• The Future is Made Here

    The Knowledge Quarter is Europe’s premier innovation district, sitting at the heart of London in King’s Cross

  • A World-Class Knowledge Cluster

    From the world’s earliest books and manuscripts to the latest fashion and creative designs and cutting-edge medical research.

  • A Gateway to Knowledge

    A space to interact and share ideas in close proximity. There is nowhere else like it.

  • Knowledge is Fuel for the Brain

    Get everyone connected and the possibilities are endless.

  • Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange

    A place to establish crucial connections to achieve productive partnerships,
    fruitful networks and creative interaction.

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KNOWLEDGE QUARTER (KQ) IS THE INNOVATION DISTRICT AT THE HEART OF CENTRAL LONDON.

We are the focal point for one of the greatest knowledge clusters anywhere in the world, located in a small area around King’s Cross, the Euston Road and Bloomsbury.

Within a few hundred metres you can find knowledge resources ranging from the world’s earliest books and manuscripts to the latest fashion and creative designs and cutting-edge medical research.

As a gateway to knowledge of every kind, we open doors for visitors, students, researchers and people who live and work in this dynamic part of London.

As a space to interact and share ideas in close proximity there is nowhere else like it.

Individually, our members offer a dazzling array of knowledge resources. In 2014, our partnership brought them all together for the first time.

Knowledge is fuel for the brain. Get everyone connected and the possibilities are endless. KQ is where thinking joins up.

Read our five-year strategy, Knowledge Quarter London: Leading Innovation, here.

 

THE KNOWLEDGE QUARTER IS A CONSORTIUM OF PARTNER ORGANISATIONS OF MANY DIFFERENT KINDS BUT WITH ONE THING IN COMMON…

WE ARE ALL ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ADVANCING AND DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE

The Knowledge Quarter is a consortium of partner organisations of many different kinds but with one thing in common – we are all actively engaged in advancing and disseminating knowledge.

Our partners are made up of academic, cultural, research, scientific and technology organisations, large and small: from the British Library, Google and Wellcome to Conway Hall and the London Canal Museum.

Global brands and small businesses alike are being drawn to an area that is exceptionally rich in knowledge resources.

Among our members are the Francis Crick Institute, the leading global centre for medical research, and the Charles Dickens Museum, set in the author’s former home in Bloomsbury.

KQ focuses support for innovation, collaboration and knowledge exchange. We have fostered connections to achieve productive partnerships, fruitful networks and creative collaborations. Knowledge Quarter has developed a recognisable brand, signposting to our resources and enabling us to speak with a single voice on issues that are relevant to us.

We want to encourage all kinds of knowledge seekers to make the most of our combined resources. To break down barriers and stimulate dialogue, getting the whole of this unique area buzzing with ideas. To stimulate productive dialogue everywhere – from conference rooms and corridors to coffee shops.

KQ is establishing new connections with local people too. We are channeling opportunities for networking and collaboration with the knowledge community.

Together we are putting the area on the map as a world-class centre for the creation of knowledge.

OUR BOARD AND STEERING GROUP

KQ’s founding members are The Francis Crick Institute, the British Library and University of the Arts London. Our consortium is governed by a board of ten organisations supported by a steering group with representatives from each of our membership organisations.

Currently, our board members include representatives from Camden and Islington Council, AutogenAI, Francis Crick Institute, King’s Place, London Bioscience Innovation Centre (LBIC), and UCL.

OUR VISION

The Knowledge Quarter is the world’s leading innovation district where knowledge and collaboration power economic, cultural and social progress.

OUR MISSION

To connect people, institutions, and ideas across research, business and culture, driving innovation, advancing knowledge and creating inclusive impact in London and beyond.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  • Knowledge Without Boundaries
    Championing the free flow of ideas, collaboration across disciplines and the sharing of knowledge beyond institutions, industries and borders. An open, boundary-breaking ecosystem where discovery thrives and connections are mutually beneficial.

  • Place as a Catalyst for Innovation
    Place matters. The physical environment should inspire creativity, foster serendipity and enable world-class research, entrepreneurship and social progress, creating places that are original and enduring.

  • Access for All
    Knowledge should be accessible, inclusive and empowering. A commitment to breaking down economic, social and physical barriers so that innovation is mutual, equitable and benefits everyone, not just a select few.

  • Collaboration Over Competition
    No single institution, sector or person has all the answers. A collaborative space where universities, businesses, policymakers and creatives come together across sectors, scales and boundaries to create lasting solutions.

  • Innovation With Purpose
    Research and innovation should serve people and the planet. A commitment to ethical and socially responsible innovation that improves lives, protects future generations and leaves a legacy.

  • A Global Hub with a Local Heart
    Engaging with the world while staying rooted in communities. A place where shareable ideas travel, scale and inspire, and where local impact meets global ambition.

  • A Commitment to Experimentation
    Progress comes from pushing boundaries and embracing the unknown. A boundary-breaking laboratory for bold, original ideas where experimentation is encouraged and failure is part of learning.

