and prepared for the future.
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