Masdar City opens 'Biosphere' labs in Collaboration with M42, Attentive Science

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.

Announced 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, said, “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, said, "Biosphere Labs is 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. We are proud to help create the conditions for scientific innovation by removing barriers, attracting global expertise, and giving researchers, startups and biotechnology companies the platform they need to develop, test and scale new innovations.

This facility reflects our long-term commitment to positioning Abu Dhabi as a world-leading destination for life sciences, and through our partnership with M42 and Attentive Science, it will serve as a catalyst for attracting global talent, accelerating homegrown discoveries, and translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions that benefit communities across the region and beyond.”

Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Chief Executive Officer of M42 Integrated Health Solutions, said, 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, we are helping accelerate the journey from discovery to real-world impact.

At M42, we believe innovation thrives when expertise, technology and infrastructure come together, and Biosphere Labs creates exactly that environment. Through our partnership with Masdar City and Attentive Science, we are supporting the development of a collaborative ecosystem that advances research, enables scientific breakthroughs, and contributes to Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming a global destination for healthcare innovation, precision medicine and biotechnology.”

Tareq Abu-Nadi, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Attentive Science Limited, said, “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: creating an ecosystem that enables scientific discovery, accelerates the development of new technologies and therapies, and supports the creation of intellectual property with global impact.

As the initiator and operator of Biosphere Labs, Attentive Science is proud to have partnered with Masdar City and M42 to bring this vision to life, creating a platform where researchers, startups and biotechnology companies can focus on innovation from day one and help advance healthcare from Abu Dhabi to the world.”

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.

WAM