Staff, students and businesses are set to move into the new Health Innovation One building on North West Campus when the current Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The landmark building on the Health Innovation Campus will be home to Lancaster Medical School and the Division of Health Research – as well as external organisations co-locating on site to work with the University on ways to reimagine health and social care.

A skeleton crew of contractors, adhering to strict social distancing guidelines, has been on site working hard to complete the building and landscaping, with a handover date expected towards the end of May. A major staff relocation programme will commence when possible, with classes beginning in the new facilities at the earliest opportunity.

Dr Sherry Kothari, Director of the Health Innovation Campus, said: “For the last 18 months, we have been watching our new campus grow from the ground up and, finally, we are in a position to capitalise on the many relationships we have continued to nurture with stakeholders across different sectors.

“The new campus will create an innovation eco-system which maximises the value of co-design and co-production to develop sustainable and scaled-up health solutions through cross-sector, multi-disciplinary collaborations.

“It will be an exciting and inspirational space, with a focus on being innovative and disruptive of the status quo.”

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medicine, added: “The Health Innovation Campus has been developed to create a dynamic, health-focused community”

“Health Innovation One will also be home to various organisations working in the health sector - including NHS agencies and private sector innovators developing new health and wellbeing products and services. Relationships with these organisations will provide new and exciting collaborative opportunities for Lancashire SMEs and Faculty researchers.

As well as teaching, office space and hot-desking facilities, the building features various meeting rooms and event areas – including a dedicated Innovation Lab and Business Lounge.

A new café on site – HIVE – will include a menu focused on fresh food and healthier options, while still being affordable for those on a budget.

A regular programme of events will see members of the HIC community invited to attend and discuss health challenges and potential solutions – with opportunities for funding and collaborative project work also on the agenda.

Plans are also in place to introduce various workplace wellbeing opportunities for employees based in the HIC, to encourage healthier, balanced lifestyles. These initiatives will become even more important in the post Covid-19 workplace.

Dr Kothari added: “We want the campus to live by its values and provide a welcoming and healthy environment for people to work in. These types of initiatives will be something we will be working on with our experts in workplace health and wellbeing here at the University.”

Development of the new campus has been supported by Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal funding, as well as the European Regional Development Fund.

To find out more about working at the Health Innovation Campus, and the opportunities for business visit the web page www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-innovation or contact HIC@lancaster.ac.uk