Work on a new £210 million life sciences campus in Birmingham is set to start in the summer after plans were given the go ahead.
The Birmingham Health Innovation Campus is being developed in Selly Oak in a partnership with the University of Birmingham and Bruntwood SciTech.
The project will boast more than 650,000 sq ft of lab, office and incubation space for health innovation and life sciences businesses, and support the creation of more than 10,000 new jobs.
It will also be the home of the University of Birmingham's Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA).
Now work on the first phase of the plans - which includes the development of more than 130,000 sq ft of lab and office space - looks set to start in the summer after planning permission was granted by Birmingham City Council.
David Hardman, managing director, Bruntwood SciTech - Birmingham, said: "The response since announcing the development of Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, in partnership with the University of Birmingham, has been extremely positive.
"It's clear that this is being seen as a real milestone in the evolution of the West Midlands as a health innovation and connected healthcare technologies powerhouse.
"The region has all the raw ingredients the sector needs - world-class universities, a number of specialist NHS Trusts, quality infrastructure and a growing cluster of SMEs - to support the journey from early R&D to manufacture and market adoption of new health products and services.
"The campus will be the epicentre where all these come together and attract further inward investment to ensure the West Midlands has one of the country’s most exciting life sciences propositions for years to come."
Professor Tim Jones, University of Birmingham Provost and Vice-Principal, added: "With the UK beginning a cautious easing of Covid-19 restrictions, this announcement could not be more timely.
"The speed at which the university and our NHS partners were able to mobilise against the pandemic is indicative of our collaborative and innovative approach to life sciences and medical technologies – an approach which businesses working with us at Birmingham Health Innovation Campus will benefit greatly from.
"The development is set to play a major role in post-Covid economic recovery, bringing enhanced health, wealth and opportunity to the city and wider West Midlands on a scale rarely witnessed. We are greatly appreciative of the support the campus has received from the City Council and look forward to progressing with construction."
The first phase of the campus is set for completion in 2023.
The development has received funding from Birmingham City Council, while the PHTA has received £11m from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) through the Local Fund and the Government's Getting Building Fund.
Tim Pile, chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), said: "Healthcare innovation has been under the spotlight over the last 12 months and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus will undoubtedly help address the health needs that have emerged throughout Covid-19.
"The PHTA, which we have funded, highlights the way in which GBSLEP works in partnership with universities, businesses and local authorities to target investments in sectors and projects that will elevate our region, create jobs and put us on the global stage as a leader in innovative health and medical technologies. I look forward to the work commencing on site this summer."
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