Revolutionising healthcare: The National Health Innovation Campus at the University of Huddersfield
In the realm of healthcare, innovation is the driving force behind transformative changes that improve and save lives. The National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC) at the University of Huddersfield, due to open in September 2024, will stand as a beacon of this ethos, embodying a commitment to pioneering research, collaboration, and real-world impact.
Nestled in the heart of Huddersfield, the NHIC will serve as a hub where academia, industry, and healthcare professionals converge to tackle pressing health challenges through innovation. Its mission is clear: to foster a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship that translates ideas into tangible solutions, ultimately shaping the future of healthcare delivery.
Why the project is needed
Yorkshire and the Humber faces some of the biggest challenges amongst the English regions with regard to the health of its population:
- Third lowest life expectancy for both men and women
- Highest levels of obesity
- Second highest rate of deaths in infancy
These are all issues that the new National Health Innovation Campus will address, working in partnership with others in the region. Located along the M62 corridor, the Campus is uniquely placed to serve communities throughout West and South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
Tackling health issues and economic growth
The campus will feature specialist clinical teaching facilities, world leading research facilities, public facing clinics and co-located public and private sector partners. It will directly impact on the health outcomes of the people and communities across the North of England.
Health and wellbeing of individuals, medical technologies and associated services provide a key focus for economic development and business productivity, and the campus will deliver a major boost to regeneration and jobs.
Working with a range of stakeholders across the public, private and voluntary sectors will open up a diversity of income streams as well as opportunities for product and service development and design.
Daphne Steele Building
This first building on the Southgate site is named after the UK’s first black matron, Daphne Steele, who emigrated to the UK from Guyana in the 1940s.
The building named in Daphne’s honour is the first exciting phase of NHIC. It will bring together public-facing facilities including award-winning student-led clinics, and be a focus for entrepreneurial academic activity, serving the regional and wider health economy in strong public and private partnerships. Specialist clinical teaching facilities will provide unparalleled support for workforce development.
The National Health Innovation Campus at the University of Huddersfield will stand as a shining example of how collaboration, creativity, and commitment can drive meaningful change in healthcare. By fostering an environment where innovation thrives, we hope that the campus will be at the forefront of translating ideas into solutions that have the power to revolutionise the way we deliver and experience healthcare.
Julie Pink, Head of Schools and Colleges Liaison Service, University of Huddersfield
