Opportunity to see plans for Inverness Campus

The proposals are to create an innovative healthcare and life sciences multidisciplinary centre serving the whole of the Highlands and Islands region.

It is a joint project between NHS Highland, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Highlands Islands Enterprise (HIE), and is forecast to create around 189 new jobs.

The exhibition will be held in An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus with project staff available to answer questions from 8am to 7pm. Between 4 and 25 July the display will remain in place for public viewing on weekdays during office hours but will not be staffed.

The project builds on the success of the Centre for Health Science, which has shown the regional benefits generated by partnership working across agencies. Developed by HIE next to Raigmore Hospital, this project has been operating successfully since opening in 2008.

The ‘Centre for Health Science 2’ will be housed within a building of more than 8,000m2 on Inverness Campus. Occupying the largest proportion of this will be a £34m elective care centre for the north of Scotland, led by NHS Highland. Due to open in 2021, this will have 28 inpatient beds, four operating theatres and day case and outpatient facilities.

The University of the Highlands and Islands, which has been allocated £9m from the UK Government through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, will develop a Life Sciences Innovation Centre.

The new building will also feature a life science business incubator. This will be created by HIE to support commercial engagement across the partnership.  This facility will be used to attract innovative new life sciences businesses to the region. It will provide office and laboratory spaces for start-up and inward investment firms engaged in creating new products and services for the healthcare sector.

The three parts of the building will intersect around open innovation space where partners and companies can interact within a vibrant workspace.   

HIE has been developing Inverness Campus to support the growth in the region’s life science sector. From the start of the development there has been an emphasis on collaboration between education, research and business.

Ruaraidh Macneil, HIE’s Inverness Campus director, said:

“This is a major development for Inverness and for the Highlands and Islands, delivering on a number of fronts. It will improve the health outcomes and patient experience across the region, while supporting the ongoing growth of UHI.  At the same time, it will also create new commercial opportunities and high value career options, thereby helping to attract and retain new talent for the region.

“We are delighted to be able to share the plans with members of the public, and would encourage anyone with an interest in the latest plans for Inverness Campus to come along.”

UK Government Minister, Lord Duncan said:

“This is fantastic news and I am looking forward to seeing how the campus develops. I am sure that the life sciences innovation hub, which the UK Government was pleased to support with £9 million funding through the City Region Deal, will be a catalyst for developing and supporting science and innovation throughout the Highlands.”

The Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal is a joint initiative supported by up to £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, HIE and University of the Highland and Islands, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.