The construction of the £15 million world-class Centre for Health Science in Inverness is now underway.

The partnership project is at the centre of plans to build on the Highland Capital's growing healthcare cluster. The Centre for Health Science will provide a state-of-the-art facility for healthcare and biotechnology research, education, training and business development in the city, adjacent to Raigmore Hospital.

The start of construction was marked by a turf-cutting ceremony undertaken today (Mon 15th Aug) by Allan Wilson MSP, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, and William Roe, chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Following an increasing demand for space in the 77,472 sq ft facility by a number of tenants, a potential phase three may be accelerated to coincide with phase two, providing an additional 22,000 sq ft of laboratory, business incubation and office space.
 
The cost of the project is being funded by the HIE network and includes £2.7 million from the European Regional Development Fund. The Centre for Health Science, (previously known as the Medi Centre), will lead to the creation of around 200 high quality jobs as well as contributing to the development of a knowledge-based economy in the Highlands and Islands.
 
Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Allan Wilson said: "The vision of this project is to develop a state-of-the-art facility that will accommodate and co-locate healthcare and medical related organisations in and around Inverness to encourage their growth, interaction and innovation.

"It's an ambitious project that aims to ensure that the Highlands will be well-placed to attract and recruit healthcare professionals of the highest quality in the future.

"It will also deliver Highlands and Islands Enterprise's key priority to expand the life sciences sector within the Highlands, releasing further major economic benefits to the area.

"I am therefore delighted to be here today to formally commemorate the start of the Centre's construction and look forward to seeing it develop over the coming months and years."

HIE chairman William Roe said: "This is a great day for all those who have worked so hard to turn this ambitious project into a reality, particularly those from Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (INBSE). Now that construction is underway, the future of the bio-medical sector in the Highlands and Islands is even stronger.

"The Centre for Health Science will be the first of its kind in the UK and will play a key role in developing the healthcare cluster for the area. Due to the increasing demand for space within the facility, it is possible that a third phase could be built at the same time as phase two, which is evidence of the need for such a project to be developed in the Highlands and Islands."

The first phase is due to be completed in the autumn of 2006 and will be leased from the HIE network by NHS Highland, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and the University of Stirling, which will provide nursing and midwifery education.

The second phase of the development, which is expected to be finished in the summer of 2007, involves a variety of other public and private sector organisations, including the joint University of Aberdeen / UHI Millennium Institute Centre for Rural Health and Lifescan Scotland. The UHI Millennium Institute will also take space in the building for its new chair in health science, sponsored by Lifescan Scotland.

Stuart Black, chief executive of INBSE, said: "The Centre for Health Science is a hugely significant facility for the city and the whole of the Highlands and Islands, and we are delighted to see that the building work has now started. This has been an excellent example of partnership working between the Enterprise network and the NHS and could serve as a model for future projects elsewhere in Scotland."

Roger Gibbins, Chief Executive of NHS Highland said: "I am delighted that work is now going ahead on this highly exciting and innovative project. The centre will provide excellent training and education opportunities for NHS staff on their own doorstep.

"One of NHS Highland's key objectives is to encourage high calibre staff to come to work and live in the Highlands, which in turn will be of benefit to the healthcare of patients in the area. The creation of around 200 high quality jobs is also excellent news for the economy of Inverness. I am very hopeful that the centre will help to promote the Highlands as a good career choice for healthcare professionals."

Managing director of Lifescan Scotland, Mike Crowe said: "As an organisation which relies on the development of new and innovative products for a world market we are pleased to be associated with this new facility. The unified approach of public and private bodies working together towards the advancement of health sciences is an exciting project and a major benefit for the area."

Ann Markham, chair of NES, said: "This is an exciting occasion for all the partners who have been working toward the creation of this innovative new development.

"As the National Body in Scotland responsible for the education and training of the staff in Scotland's NHS, we at NHS Education for Scotland, regard the Centre for Health Science as a unique opportunity to realise the added value for the Scottish Health Service of partners from education, research and business working together in one creatively designed space. 

"I would also like to acknowledge the role of INBSE in supporting this development.  Without their efforts this centre would not be built."

Professor Bob Cormack, Principal of UHI Millennium Institute, said: "We see the development of the healthcare cluster as an exciting opportunity for Inverness and the wider Highlands & Islands. The Centre for Health Science will be the location of our new research chair in health science and also the base for our growing portfolio of CPD courses for health professionals."

Head of Stirling University's Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Tom Starrs said: "The University of Stirling has been a major provider of Health related education in the Highlands for 10 years. The ability to increase and extend the support we offer to health professionals both in education and research has been limited due to space constraints. This facility is therefore greatly welcomed and will allow us to maximise our contribution to the health care services, staff and the population of the Highlands.

"We look forward to the opportunities afforded by sharing this state of the art facility with the other organisations involved to the benefit of all. HIE is to be congratulated for delivering on what has been a complex process with a facility which will be second to none."

Denis Malone, chief executive of Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme (HIPP) said: "In supporting the Centre for Health Science, the Programme has demonstrated its willingness to invest in new technologies providing significant potential for the growth of the economy of the Highlands and Islands."