The siting of Glasgow’s newly launched Health Innovation Hub (HiH) is ‘a masterstroke in collaborative, joined up ambitions for Scotland,’ insists a key partner in realising the country’s goals.

Officially opened last week, the purpose-built life sciences laboratory facility is located within the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID), transforming it into a world-class destination for research, innovation and collaboration.

Flagship investment HiH – which is now more than 70% let across its 87,000 sq ft – has also been strategically sited beside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).

InnoScot Health considers this proximity for precision medicine and digital health companies, attracted by a closeknit innovation-ready network, to be vital to Scotland’s health and economic growth fortunes.

Commercialisation Manager at InnoScot Health, Frances Ramsay said: “If Scotland is to better optimise its health innovation ecosystem and accelerate ideas into reality for improved patient outcomes, then this infrastructure represents an exceptional launchpad for achieving it.

“The location of HiH is a masterstroke. It is sat at the very heart of Glasgow’s Clinical Innovation Zone (CIZ) on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus – and located within GRID too, giving ambitious HiH-hosted companies the opportunity to directly access support and co-located partner benefits.

“In essence, it means faster translation of research into real-world healthcare impact through ‘triple helix’ collaborations which are able to leverage the dynamic expertise of Scotland’s NHS, industry, and academia.”

With investment from Kadans Science Partner and £18.8m support from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Strength in Places Fund, HiH is home to the Digital Health Validation Lab (DHVL), a partnership between the University of Glasgow and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, alongside high-growth occupiers including Chemify, Panthera, and Genetix Research Ltd.

The hub project was kickstarted following grant funding from the Glasgow City Region City Deal, used to support preparation of the application for UKRI funding and to meet early costs.

Speaking at the opening of the state-of-the-art innovation hub, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting said HiH is one of “the jewels in the crown” of the life sciences sector.

Steijn Ribbens, CEO of Kadans Science Partner stated that it is “the very embodiment of what can be achieved through public and private sector collaboration”.

Frances continued: “The official launch of HiH with its flexible office and laboratory space is an exciting step towards honing a thriving life sciences cluster in a bespoke environment which supports real-world testing of innovation and clinical validation.

“It is a vital piece in the puzzle for Scotland’s successful implementation of new breakthroughs for patient care and economic growth.”

A recent Glasgow City Council report highlighted rapid growth, strong infrastructure, and global opportunity which is supporting the city region’s high-value MedTech ecosystem.