Where great ideas grow

 

White City is establishing itself as a pioneering quarter for arts, culture, innovation, science and learning. It is one of the fastest growing parts of London, home to institutions including the revamped BBC Media Village, Westfield Shopping Centre, the Royal College of Art and Hammersmith Hospital.

At the centre of this transformation sits Imperial College London and our investment in the White City Campus. We are building a community of like-minded innovators and entrepreneurs, working to make the world better. Together, we are creating a place where great ideas can grow.

The campus is a network of different organisations and partners, fuelled by the power of proximity. Here, ideas flow freely and theories are rapidly applied in practice.

We’ve done a lot already. We have built a 23-acre site complete with research facilities, offices, laboratories, cafés, accommodation, startup incubators, and spaces where companies can grow and scale up. We’ve run programmes with and for the local community, teaching new skills and building new ventures.

But this is just the start. In the years to come, we have big plans for new collaborative workspaces in White City. The next phase includes further development of our White City Campus south site. Our 14-acre plot of land on Wood Lane will feature 180,000 square metres of research space, 373 new homes, and retail areas with shops, cafés, and restaurants. The campus will feature event spaces where we can host performances, lectures, or science and technology exhibitions. And the whole site will be linked together by a series of footpaths and green spaces, to keep White City scenic and sustainable.

The campus today is just the start of fulfilling our vision: to be the place where great ideas grow.

The White City model

People doing a whiteboard challenge

Serendipity by design

Innovation changes the world. Revolutions in tech gave us vaccines, the combustion engine, antibiotics and the internet. Many of these inventions happened by chance; the result of the right people working together at the right moment. White City will be a place where ideas collide and unexpected partners work together. And our research is guided by Imperial’s academic strategy, helping us identify areas that are ripe for discovery, helped along by the power of proximity.

A group of researchers wearing lab coats

Outward-looking

Imperial is consistently rated the UK’s most international university, with a higher percentage of international staff, students and researchers than anywhere else. While we are based in White City, our campus is global. Our partners come from every corner of the map, and our work leaves its mark across the world.

The White City Model

young people at the saturday science invention rooms

Place-makers

Our reach is global, but we are rooted in White City. We’re committed to working with the local community to create jobs and improve the quality of life here. Our campus attracts dynamic companies, helping White City residents benefit from new opportunities and investment. We are a place to learn, with programmes specifically designed for local schools and families. And we share our knowledge, teaching digital skills and offering spaces and support to local families and neighbours.

A female researcher in a lab

A wealth of expertise

Imperial College London is the only UK university to focus exclusively on science, engineering, medicine and business. Our academics and researchers are world leaders in their fields, ready to share knowledge with public and private sector partners through research partnerships and consultancy. And businesses at White City will have access to our high-tech facilities, from the London Biofoundry to our Agilent Measurement Suite.

The White City Model

People engaged in a discussion at deep tech conference

The talent you need

Rated the UK’s most innovative university, Imperial helps students to embrace creative ways of thinking and researching throughout their studies. Our graduates and postgraduates play a major role in shaping the businesses that sprout from White City, and our partners have access to a ready-made pool of talent.

People sitting outside at scale space open day

Sustainable, from day one

In keeping with our sustainability strategy, every part of the White City Campus is designed to keep our environment healthy and clean. We think carefully about the way our buildings use energy and water so our partners can meet their net-zero goals. We are committed to sustainable catering, travel and procurement across the campus, and research at White City covers everything from climate change and pollution to renewable energy.

White city model final block

Students at the Karman space programme

The entrepreneurship journey

Our campus supports great ideas at each stage of their life. At the Invention Rooms, would-be entrepreneurs can test their ideas and meet potential collaborators. At our Advanced Hackspace, they can model, manufacture, and 3D-print prototypes. As a team assembles, start-up businesses take shape in our Incubator. As a company expands, needing more space and more staff, it can graduate to Scale Space or I-HUB. From concept to conglomerate, White City is where great ideas grow.