The sites will maximise local and global benefits of NHS, research, industry and community partnerships
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has set out its plans for a new life sciences cluster in Paddington, founded on its growing partnerships with research, industry and community organisations around St Mary’s Hospital.
The Trust’s development includes three initiatives. A new digital collaboration space, opening in autumn 2022, located at Sheldon Square, next to St Mary’s and Paddington station. Housing the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre’s (BRC) expanding digital health programme team, it will provide space for lectures, training, events and meetings.
There will also be a new centre for clinical infection, as well as a specialist clinical and translational research facility to complement Imperial College London’s new Institute of Infection. Together they will be one of only a few resources in the world to offer ‘end-to-end’ innovation, from initial discovery to improved patient outcomes, for the management of infectious diseases as well as antimicrobial resistance.
Meanwhile, Paddington Life Sciences Partners will bring together NHS, academic, local authority and life sciences industry partners with a commitment to the area to help ensure the delivery of major social, health and commercial value as quickly as possible.
In the longer term, the Trust is progressing a full redevelopment of the St Mary’s estate as part of the government’s new hospital programme. As well as delivering a new, state-of-the-art hospital, the redevelopment is intended to create an additional 1.5 million square feet of cross-functional commercial and lab space for life sciences businesses to start, develop and grow.
Imperial College healthcare chief executive Professor Tim Orchard, enthused: “Research and innovation are fundamental to the clinical excellence our hospitals are renowned for, from the Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of penicillin and the chemical structure of antibodies and the invention of the electrocardiogram, to pioneering robotic surgery, HIV care and the clinical use of virtual reality technology. Most recently, we have played a key role in developing understanding of COVID-19 and trialling a range of new treatments.”
