Cambridge Science Park: Microsoft, AMD and Raspberry Pi (Neighbours)

Microsoft has two offices in Cambridge. One is located right across from the railway station at 21 Station Road, with Amazon’s office next door and Apple’s new building recently opened just beside it. The other office is part of Microsoft Research, situated in Cambridge Science Park at number 198. This office likely originated from Microsoft’s acquisition of MetaSwitch, and naturally became part of the Science Park. Later, some teams from the Station Road office also moved there.

I usually go to the Station Road office three days a week. A few weeks ago, due to team collaboration needs, I spent a day working at the Science Park office. After lunch, I took a walk around the area and was surprised to find that AMD and Raspberry Pi are located just next door.

Introduction and History of Cambridge Science Park

Cambridge Science Park is one of the oldest and most iconic science parks in the UK, and a core part of the “Silicon Fen” technology ecosystem. The park hosts a wide range of high-tech companies, from startups to major global tech giants. This makes it completely natural — and representative — that Microsoft (Research/Engineering), AMD, and Raspberry Pi all have offices or headquarters here. The Science Park also hosts many other well-known companies, including Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Huawei Research.

Cambridge Science Park was founded in 1970 by Trinity College, University of Cambridge, making it one of the earliest science parks in the UK. Its mission is to connect academic research with industry, providing comprehensive facilities — from offices to laboratories — to support companies ranging from early-stage startups to large established firms.

From the first tenants in the 1970s (such as Laser-Scan in 1973) through the expansions in the 1990s and 2000s, Cambridge Science Park has grown into a major hub for global technology companies, research institutions, and innovative enterprises. Its infrastructure continues to evolve, meeting the needs of modern R&D and office environments.

Microsoft Research

Microsoft established its Cambridge research lab in 1997, making it one of the company’s earliest overseas research centers. One of the lab’s goals was to collaborate with the University of Cambridge, leveraging its academic strengths and talent pool to conduct foundational research, cross-disciplinary innovation, and forward-looking technological exploration.

In recent years, Microsoft Cambridge has taken on R&D responsibilities in areas such as cloud systems, AI, and engineering systems. Its presence has brought high-level research projects to the region and provided local talent with opportunities to engage in global research initiatives.

AMD

AMD’s team in Cambridge has roots in earlier local semiconductor and networking companies, including groups from Solarflare and its predecessors. Over time, AMD developed Cambridge into one of its key engineering and research centers in the UK, contributing to work in networking, embedded systems, data centers, and high-performance computing.

In recent years — alongside acquisitions and internal expansion — AMD has expanded or relocated to more modern office and lab facilities within Cambridge Science Park, strengthening the park’s influence in semiconductor design and hardware engineering.

Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi’s headquarters and main office are located in Cambridge Science Park. As a company dedicated to promoting computing education, Raspberry Pi represents innovation in open-source hardware, education, and accessible computing — and its presence adds to the park’s diversity of tech enterprises.

As its product line and educational initiatives have expanded, Raspberry Pi has gradually grown its office footprint within the park, enabling closer collaboration with the region’s academic and industrial ecosystem.