The Catalyst 25/26 Year in Review

A thriving innovation hub in the centre of Newcastle is reflecting on a year of growth after welcoming new businesses and seeing its workforce rise beyond 500 people.

The Catalyst, a landmark centre for data, health and technology innovation, has continued to expand its community during 2025, with four new companies joining the building,bringing new expertise and employment opportunities to the region.

Life sciences marketing agency ramarketing, alongside Essence, Gnosis Healthcare and TEC Services, all moved into the building during the last year, taking occupancy to 99% and strengthening the collaborative ecosystem that The Catalyst has developed since opening in 2020.

The new business arrivals contributed to a growing workforce at The Catalyst, with the number of people working in the building increasing from 434 at the start of the year to 501 by the end of 2025.

Alongside its expanding business community, the building has also welcomed thousands of visitors through its busy events programme. Over the past year, 17,000 people attended events at The Catalyst, with organisations travelling from across the UK and beyond to host conferences, meetings and collaborative sessions.

Highlights included the first Health Elevate North East event, delivered in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, which showcased the region’s strengths in health and life sciences innovation.

The Catalyst team also hosted 16 occupier events designed to bring together the building’s community, ranging from charity coffee mornings and quizzes to the inaugural Helix football tournament which is held on the Newcastle United Foundation pitches.

Customer feedback remained extremely positive throughout the year, with 100% satisfaction reported by office occupiers and 98% satisfaction from event organisers.

Amelia Findlay, centre manager at The Catalyst, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see our community continue to grow. Welcoming new businesses to The Catalyst while seeing the number of people working in the building increase means there are now more people able to enjoy our fantastic building and everything it has to offer.

“What makes The Catalyst special is its collaborative nature and the businesses within it. Bringing together innovative businesses, researchers and organisations creates an environment where ideas can grow and partnerships can flourish.”

Located at the heart of Newcastle Helix, a 24-acre innovation district with a focus on data science, urban science and life science, The Catalyst is an award-winning building managed by Oxford Innovation. Home to a dynamic community of businesses and research specialists – including the National Innovation Centre for Ageing and the National Innovation Centre for Data – the building plays a key role in supporting innovation and business growth across the North East.

Looking ahead to 2026, the team says plans are underway for another busy year of events and opportunities for businesses to connect and grow within the Catalyst and Helix community. Watch this space!