Baylab - Bayer

July 2025

Overview

In 2017, Bayer UK established the Baylab, a state-of-the-art laboratory aimed at engaging young people aged 7 to 18 with Life Science topics. The lab provides crucial exposure to the workplace, connects academic learning to real-world applications, and showcases the diverse career opportunities within the Life Science sector.

Since its inception, the Baylab has welcomed over 14,000 young people from various educational backgrounds, including state schools, homeschooling, special educational needs (SEN) schools, and other educational groups. The Baylab's mission is to demonstrate that STEAM subjects are accessible to everyone, working to change negative perceptions that these fields are “too difficult” or “not for them.”

Benefits

The Baylab features two main programs designed to provide insights into the Life Sciences:

Interactive Term-Time Workshops: These workshops cover curriculum-relevant topics such as digestive health and nutrition, cardiovascular science, biotechnology, and genomics. They have been shown to boost positive attitudes toward STEAM subjects among disengaged students by 250%.
Work Experience Weeks and Lab Days: Bayer organises two face-to-face work experience weeks, giving students insights into the Life Science sector and the range of available roles. Additionally, lab days offer students aged 16-18 valuable hands-on lab experience.

These varied programs create meaningful opportunities for students from all backgrounds to engage with the workplace, aligning with the recommendations from the ABPI's recent report, Engaging with Gen Z: Cultivating a Diverse Talent Pipeline, by:

Providing a consistent presence
Connecting learning to real-world applications
Offering accessible work-based learning opportunities

“Bayer fully recognises the necessity for industry to connect with the next generation. Industry shapes the skill requirements of the future, so collaboration between education and industry is essential to ensure a diverse and innovative talent pipeline. We can only achieve this by showcasing what is possible in this sector. Consistent outreach efforts, like those provided by the Baylab, are crucial for demonstrating real-world applications of science and inspiring students about their potential futures in this field.” Emma Schierbaum, STEAM Outreach and Baylab Manager, highlights the importance of industry engagement with future generations

Find out more

To discover more about the Baylab programs, please visit www.bayer.co.uk/en/baylab.