Stanford Research Park
Life Science District
Stanford has a legacy of translating life science research discoveries into cures, and the opportunities in this field are greater than ever before. The Life Science District takes advantage of this momentum and further accelerates solutions.
Life Science Initiative
The University’s commitment to life science research and development is strengthening under the leadership of President Marc Tessier-Lavigne. The success of the Research Park is inextricably linked to the University, as the academy and the Research Park enterprise work together to sustain an integrated academic-to-industry life science ecosystem. Stanford University provides access to world-class research institutions, hospitals, and healthcare systems; supports collaboration of scientific, medical and engineering talent; and produces a highly educated labor pool. In addition, the University has special teams that work to streamline access to federal research grants and venture capital, and curate innovation through supporting patent creation.
Life Science District
Stanford University has designated a portion of Stanford Research Park as the “Life Science District,” and will transform this District over time into the preeminent community of scientific entrepreneurs and top talent focused on bioengineering, precision medicine, medical devices, and digital health. The hope is the emergence of the Life Science District off campus can do even more to facilitate commercialization of novel therapeutics for the greater good of humanity.
Stanford Research Park currently features Varian Medical Systems, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, IFF, Guardant Health, Kodiak Sciences, Canary Center and other biotech firms. Nearby Stanford School of Medicine and the VA Hospital provide opportunities for proximate bench to bedside.
Life Science Incubator
Within the emerging Life Science District, a new incubator at 3160 Porter Drive accelerates innovative life science start-ups that spin out of the University’s academic labs. The incubator is the central location for Stanford faculty to commercialize their R&D.
Alexandria Center for Life Science at Stanford Research Park provides a range of lab spaces that help support scientist-entrepreneurs through multiple growth stages, provide flexible, move-in-ready lab and office space, as well as strategic programming and access to seed capital. The facility will also offer lab suites for maturing companies.
Having an expanded life science-focused community close to campus complements existing efforts within the School of Medicine to translate basic science discoveries into new therapies. As new technologies, devices, treatments and therapies move from ideas to labs to applications in the real world, it is important to have spaces that can adapt to support this development.
This flexibility and proximity to campus will greatly benefit Stanford faculty and other entrepreneurs, and provide them with a supportive community and shared resources to facilitate their new ventures.
Life Science Community Hub
The Stanford Research Park team cultivates community through a variety of learning and social opportunities available to individuals who work in the Research Park. The SRP community hub at 3215 Porter Drive is the focal point for casual interactions in the Life Science District by providing welcoming indoor and outdoor dining and gathering spaces, and offering a variety of engaging programs, including Lunch & Learns, a Speaker Series, wellness activities, and giving back opportunities.
The Hub is the home base for Stanford Research Park's comprehensive commuter transportation program, SRPGO, and includes a full-service bike repair shop to support more than 1,000 individuals who combine fun, fitness, and sustainability as they bicycle to the Research Park each day.
The Hub provides a vibrant and welcoming space for researchers in the Life Science District to interact through a variety of learning and social opportunities.
What Makes Stanford Research Park Unique?
Stanford Research Park, the University’s affiliated business park in Palo Alto, founded in 1951, has a unique dual mission – to promote the commercialization of R&D by bridging the gap between academia and industry, while generating income to support the University’s academic mission. Nearly 70 years later, Stanford Research Park hosts companies in industry sectors such as biotech, hardware, software, artificial intelligence, and automotive mobility.
The University’s ownership of the entirety of Stanford Research Park enables the opportunity to play a strategic role in curating the tenancy of the Research Park, including promoting diversity across industry sectors, embracing entrepreneurs and companies at varying stages of growth, and building a broad array of R&D spaces for companies to lease. Through strategic space management and programmatic offerings, the University fosters synergies and partnerships among the companies and with the academic research enterprise.
Stanford Research Park and Palo Alto have always been at the forefront of new technological and scientific discoveries and inventions. With a renewed focus on drawing life science entrepreneurs to Stanford Research Park, we will support them in their pursuits to deliver therapies and solutions to the public health challenges of the 21st century.