What Start-ups Really Want from an Incubator Lab

Construction in May 2025 at 150 Richmond Street in Providence, home to the Rhode Island Life Science Hub's Ocean State Labs, as well as the new state health lab. Image: Michael Frank/RI PBS

As Rhode Island works to strengthen its life science ecosystem, one question has loomed large: how do you design laboratory space for companies that don’t yet know what they’ll need six months (or even six weeks) from now?

Ocean State Labs (OSL), the state’s first life science incubator, offers one answer. Located in Providence’s growing Jewelry District, the facility is preparing to welcome its first cohort of early-stage companies in early 2026. Developed by the Rhode Island Life Science Hub and powered by Portal Innovations, Ocean State Labs was conceived to address a long-standing gap in the region: access to flexible, translational wet lab space that supports start-ups from discovery through early commercialization.

“OSL was envisioned to fill a gap for translational wet lab space to service emerging life sciences innovators in Rhode Island who have a need to advance technologies but lack ready access to key resources including appropriate space, equipment and connectivity needed to build early-stage ventures,” says John Aikens, executive director at Ocean State Labs.

For start-up founders and developers alike, that mission has translated into a facility designed less around fixed programs and more around adaptability, optionality, and speed to science.

Designing for flexibility before tenants are known

One of the central challenges in incubator design is planning infrastructure without knowing the precise technical needs of future tenants. Ocean State Labs tackled this head-on by focusing on what Elizabeth Harney, vice president of scientific operations and growth, describes as meeting “80 percent of any life science company needs right off the bat.”

Further reading: Rhode Island Unveils Modern Laboratory to Advance Public Health and Safety

That philosophy influenced nearly every design decision. Lab gases, electrical capacity, CO₂ and nitrogen drops, and sinks are strategically distributed throughout the space, allowing suites to support a wide range of scientific workflows with minimal retrofit. Rather than over-customizing for any one use case, the team prioritized infrastructure density and flexibility.

“By building in this level of optionality, we create a highly adaptable environment that can efficiently support nearly any type of company that may occupy the lab,” Harney says.

This approach is particularly appealing to early-stage companies that may pivot their science, expand headcount quickly, or shift from exploratory research to more defined development work in a short timeframe.

Shared resources, purposefully centralized

Ocean State Labs also rethinks how shared lab functions can drive both efficiency and collaboration. The facility’s shared lab is anchored by a centrally located tissue culture, microscopy, and microbiology suite—an intentional layout choice aimed at streamlining workflows while increasing informal interaction among tenant teams.

“Our shared lab is anchored by a centrally located tissue culture, microscopy, and microbiology suite, designed to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration,” Harney explains.

Cold storage, another perennial challenge for growing start-ups, is handled through a large centralized freezer farm, paired with additional cold storage within individual suites. This hybrid model reduces redundancy while ensuring researchers still have immediate access to critical samples.

Each private suite is equipped with both fume hoods and biosafety cabinets, a decision that reflects the incubator’s emphasis on built-in versatility. Rather than forcing tenants to choose between chemical and biological workflows—or relocate as needs change—OSL’s suites are designed to accommodate both from day one.

Letting start-ups shape the space

A defining feature of Ocean State Labs’ development process has been direct, ongoing input from life science start-ups themselves. Because the team operates active lab environments while building new ones, feedback loops are continuous rather than hypothetical.

“Because we operate active labs while simultaneously building new ones, we gather real-time data and feedback that allow us to identify workflow pinch points and refine our designs accordingly,” Harney says.

That insight extends beyond equipment lists to include how people work. The design accounts for differences in team size, privacy needs, and work styles—critical considerations in shared environments where one company’s culture or workflow can differ dramatically from another’s.

The result is a facility that feels less like a one-size-fits-all incubator and more like a modular platform start-ups can grow into.

Infrastructure for growth

While physical design plays a central role, Ocean State Labs is deliberately positioned as more than just a place to run experiments. For early-stage companies evaluating incubators, access to expertise, networks, and operational support often weighs as heavily as bench space.

“OSL provides on demand research space, instrumentation and a team of professionals that are available to assist in supporting and maintaining resources for use,” Aikens says. “Further OSL works within the ecosystem to host events and foster a collaborative environment that supports members in their journey to advance their businesses.”

The incubator also connects companies with investors and professional service providers aligned with their stage of growth—an important factor in attracting founders who want to stay focused on science while building viable businesses.

“To expand on the previous question, OSL provides a networking and mentoring foundry to assist members in team building, business development and investor access,” Aikens adds.

Designing for scale and graduation

From a facilities perspective, success at Ocean State Labs will ultimately mean companies outgrowing the space. The incubator is designed to support that trajectory, with flexible lab layouts, shared equipment, and workstations that allow teams to expand or pivot without disrupting momentum.

“OSL is designed with a flexible space that adapts to member technical and team needs that includes laboratory space, shared equipment and workstations that enable collaborative collisions needed to augment the discovery and development of emerging life sciences start-ups,” Aikens says.

Technology infrastructure also plays a role. Cloud-based tools and networked systems support communication, scheduling, and access to shared resources—features increasingly expected by modern research teams.

As Ocean State Labs prepares to open its doors, the project offers useful insight for developers and stakeholders investing in incubator space. Its emphasis on flexibility reflects a growing recognition that early-stage life science companies need environments that can adapt as quickly as their science. By aligning infrastructure with the day-to-day realities of start-up research, Ocean State Labs demonstrates how thoughtfully designed incubator labs can support innovation at its earliest—and most uncertain—stages.