Milestone celebration as No.1 BHIC building tops out

The topping out of No.1 Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC) marks the next major milestone for Birmingham’s specialist life sciences hub, which forms the first phase of a ten-year masterplan for the Campus.

Due to complete in September 2023, this project is a product of a partnership between Bruntwood SciTech, together with the University of Birmingham. Led by main contractor John Sisk and Son, No.1 BHIC has been confirmed as the future home of the University of Birmingham’s Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) and Birmingham Precision Medicine Centre, which will provide opportunities for pioneering R&D start-ups to co-locate and collaborate with scale up and larger life science businesses. The space will also provide 68,000 sq ft of specialist lab and office space for innovative life science and digital healthcare companies, in response to increasing demand for space from the life sciences sector. There will also be a cafe and large event space, car parking and EV charging, meeting rooms and breakout space, located in the heart of leafy Selly Oak, a stone’s throw from the University’s Edgbaston campus.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Birmingham, said: “The University is proud of its longstanding collaborative relationship with partner NHS institutions. Our vision and ambition for this site was a dedicated health and life sciences park to enhance Birmingham’s life sciences expertise.

Through our collaboration with Bruntwood SciTech, our vision is becoming a reality. We are delighted by the topping out ceremony, which celebrates the University’s own flagship life sciences research facility, the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator – PHTA Ltd. This building demonstrates our dedication to providing a vibrant space to encourage new ways of thinking, encouraging interdisciplinary work and exploring new opportunities.”

Professor Gino Martini, CEO of PHTA Ltd, commented: “Having PHTA at the heart of the BHIC development means that businesses locating here will be elbow-to-elbow with key opinion leaders and clinical academics in areas such as clinical trials; complex diagnostics; health data; medical devices and regulatory science. It’s a unique opportunity to commercialise life science innovations and accelerate the development of cutting-edge therapies and technologies, and we can’t wait to move in this time next year.”

Dr Kath Mackay, Director of Life Sciences at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “It has been fantastic to come together in such a celebratory way to reflect on the success of the UK life sciences sector, Birmingham’s contribution to date, and the huge impact BHIC is set to make in the future. The reception this development is receiving from local and national government shows just how much appetite there is for regional centres of excellence that drive prosperity and support local communities.

“BHIC will provide research that matters through a full life sciences supply chain, creating up to 10,000 local jobs and contributing £400m GVA to the region’s economy. With No.1 BHIC now less than a year away from completion, we’re looking forward to opening its doors and welcoming the first businesses to the campus.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, commented: “No.1 BHIC is an incredibly exciting project for our region- bringing world class R&D to Birmingham and helping to transform health outcomes for local people. I have no doubt that BHIC is set to become a beacon of British ingenuity and scientific excellence. This state-of-the-art facility will result in breakthroughs for patients and healthcare professionals around the world and- crucially- will support economic recovery right across the West Midlands in the months and years ahead.”