Government funding backs flagship healthtech innovation hub
A developer for the Old Medical School building, in Leeds, will be appointed in May to transform the property into a healthtech innovation hub as the first phase of the Innovation Village scheme.
The hub is the first phase of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s one million sq ft Leeds Innovation Village on the site of Leeds General Infirmary, the catalyst of which is the construction of the trust’s new state-of-the-art digital hospital on the same site.
The Innovation Village is a health and life science-led development in Leeds city centre, which should deliver 4,000 jobs and an economic boost for the region worth up to £13bn.
The trust is currently progressing a restricted marketing process to select the developer for the 75,300 sq ft Old Medical School.
Dame Linda Pollard, chair of Leeds Innovation Partnership, said: “I am pleased that the Old Medical School has been chosen to be the flagship project for the West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Technology zone and it is great to see our vision for a leading Healthtech Innovation hub get this boost.
“The Healthtech Innovation Hub will uniquely co-locate clinicians, entrepreneurs, and academics for the first time and provide space for scale ups and start-ups.
“Running alongside the trust’s new state of the art hospitals of the future, this infrastructure for the city really will be a hotbed of innovative thinking, collaboration and development.”
Professor Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, said: “The support for the future transformation of the Old Medical School represents a huge step forward for Leeds to develop a world class Healthtech and Digital Technology space.
“This can both catalyse our fight to combat patient inequalities while helping us build on the existing national and international health tech collaboration with our clinicians that we are already seeing at our Innovation Pop Up and across our trust.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “This multi-million pound investment at Leeds General Infirmary will help us build a nationally significant home of innovation, bringing together our universities, businesses and hospitals to drive the development of lifechanging technologies and deliver thousands of new, skilled jobs.
“Through our investment zone, we’re changing our region for the long-term, working with partners and the Government to build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
Councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for sustainable development and infrastructure, added: “The Old Medical School reflects our city’s history of innovation, so we are happy to see this project receive funding through the West Yorkshire Investment Zone so it can be re-purposed for this use.”
