Securing historic Research Campus, Cambridge
Introduction
Dardan is the security partner of one of the United Kingdom’s leading locations for early-stage bioscience enterprise. It brings together more than sixty life science companies across 430 acres of laboratories, offices, and heritage buildings. Thousands of staff, students, and visitors move through the campus each day, and research activity continues around the clock.
Dardan was asked to provide a security service that could protect people, facilities, and research output while supporting an environment built on openness, collaboration, and scientific progress. The partnership began in March 2015 and has continued through contract renewals for over 10 years.
Challenge
The research taking place on the campus requires a high level of security and reliability. The client needed a solution that could support continuous activity and maintain the highest standards of safety and reassurance. The key requirements were:
- Increased security provision to maintain safety across a site that operates twenty four hours a day
- Skilled control room operators able to monitor campus activity and maintain integrity during out of hours periods and weekends
- Support for Good Laboratory Practice to ensure consistency, reliability, and quality during routine checks
- The ability to handle short notice tasks such as emergency scenarios and VIP visits
- A visible presence that would discourage unwanted attention from protest groups
The existing in-house team had to be supported in a way that preserved campus culture and maintained the flow of people, equipment, and research activity.
Our Approach
Dardan proposed a coordinated security model that would protect the campus from intrusion, theft, and protest activity while allowing the scientific community to continue working without interruption. At the start of the contract, several vacancies were identified as critical to fill. Recruitment focused on finding capable and multi skilled officers who could integrate seamlessly with the existing team.
The professionals selected reflected the standards expected by the campus management team and were able to match the conduct, training level, and approach of in-house staff. This helped ensure that security personnel were seen as part of a single unified team.
Given the complexity of the site and its laboratories, training formed a major part of mobilisation. Officers were prepared not only to protect people and assets but also to undertake immediate maintenance checks and support the monitoring of sensitive equipment. Good Laboratory Practice was included within training to ensure that officers understood how to contribute to the reliability and safety of the wider research environment.
Retention became an important factor due to the high level of operational knowledge officers developed. Dardan worked closely with the client during a pay review and carried out a comparison with similar institutes. Both parties agreed a revised pay level that supported staff retention and protected the continuity required for world class research to continue without disruption.
An additional layer of resilience was provided by Dardan’s Control Centre. This facility operates around the clock and supports the onsite team with escalation, incident handling, and operational guidance.
A Continuous Improvement and Innovation plan was introduced to ensure that the service continued to develop. This included a full assessment of the campus and each deployed officer, a review of progress against agreed improvements, and a structured method for introducing new ideas.
Challenge
The security model supports the campus in protecting its reputation, people, facilities, and scientific output. Staff, students, and visitors experience a safe and well managed environment without delays or disruption to daily operations.
Key results include:
- Effective management of access and egress to maintain steady traffic flow
- Regular patrols on foot and by campus vehicle to support fast responses to alarms, equipment issues, and incidents
- A team that is fully integrated into the critical infrastructure of the site
- Continuous improvement that adapts the service to changing requirements
The collaborative approach taken by both parties has supported the long-term success of the partnership. The relationship continues to grow through shared objectives, trust, and a commitment to maintaining a safe and productive scientific environment.
RELATED SUCCESS STORIES
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“We have worked with Darden over many years. They have a professional and responsive approach, and their wide pool of resources helps us to provide a reliable security service to our campus. I am also able to call on their extensive knowledge and connections within the security sector to get advice and guidance on broader security topics.”
Chief Operating Officer