  • The Power of Networks
    Connections drive progress. Fostering mutual, equitable partnerships, supporting emerging talent and creating the conditions for knowledge to spark action that leads to transformative, shareable change in London and beyond.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

  • Convene and Collaborate
    Bringing together diverse members, stakeholders and communities to spark dialogue, build trust and foster lasting partnerships across sectors, making the Knowledge Quarter greater than the sum of its parts.

  • Invest and Innovate
    Enabling economic growth, research commercialisation, enterprise and creativity by championing investment in the right spaces, infrastructure, talent and emerging industries.

  • Champion and Advocate
    Positioning the Knowledge Quarter as one of the world’s leading innovation districts and acting as members’ trusted, credible representative, ensuring it is not only visible but influential.

  • Place and Purpose
    Shaping the district and its surrounding areas as a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable innovation district, championing net zero development, accessible public spaces and a built environment that nurtures creativity and community.

  • Include and Empower
    Championing equity, representation and accessibility, removing structural barriers and supporting inclusive leadership so everyone can contribute, participate and thrive.

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MILE RADIUS

12

HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

55 000 +

PEOPLE

∞

COLLABORATIONS

Map of the Knowledge Quarter

Upcoming events

The Future of Knowledge 2026

The Future of Knowledge returns on Tuesday 10 November at The British Library

KQ Social: Data in the City | Part of London Data Week 2026

What are the numbers saying about London right now? Find out at our relaxed evening social event during London Data Week 2026.

Data Careers in Life Sciences | Part of London Data Week 2026

Find out where data science is taking life sciences at this careers afternoon for KQ students and graduates, led by KQ-based data experts.

KQ Private View | WM College Library and Art Exhibition

Kick off your summer at WM College's historic library for an exclusive private view of their new student art exhibition.
View all events

Latest news

The Future of Knowledge Returns on 10th November at the British Library

The Knowledge Quarter's flagship annual conference returns on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at the British Library.

Knowledge Quarter launches five-year strategy to drive innovation and inclusive growth

'Knowledge Quarter London: Leading Innovation' sets out five priorities for collaboration, investment, advocacy, place and inclusion across one of London’s most significant innovation districts.

July 2026 Newsletter

We're kicking off July with a jam-packed day of London Data Week events and workshops with Central Saint Martins, UCL Grand Challenges, Flourish (part of Canva), and more. Find your jam!

Professor Alan Thompson Appointed as Chair of the Knowledge Quarter Board and Councillor Sabrina Francis Appointed as Deputy Chair

Professor Alan Thompson and Councillor Sabrina Francis have been appointed as the new Chair and Deputy Chair.
View all news

Publications

Link to: Science and Innovation Audit
FEATURED
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Knowledge Quarter Science and Innovation Audit

MARCH 8, 2019

A Science and Innovation Audit Report sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Knowledge Quarter What's On: Reopening 2021 Edition

Explore exhibitions and events happening around the Knowledge Quarter in our special reopening edition of our Spring/Summer What's On Guide. From poetry at a vaccination centre to artifacts from the imperial palace in Rome at the British Museum.

Knowledge Quarter Return to Work Survey

The Knowledge Quarter has published its findings from its Return to Work Survey of over 500 people who work in and commute to the KQ area. The survey covers whether people have moved due to the pandemic, what their remote working patterns will be in the future and how remote working will impact their attendance of local events.

The Knowledge Quarter’s Start-up Ecosystem

In 2019, with support from UCL, the Knowledge Quarter undertook a survey of the start-up ecosystem around King’s Cross.
View all publications

Join Our Membership

Join us
What are the membership benefits?

KQ membership is open to organisations within a one-mile radius of King’s Cross that are actively engaged in the advancement and dissemination of knowledge.

If your organisation is interested in joining the Knowledge Quarter, please email us for more information and the relevant documentation. Learn more about the membership benefits here.

Each organisation is asked to sign a Partnership Agreement which forms the basis of a statement of intent and establishes a firm foundation for the project to succeed.

Partners pay an annual membership fee based on the size of their organisation or business: under 10 employees £500; 11‑100 employees £1,000; 101‑500 employees £2,000; 501‑1000 employees £8,000; 1,001‑3,000 employees £10,000; 3,001‑5,000 employees £15,000; 5,001‑10,000 employees £20,000. We also offer special discounts for charities and community associations.

Within ten minutes of our Bloomsbury campus, one of the world’s largest and most collaborative innovation districts is taking shape in the Knowledge Quarter, with huge potential to bring together life sciences, technology, healthcare, and academia in one place.

MICHAEL SPENCEPresident & Provost, University College London

This small area is home to one of the biggest concentrations of knowledge organisations in the world. Let’s shout about it. The Knowledge Quarter will put our combined resources on the map.

SIR ROLY KEATINGFormer Chief Executive Office, British Library

When the University of the Arts London moved Central Saint Martins to Kings Cross in 2011 we expected that the combination of over 4,500 creative academics and students with friends at our neighbouring scientific, cultural and academic institutions would deliver new collaborations. That is indeed already happening and the launch of the Knowledge Quarter will give real impetus to these initiatives.

NIGEL CARRINGTONFormer Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London

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