GSK will close its 50-year-old research and development site in Stevenage by 2029 and move more than 1,000 scientists to a new flagship centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The phased relocation forms part of a £400 million UK investment but comes alongside a separate global savings programme that will involve job losses.
The 1,000 figure does not represent confirmed redundancies. Most of those scientists are expected to transfer to Cambridge, while some Stevenage employees will move to upgraded laboratories in Ware, Hertfordshire. GSK has not disclosed how many jobs will ultimately be eliminated.
What has GSK announced?
GSK will establish a 300,000-square-foot global R&D centre in three buildings being developed by Prologis. The £400 million investment over three years covers the Cambridge centre, improvements at Ware and the reorganisation of research teams.
Employees will move in phases before GSK vacates Stevenage in 2029. Individual transfer dates, relocation support and team-level arrangements have not been published. GSK’s global headquarters in London is unaffected.
Are 1,000 GSK jobs being cut?
No. More than 1,000 scientists are expected to work at the Cambridge facility, meaning the number primarily describes relocated roles rather than job losses.
GSK has separately launched a programme targeting £1.9 billion in annual savings by 2029. Chief executive Luke Miels confirmed that redundancies would be involved but did not provide a global total.
About 45% of the savings are expected to come from support services, procurement and simpler internal processes. Another 40% would come from shifting resources away from established treatments and towards new medicines. The programme is expected to cost approximately £2.4 billion to implement.
The employment impact could extend beyond Stevenage, although GSK has not identified every affected department or location. The decision follows other major employers reviewing staffing and operating costs, including the recently announced British Gas workforce reductions.
Why is GSK moving to Cambridge?
Cambridge offers close access to hospitals, patients, universities, biotechnology companies and specialist researchers. GSK believes this concentration can help move discoveries from laboratories into clinical trials more quickly.
According to GSK’s official announcement, Cambridge Biomedical Campus has more than 22,000 life-sciences workers, over 37,000 daily visitors and more than 470 biopharma, biotechnology and AI companies. More than one million patients are treated there annually.
The campus includes Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Royal Papworth Hospital and AstraZeneca. GSK already participates in Cambridge collaborations covering immunology, metabolic science, immune ageing and data-driven discovery.
Cambridge South station provides direct rail services to Stevenage. This could allow some scientists to transfer without moving home, although longer journeys and additional travel costs may still affect employees and their families.
What will GSK research at the new centre?
The technology-enabled laboratories will support research into oncology, respiratory diseases, hepatology, vaccines and HIV. GSK intends to begin 20 Phase 3 trials in 2026, double the number announced earlier in the year.
Phase 3 trials are large studies that assess how well a treatment works and examine its safety before regulatory approval is requested. The expanded programme is intended to help GSK deliver new medicines faster and reach more than £40 billion in annual sales by 2031.
Miels, previously GSK’s chief commercial officer, succeeded Emma Walmsley as chief executive at the beginning of 2026.
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Why GSK needs new medicines
Several important HIV medicines containing dolutegravir are expected to lose exclusivity in the United States and Europe between 2028 and 2030. Lower-cost competition after those protections expire could place pressure on GSK’s revenue.
The company invests more than £6 billion in R&D annually, including over £1.5 billion in the UK. Its second-quarter revenue increased 5% at constant exchange rates to about £8.4 billion, while specialty-medicine revenue rose 14%.
Operating profit nevertheless fell sharply after a £1.3 billion impairment connected with the discontinued experimental cough treatment camlipixant. GSK shares rose after the Cambridge investment, expanded trial programme and savings plan were announced. Investors often balance restructuring costs against possible long-term gains, as seen in plans for Volkswagen’s workforce and cost reductions.
What does the closure mean for Stevenage?
The decision reverses GSK’s earlier ambition to expand Stevenage as a major destination for medical and scientific research. Stevenage MP Kevin Bonavia called the news disappointing and criticised the lack of meaningful engagement before the announcement.
Bonavia said his priority was supporting affected employees and their families. He also promised to seek new investment for the site after GSK leaves.
GSK has not announced who will occupy or redevelop the Stevenage property after 2029. Employees are also waiting for details about transfer dates, commuting assistance, relocation packages and redundancies. For now, GSK has confirmed the closure timetable and planned moves to Cambridge and Ware, but not the final number of job losses.
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