The University of Southampton’s £100 million Institute for Medical Innovation (IMI) will be based at Southampton General Hospital.
It aims to bring together researchers, medics, engineers and computer scientists to develop faster and more effective medical solutions.
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Plans have been unveiled for the Institute for Medical Innovation (IMI), based at Southampton General Hospital. (Image: University of Southampton)
Professor Paul Elkington, director of the IMI, said: “The IMI will get life-changing treatments to patients faster.
“We know families are waiting and, while technology is advancing at pace, medical science must keep up. Southampton is perfectly placed to make this happen.
“At the heart of a major hospital, this purpose-built research centre will bring scientists, doctors, engineers and data experts together under one roof.
“Working side by side and using the latest technologies, they will accelerate discovery from lab to patients.”
He said the IMI’s goal is to create “smarter drugs, innovative devices and kinder treatments” that reach patients in years rather than decades.
The university has launched a £50 million fundraising campaign to support the project.
The IMI will also focus on training the next generation of medical researchers and delivering advances in areas such as cancer, dementia, and sight loss.
Linda Richardson, a former palliative care nurse diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy, an uncommon type of dementia, has backed the campaign.
Ms Richardson, who took part in the READ-OUT research study, said: “If there’s a chance this study and the work the IMI will do in the future can find a way of telling people earlier that they have dementia, we can give them more time with their families.”
The READ-OUT study is exploring blood tests for quicker and more accurate dementia diagnosis.
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David French, chief executive of University Hospital Southampton, said: “The IMI building demonstrates the strength of partnership between our organisations and a shared commitment to research excellence.
“The IMI is where innovation will flourish, and it’s exciting to see the plans now taking shape.
The IMI will be located at the junction of Coxford Road and Tremona Road, opposite the Princess Anne Hospital.
A planning application is set to be submitted later this year, with the centre expected to be fully operational by 2030.