Masdar city: Masdar City announced the launch of Biosphere Labs, a landmark addition to Abu Dhabi's growing life sciences ecosystem and GCC's first commercially scaled shared lab, developed in partnership with M42 and Attentive Science.
According to Emirates News Agency, the announcement was made at BIO International Convention 2026 in San Diego, USA. Biosphere Labs addresses one of the most significant barriers facing life sciences companies and researchers today: access to specialised laboratory infrastructure. The facility gives researchers, startups, and biotechnology companies immediate access to specialist bench space, advanced equipment, operational support, and connections across Abu Dhabi's broader life sciences ecosystem, reducing the cost, complexity, and time typically associated with establishing laboratory operations.
For organisations seeking to expand into the region, Biosphere Labs provides a gateway into an ecosystem designed to help innovators build, test, and scale new technologies from a single connected environment. Biosphere Labs builds on Abu Dhabi's designated hub for life sciences - HELM - which offers direct access to an integrated platform for medical innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and advanced biotechnology.
Launched in 2025, the HELM (Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine) cluster - which is operational in Masdar City - provides a globally competitive ecosystem that accelerates research, clinical development, advanced manufacturing, and commercialisation capabilities, further strengthening Masdar City's role as Abu Dhabi's partner in redefining preventative care, drug efficacy, and human longevity.
Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, stated that Abu Dhabi has established an ecosystem where research, healthcare, investment, and innovation come together to accelerate impact. Biosphere Labs strengthens that ecosystem by providing researchers, startups, and biotechnology companies with the infrastructure needed to build, test, and scale new technologies within Abu Dhabi's living lab for intelligent life sciences. By reducing barriers to scientific research and innovation, facilities such as Biosphere Labs help translate promising discoveries into practical solutions that can improve health outcomes for communities in Abu Dhabi and around the world.
Ahmed Baghoum, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar City, described Biosphere Labs as a defining milestone in Masdar City's life sciences journey and proof of what becomes possible when the foundations, partnerships, infrastructure, and policy are built with intention. Masdar City was designed to be a test bed, a place where new models are not just imagined but demonstrated, and Biosphere Labs is precisely that. The facility reflects Masdar City's long-term commitment to positioning Abu Dhabi as a world-leading destination for life sciences.
Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Executive Officer of M42 Integrated Health Solutions, emphasized that Biosphere Labs represents an important step in strengthening the life sciences ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the wider region. By providing researchers, startups, and biotechnology companies with immediate access to world-class laboratory infrastructure and scientific capabilities, they are helping accelerate the journey from discovery to real-world impact.
Tareq Abu-Nadi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Attentive Science Limited, noted that Biosphere Labs is the culmination of more than two years of collaboration and a shared vision to establish Abu Dhabi as a globally recognised hub for biotechnology and life sciences innovation. This achievement demonstrates what is possible when government, industry, and academia work together toward a common goal.
At Masdar City, the full life sciences journey is already a reality with the presence of marquee organisations such as M42, Attentive Science, the Abu Dhabi Biobank, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and Insilico Medicine. As the UAE accelerates investment in life sciences infrastructure, precision medicine, and sustainable healthcare innovation, Biosphere Labs represents the latest example of how Masdar City is translating ambition into action, advancing healthcare and biotechnology innovation from Abu Dhabi to the world.
