Science Central One

Investing in BC’s next generation of STEM innovators and entrepreneurs.

BC’s sustained transition to a high-tech, low-carbon economy—in health, biotechnology, clean energy, environmental resilience, advanced manufacturing—will rely on a new generation of entrepreneurial chemical, life, and materials science trainees. 

Science Central One  is critical to realizing this potential, annually delivering integral, hands-on learning experiences to 7,300 STEM students across seven Faculties at UBC Vancouver. 

Thousands of the province’s biotech workers, health care professionals, pharmacists, engineers, resource sector innovators, environmental consultants, and other professionals rely on UBC for key parts of their education and training. But that mission is at risk at a time when BC’s need for STEM educated workers is only accelerating. UBC’s aging chemistry complex is woefully undersized and deficient to accommodate current demand for training—it limits our ability to develop the innovative programming and training required for BC industry.  

Unleashing BC’s potential in green, health and high-tech sectors

Science Central is key to meeting the expanding demand for health, life sciences and environmental training across the STEM disciplines–doubling the number of lab seats in UBC’s chemical sciences education and training streams. Modern facilities will enable UBC to deliver a chemistry curriculum that needs to be increasingly centred on high-tech, data driven, and entrepreneurial solutions. 

1. Expanded teaching lab capacity to support sharply growing demand for classes currently serving more than 7,300 STEM students in 54 STEM programs at UBC. 
2. Doubling lab teaching capacity in the next decade is crucial to meet demand and reverse the loss of hands-on training opportunities driven by infrastructure constraints

1. Enhanced lab spaces and equipment that provide trainees the wet lab and hands-on experience required by British Columbia’s biotech, health care, mining and environmental employers.
2. Modern, modular research lab environments that empower UBC chemists, materials, and life scientists to continue to make breakthrough discoveries that benefit British Columbians and can be adapted for the future. 

1. Shared entrepreneurial and incubator facilities to support meaningful collaborations between UBC researchers, senior trainees and industry. 
2. Open floor plans, atriums, collaborative spaces and hallways designed to bolster informal learning, interaction, collaboration, and programming flexibility. 

1. New undergraduate programming focused on chemical sciences approaches to environmental stewardship.