Cruelty-free skincare tester to boost Yorkshire’s bioscience sector

A skincare testing company is set to expand operations at its Yorkshire site to attract firms to the region.

Labskin UK has unveiled plans to launch a new research and training lab at its base in the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC) in York.

The firm, which creates artificial human-like skin for the purposes of cosmetic testing, is increasing its space from 1,457 sq ft to 2,943 sq ft to meet a growing demand for cruelty-free skincare research facilities.

Alex Chapman, head of operations at Labskin, commented: “It is an extremely exciting time for us. We’ve got the perfect base, and now space, here at NAFIC to collaborate with universities in the area to utilise and combine knowledge to make world-first scientific developments.”

In addition to the new research space the company will be creating more opportunities for research and technical jobs in the region, and hopes to attract SMEs and multi-national skincare companies with its facility.

Liz Cashon, innovation campus manager at NAFIC, added: “Labskin’s expansion shines a spotlight on the strength of Yorkshire’s bioscience sector.

“It is cutting edge research from companies such as Labskin that is attracting national and international interest and their expansion and investment into innovation and training facilities will continue to drive interest in the area, as well as create, and maintain, fantastic jobs in the region.

“We have supported Labskin over the last few years, giving the team the flexibility they needed to help the business grow and it’s encouraging that this has paid off – exactly what we hope to see with all our SMEs on site.”