Life and Health Sciences
Belfast Region City Deal investment is leveraging opportunities at the interface of medical research and digital transformation - Belfast is fast becoming a pioneering centre for Life and Health Sciences technologies.
The sector benefits from a strong collaborative approach between industry, academia (Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University are both in the UK's top 10 higher education institutions for bioscience research), and clinicians, facilitated by organisations like Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI).
Our universities have particularly strong offerings. Queen's University Belfast is already home to the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research (link opens in new window), which has revolutionised cancer research, and the Precision Medicine Centre of Excellence (PMC) (link opens in new window), which aims to translate genomics into clinical care. Under the Belfast Region City Deal, Queen’s University Belfast is delivering two innovation centres which build on its expertise on the Life and Health Sciences sector. iREACH Health (link opens in new window) will turbocharge the city’s ability to test new drugs, medical-technology, care pathways and societal interventions. Meanwhile, Momentum One Zero (link opens in new window) will use expertise in Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence and Wireless Technologies to unlock new healthcare innovations.
Ulster University’s £43 million Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) (link opens in new window) is a research-led, industry facing project designed to address the strategic needs of the rapidly growing digital healthcare technology sector. Located in a purpose-built 3,800m2 facility in Belfast city centre, adjacent to the university’s extended campus, it will provide a world-class collaborative environment where industry and research can co-locate, supported by state-of-the-art research equipment and innovation facilities. Dedicated staff will drive innovation and facilitate collaborative R&D, while the Community Care Living Laboratory (CCLL) will allow innovators to test and refine their products in real-world community care settings. The CDHT aims to position Belfast as a global leader in the design, development and launch of innovative medical devices and diagnostics, contributing to economic growth, enhanced productivity, reduced healthcare costs, improved levels of care and better patient outcomes.
