Queen’s University Belfast has appointed a design team comprising Arcadis, Faithful+Gould, and Turner & Townsend for three Innovation Centres, which will be built with an investment of £200m.
For each of these centres, the university will lead in areas such as advanced manufacturing and clinical research, as well as secure, connected digital technologies.
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The three centres include the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), the Global Innovation Institute (GII), and the Institute of Research Excellence for Advanced Clinical Healthcare (iREACH).
The UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive are providing funding of £170m towards these centres, as part of the Belfast Region City Deal.
Queen’s University and its partners will invest an additional £30m for the innovation centres, which are set to become operational by 2026.
Queen’s University registrar and chief operating officer Joanne Clague said: “These projects, which build on areas of our research strength, are key to our local economy as they focus on collaborative university-industry R&D to harness additional investment, create new jobs, and accelerate inclusive growth.
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By GlobalData“Working in partnership with industry, government, and healthcare organisations, the centres will drive momentum in fields including advanced manufacturing, clinical research, and secure, connected digital technologies through impact-focused innovation, to create global impact where it truly matters.”
Arcadis will work on the £98m Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) project, which will provide fresh capabilities for the NI Advanced Composites and Engineering Centre (NIACE).
Scheduled for completion in 2025, it will also create a 10,500m² facility at Global Point in Newtownabbey.
Faithful+Gould won the contract for the £58m Global Innovation Institute (GII) project, which will significantly expand facilities at the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), in the Titanic Quarter’s Innovation District.
The opening of GII’s facilities is expected to take place in early 2025.
The university appointed Turner & Townsend to carry out work on iREACH, which will involve a £52m investment. It is planned to become fully operational by early 2026.
For all three projects, public consultation will take place during the next few months and planning applications are set to be submitted before the end of this year.
