Bruntwood SciTech tops out first phase of £45m Birmingham Health Innovation Campus
Bruntwood SciTech has marked the topping out of No.1 Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC) – the city’s forthcoming specialist life sciences hub.
The topping out ceremony follows Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng touring the new £45m development during last week’s Conservative Party Conference.
The event included a keynote speech from Chris Smith, presenter of the BBC’s ‘The Naked Scientist’ podcast and consultant virologist and lecturer at Cambridge University.
Due to complete in September 2023 and led by main contractor John Sisk and Son, No.1 BHIC will provide 133,000 sq ft of specialist lab and office space for innovative life science and digital healthcare companies, in response to increasing demand for space from the sector.
It has already been confirmed to be the future home of the University of Birmingham’s Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) and Birmingham Precision Medicine Centre.
No.1 BHIC will also offer a cafe and large event space, car parking and EV charging, meeting rooms and breakout space.
The development forms the first phase of a 10-year masterplan for the 10-acre campus being developed by Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 partnership between Bruntwood and Legal & General, in partnership with the University of Birmingham.
Once complete, the campus will provide up to 657,000 sq ft of new commercial lab and office space and is expected to catalyse the growth of the region’s life science sector, creating up to 10,000 local jobs and contributing £400m GVA to the region’s economy.
Dr Kath Mackay, director of life sciences at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “It has been fantastic to come together in such a celebratory way to reflect on the success of the UK life sciences sector, Birmingham’s contribution to date, and the huge impact BHIC is set to make in the future. The reception this development is receiving from local and national government shows just how much appetite there is for regional centres of excellence that drive prosperity and support local communities.
“BHIC will provide research that matters through a full life sciences supply chain, creating up to 10,000 local jobs and contributing £400m GVA to the region’s economy. With No.1 BHIC now less than a year away from completion, we’re looking forward to opening its doors and welcoming the first businesses to the campus.”
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “No.1 BHIC is an incredibly exciting project for our region- bringing world class R&D to Birmingham and helping to transform health outcomes for local people. I have no doubt that BHIC is set to become a beacon of British ingenuity and scientific excellence. This state of the art facility will result in breakthroughs for patients and healthcare professionals around the world and- crucially- will support economic recovery right across the West Midlands in the months and years ahead.”
