Convergence Investments

Printable version

1.9.2010

Wellbeing Innovation Centre

The Wellbeing Innovation Centre (WIC) will seek to take advantage of significant potential synergies of an emerging cluster, formed from the co-location of Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry (PCMD), the European Centre for Environment & Health (ECEHH), and the Health Institute Incubation Units (HIIU) at the Knowledge Spa. 

The centre objectives are:

• To use the knowledge, experience, skills and facilities of business, higher education and the NHS in Cornwall to generate an internationally significant cluster of health and wellbeing-focussed companies and organisations that will provide a role model for other businesses in Cornwall
• To create high quality office, laboratory and meeting accommodation built to BREEAM excellent standards, by January 2013 (specifically 44 offices; 4 larger rooms; six shared meeting rooms; and a conference facility)
• To create an environment that encourages growth and minimises risk for new and growing companies

• To create an Innovation Centre and a range of support services that are capable of rapid growth in the Cornwall economy

The nature of the revenue focused activities, termed as the ‘Business Incubation Environment’, will include:

• General business advice
• Access to specialist equipment and training
• Developing a community/network of sector entrepreneurs, researchers and practitioners
• Providing a focal point for sector knowledge transfer
• Providing access to shred infrastructure
• Provision of virtual and non-tenancy based accommodation solutions

The centre will also be used as a ‘Business Hotel’, taking care of “client’s business related social and domestic needs”.  This consists of:

• Fully managed property environment
• Laboratory space
• Drop-in areas
• Hot desks, conference and meeting rooms
• Managed ICT infrastructure
• Event hosting
• Office services.

The Innovation Centre will be a three storey “L” shaped block with a central full height atrium at the corner following the slope of the land to create a fourth lower ground floor which will house shared facilities. External areas will include a courtyard, landscaping (including cycle parking), a car park and a pedestrian link to the main hospital site.

The ground floor will accommodate laboratory space, subdivided into four, alongside a conference room and associated plant space. The top two floors will be predominantly flexible office areas offering small, medium and large spaces with shared core functions. Break-out spaces, kitchenettes and meeting rooms are provided for shared use.

The office and laboratory spaces will be able to be reconfigured to accommodate small to medium sized businesses.

Related links:

21.11.11 Plymouth University to manage Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre
03.11.11 Health and Wellbeing Taster
10.10.11 Turf cut for construction of pioneering Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre